Bacon, Pineapple and Mozzarella Chicken "Cordon Bleu"

My parents, Hein and Elaine, are visiting us in Mauritius at the moment. Very nice having visitors, but with the heat one doesn't really feel much like cooking. But, must live so must cook....


My mother, Elaine, loves to collect recipes. She's always looking through magazines and tearing out interesting-looking ideas. Well, she has piles and piles of recipes. Thanks to her, here's another fantastic supper idea. Jesse, my 5-year-old son, loves the mushroom and cheese sauce, while Abigail, my 6-year-old daughter just sprinkles lemon juice over. So the choice of sauce is up to you.


Just a little bit of effort and you can enjoy something really delicious tonight.


Bacon, Pineapple and Mozzarella Chicken "Cordon Bleu" (Serves 4 - 6)


Ingredients


6 chicken breast fillets
6 strips of back bacon
Canned pineapple chunks
6 slices of mozzarella cheese, approx. 2 x2 cm each
1 cup dried breadcrumbs mixed with about 1 T parmesan cheese, grated
1 egg, beaten
About 1/2 cup cake flour
Salt and pepper
Toothpicks
Olive oil


Method

• Pre-heat oven to 180° C (360° F).
• Place the baking tray that you will be using, sprinkled with a little olive, in the oven to heat up along with oven.
• Slice through each chicken breast (but not right through) and open up to a "butterfly" position.
• Place each breast in a plastic packet and flatten lightly with a rolling pin.
• On each open breast, place a piece of bacon, then mozzarella, and then some pineapple.
• Fold each chicken breast over and secure with some toothpicks.
• Very lightly season the chicken (remember that the bacon is a little salty already).
• Roll each parcel in some cake flour, then in the beaten egg and then in the breadcrumb and Parmesan mix.
• Drizzle a little oil over each breast.
• Carefully place each parcel onto the pre-heated baking tray and bake approximately 10 minutes each side. Bake until golden brown.
• Serve with a mushroom and cheese sauce, mashed potatoes and some crunchy vegetables and a crisp salad.

Tips and Ideas

• Be careful of over-baking.  The chicken will become hard.  Not nice.
• This type of chicken works just as well with ham instead of the bacon and just the mozzarella.
• Also, you can omit the parmesan cheese, but it really does add that extra hint of flavour.
• Plain mushroom or plain cheese sauce is just as delicious.

Delicious, even in hot weather!


Kind Regards


Shelley