Monday, April 1, 2013

Rotisserie Chicken Cordon Bleu Pizza Recipe for 2 People

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Despite the name, this is an American original recipe. Cordon Bleu is French for Blue Ribbon. The term is used for a distinguished French order of knighthood dating back to 1578 during the time of Henry III. The dish has no relationship to the cooking school, nor do they endorse a recipe.

The earliest record of the dish as we know it is from an ad from United Airlines in the early 1960's. That's right... The legendary seemingly classically gourmet meal is nothing more than a "dumbed" down version of the more complex, truly European (Ukrainian actually) dish, Chicken Kiev. Dumbed down so that it would transport well, reheat well and inspire exotic. The name is the product of an Ad Man. In fairness, it does indeed travel well, reheat well and has enough complex flavors that it does inspire the image of eating something exotic... something French.

And, it was created when flying was a treat for the well heeled. Travelers would dress for the flight in suits and dresses. An expectation of decorum was encouraged by the airlines. The meals served inflight (you youngsters have no idea what I am talking about, but really, in the past (in my day), a meal served during the flight was more common than not) was designed for efficiency, but also to aid in maintaining that illusion of luxury.

So, there you go... Not what I thought.  Chicken Cordon Bleu recipes has a few "Must Have's".  Like of course Chicken, but also Ham.  There is cheese in every dish, but it is almost always a nutty melty Swiss Cheese.  there is also usually mustard baked into the dish.

Easy enough to make those "Must Have's" into a pizza recipe with all the taste of a "classic" Chicken Cordon Bleu.

BUT...

Making Pizzeria quality pizza at home is a bit of an art with plenty of simple but important tips that guarantee success.  I love making pizzas.  I probably average at least one a week.. maybe more.  I make my own dough from scratch, I make my own sauce from scratch.  I own a couple of important tools (Pizza Stone and top quality Pizza Cutter) and would find making a quality end product without the tips and tools difficult.

I did a post a few months ago on making Pizzeria Quality Pizza at Home that has lots of info you will find important if this is your first time making pzzas.  Take moment and follow the blue lettering (or double click the pizza photo to the right to read that post over.

Don't be intimidated, it really is easy once you know the simple tricks of the trade.




Here's what I did...


Rotisserie Chicken Cordon Bleu Pizza for 2 People


Ingredients
  • 1 Pizza Dough Ball Store Bought or made from scratch
  • Drizzle of Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper To Taste
  • 1/4 Cup Tomato Sauce Store bought or made from scratch
  • 1/2 Cup Ham Slices, Diced
  • Meat from both Chicken Legs, Deboned deboned, carefully removing any gristle, Diced, about 3/4 cup
  • 2 TBS Whole Grain Mustard, drizzled in plops throughout the pizza
  • 1 Cup fresh grated Gruyere Cheese
Cooking Directions
  1. Preheat oven and pizza stone to 500 degrees for at least 30 minutes prior to baking
  2. Prepare your pizza dough, spread thin on a sheet of parchment paper
  3. Drizzle Olive Oil on the pizza, spreading evenly with a pastry brush
  4. Salt and Pepper to taste on the Olive Oil
  5. Spread a thin layer of Tomato Based Pizza Sauce
  6. Evenly distribute the ham and chicken around the pizza
  7. Add bits of mustard through out the pizza. Or you could mix the mustard with the chicken to insure even distribution of the mustard.
  8. Top with the cheese
  9. Transfer to the HOT HOT HOT Pizza Stone and bake for 8-10 minutes until the pizza has fully melted and just started to char and the crust gets the char marks.
  10. Let the pizza rest for 10 minutes before slicing
  11. Serve HOT And ENJOY!

Yes indeed, one of my favorite "52 Uses for a Rotisserie Chicken" (now over 70!!!).

I am trying something a bit new this round of recipes... My own little culinary challenge of seeing just what I can do with a single rotisserie bird. So far, I used a single chicken breast to make a delicious...
Garlic Garlic Chicken and Dumplings (Red Lobster Copy Cat recipe for Garlic Cheese biscuits used as the dumplings). This recipe only uses a single Chicken Breast as the chicken ingredient, leaving plenty of the "bird" to continue the challenge.

I also made a Quick Cheesy, Sweet Corn Chicken Muffin recipe using one of the Thighs.

Next I made a Rotisserie Chicken Shepard's Pie recipe with a second Chicken Breast... And now a fourth recipe... All from the same bird!

My Goals for the experiment......
  1. Eat Well... Make something that tastes good.
  2. Recipes for 2 people. One of the great things about a rotisserie chicken is the versatility fr a quick meal for small dinners (breakfast and lunch). Save the BIG cooking for another day, let's have something for just my wife and myself (and young couples, empty nest couples and singles)
  3. Versatility... Just how many rotisserie chicken recipes are out there???
  4. Keep Track of the costs... Life on a budget, need I explain more?
  5. Go beyond the basic recipes and add some tips and HOT TO Photos appropriate for less experienced cooks so that indeed...ANYONE CAN COOK THIS!
As to tips... This really is a very easy recipe.  BUT... If you are making pizza from scratch for the first time, PLEASE take a few minutes and read... Pizzeria Pizza Pizza at Home... Dough, Sauce and Techniques.

There really is all you need to know there to get you started.

One important tip, be sure and add the cheese last.  the chicken and the ham are already cooked.  All you are doing is reheating.  If you have the chicken on top, it will dry out and even burn by the time the pizza is finished cooking.

And the pizza stone is important.  By preheating to such a high temperature (500 degrees), you are as much cooking the pizza from the bottom crust up as from the cheese down.

Again, follow the link... this is very easy but the tricks will help you!

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So, as to cost for this dish....

The chicken averages out to a dollar per recipe.
The Ham slices were another dollar (bought at the supermarket Deli)
The sauce can be bought on sale for a dollar a jar on sale, I get 4 pizzas from a jar, so a quarter for the sauce.
The dough is mostly flour and pantry items... Maybe a dollar worth of flour
The cheese will be the expensive part of the recipe... $2 for the cheese.
The mustard, oil, salt and pepper are all pantry items

Total came in at about $5.25...  less than $2.75 a serving for a main course meal in itself!!!

A Great meal for the costs!
Stay tuned, come on back tomorrow and see what else I make from the single bird!

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This recipe has been added to my growing list of "52 Uses For a Rotisserie Chicken"  (Now close to 100!)...I am so confused... $5.49 for a fully cooked, fully seasoned Oven Roasted, Rotisserie Chicken. Yet shop in the raw meat department and most raw chickens are at best $8 each and usually far closer to $10. Anyone have an answer??? Me either. So, I can either rail against the machine, or learn to embrace the beauty that is the $5 chicken! In this pin are recipes I have made, and recommend. MORE than 52 (I just can't stop)..
You get the idea.  From Scratch Pizza to Chinese Take Out recipes, Lots of Soups and Chili... Appetizers to Main Courses (Still can't find a dessert, but I am looking).  More than enough ideas for that store nought bird to shine with just a little extra work

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