Martha Stewart Chicken Cordon Bleu Roll Ups Recipe

This is not the cordon bleu you remember from growing up. Martha Stewart’s Chicken Cordon Bleu Roll-Ups swap Swiss cheese for garlic-and-herb goat cheese, regular ham for thin prosciutto, and breadcrumbs for crushed Corn Chex cereal, all rolled up in pounded chicken cutlets and baked at 375 degrees until crispy and golden in 45 minutes.

This chicken cordon bleu recipe is one of the most creative chicken roll ups I have made and it comes from the Martha Stewart Living test kitchen. I make it in the spring when I want something that feels special but does not take all day. The Corn Chex coating sounds strange until you try it. It gets crunchy in the oven and keeps the whole thing gluten-free without even trying.

Try More Chicken Recipes:

• Chicken Milanese
• Chicken Saltimbocca
• Chicken Paillards

Why You Will Love These Roll-Ups:

• Every swap is an upgrade: Goat cheese is tangier than Swiss. Prosciutto is thinner and saltier than regular ham. Corn Chex is crunchier and lighter than breadcrumbs. Every change Martha’s team made to the classic cordon bleu is better than the original. I did not think that was possible until I tasted it.
• They are gluten-free without trying: The coating is crushed Corn Chex cereal, which is naturally gluten-free. There is no flour, no breadcrumbs, no egg wash. Just Dijonnaise as the glue and crushed cereal pressed on. I have a friend who cannot eat gluten and this is the first coated chicken recipe I could serve her without changing anything.
• Rolling means filling in every bite: Instead of stuffing a whole breast and hoping the filling stays in the center, you spread cheese and prosciutto edge to edge on a thin cutlet and roll it up. Every slice has cheese, prosciutto, and chicken in the right ratio. No more biting into the boring end.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Roll Ups Ingredients

• 2 large boneless, skinless chicken-breast halves, sliced in half horizontally, or 4 cutlets (about 1 1/4 pounds total)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 log (4 ounces) garlic-and-herb goat cheese, room temperature
• 8 slices prosciutto (4 ounces)
• 3 tablespoons Dijonnaise (or 2 tablespoons mayonnaise combined with 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard)
• 2 cups gluten-free corn cereal, such as Corn Chex, finely crushed

How To Make Martha Stewart Chicken Cordon Bleu Roll Ups

1. Pound the chicken: Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack. Lay the cutlets on a cutting board in a single layer and cover with plastic wrap. Pound gently with a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy pan until they are an even 1/4-inch thick. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Fill with cheese and prosciutto: Divide the goat cheese evenly among the cutlets and spread it in a thin layer all the way to the edges. Lay 2 slices of prosciutto on each cutlet, overlapping them to cover the surface.
3. Roll and secure: Starting from one short end, roll each cutlet up tightly. Stick a toothpick or small skewer through each one to hold it shut.
4. Coat: Brush the outside of each roll with Dijonnaise to cover it completely. Then roll it in the crushed cereal, pressing with your hands to make it stick all the way around.
5. Bake and serve: Put the rolls seam-side down on the wire rack. Bake until cooked through and the coating is crispy, 30 to 35 minutes. Let them cool for a few minutes, take out the toothpicks, slice, and serve.

Recipe Tips

• Pound thin, 1/4 inch: Thinner than most recipes call for, but thin cutlets roll tightly without cracking. If the chicken is too thick it fights you and the filling squeezes out. I went too thick the first time and the rolls kept popping open.
• Spread the cheese all the way to the edges: If you leave gaps, some bites have no cheese. A thin even layer edge to edge means every slice has goat cheese in it. Room temperature goat cheese spreads much easier than cold.
• Use Corn Chex, not just any cereal: Martha says gluten-free corn cereal like Corn Chex. It crisps up in the oven like panko but lighter. I tried regular cornflakes once and they burned faster. Corn Chex hold up better and the texture is perfect.
• Bake on a wire rack: Air moves under the roll-ups so the bottom gets crispy too. Without the rack the bottom sits in its own moisture and stays soft. I learned this from the chicken milanese and it applies here too.

What Makes This Different From Traditional Cordon Bleu

Traditional cordon bleu uses Swiss cheese and regular ham, gets breaded with flour, egg, and breadcrumbs, and is usually fried. This version changes all of that. The goat cheese is tangier and melts into a creamy filling. The prosciutto is thinner and crispier. The Corn Chex coating is lighter and it is baked, not fried.

• The Dijonnaise instead of a regular egg wash adds a mustardy flavor that you taste through the coating. It also sticks to the chicken better than egg. I do not know why more recipes do not use this trick.
• Rolling thin cutlets instead of stuffing a whole breast means the filling goes all the way through. You can slice the roll-up and see the cheese and prosciutto spiraling through the middle. It looks impressive on a plate and every bite tastes the same.

I made a traditional cordon bleu side by side with this version once. This one is better in every way. Lighter, tangier, crunchier, and easier to make.

What Goes Well With These Roll-Ups

The roll-ups are already rich with cheese and prosciutto inside, so I keep sides light. Simple green beans with lemon or a cold cucumber salad are all I put next to them.

If someone at the table wants a starch, mashed potatoes go well because the goat cheese filling drips onto them when you slice the roll-up. Most nights I just serve the roll-ups sliced on a plate with the green side and call it dinner.

How To Store Leftovers

Keep the roll-ups whole in a covered container for up to 3 days. The Corn Chex coating softens overnight but it still has some crunch if you reheat right. The goat cheese and prosciutto hold up well in the fridge. I would not freeze these because the cereal coating gets soggy after thawing and never comes back.

Reheat on a wire rack in a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes. The coating crisps back up and the cheese inside melts again. I eat leftover roll-ups cold, sliced thin, on top of a salad with some Dijon dressing. The cold goat cheese is almost like a spread at that point and it works surprisingly well.

FAQs

• Can I use Swiss cheese and regular ham like traditional cordon bleu? You can but you will have a different dish. Swiss melts differently than goat cheese and regular ham is thicker than prosciutto, so the texture changes. Martha’s version uses goat cheese and prosciutto on purpose because they work better in a rolled cutlet. I would try it her way first.
• What is Dijonnaise? It is a mix of mayonnaise and Dijon mustard. You can buy it premade or mix 2 tablespoons mayo with 1 tablespoon Dijon yourself. Martha uses it as the binder instead of egg wash and it adds a mustardy flavor to the coating.
• How do I crush the Corn Chex? Put them in a zip-top bag and crush with a rolling pin or the bottom of a pan. You want fine crumbs, not big chunks. Big pieces fall off the roll-ups while baking. I crush them until they look like coarse breadcrumbs.
• Can I make these ahead? You can assemble them up to a few hours ahead and keep them in the fridge on the wire rack until you are ready to bake. I would not coat them too far ahead because the Dijonnaise can make the cereal soft if it sits too long. Bake them straight from the fridge and add a few extra minutes to the cook time.

More Chicken Recipes:

• Chicken Parmesan
• Baked Chicken Fingers
• Chicken Schnitzel

Nutrition Facts

(1 serving, serves 4)

• Calories: 400
• Total Fat: 18g
• Saturated Fat: 7g
• Cholesterol: 95mg
• Sodium: 700mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 15g
• Protein: 38g