Chicken Cordon Bleu Braid

I love Chicken Cordon Bleu. Absolutely love it. I do not, however, love pounding and rolling chicken. It's messy and not very fun. So a few weeks ago I tried this shortcut Chicken Cordon Bleu, which involves slicing the breast in half lengthwise instead of pounding it, and layering the ingredients instead of rolling them in the chicken. It turned out great!

Here is another fun variation on this classic dish. All the components of Chicken Cordon Bleu are wrapped up in bread dough and baked into an easy and delicious loaf.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Braid
2 chicken breasts, sliced or cubed
1-2 tsp. minced garlic
Deli ham
Swiss cheese, thinly sliced
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 tbsp. dijon mustard
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup parmesan
1 loaf bread dough

Preheat oven to 375. Saute chicken with garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Combine cream soup, mustard, lemon juice, worcestershire sauce, and parmesan. Set aside.

Roll out bread dough into large rectangle. Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut 1-inch wide strips in towards the center, starting on the long sides. There should be a solid strip about 3 inches wide down the center, with the cut strips forming a fringe down each side.

Spread soup mixture down the center strip (use a lot or a little, depending on how saucy you want your loaf. You might not use all the sauce). Top with the chicken, ham, and cheese. Fold the side strips over filling, alternating strips from each side and pressing them into the dough on the opposite side, forming a braid. Pinch or twist to seal.

Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes. Let cool a bit, then slice and enjoy!

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