Cordon Bleu Nuggets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Okay so yesterday I did a Cordon Bleu Wellington…. delicious chicken, ham and cheese wrapped in a flaky puffed pastry. Perfect for when you want to impress your dinner guests.  But today is Game Day here in Maryland and so friends will be stopping by to watch the game and nibble on snacks.  No time to sit down for a formal dinner!  So, I made Cordon Bleu Nuggets and they are to die for!  OMG these are the perfect game day appetizer!  These bite-sized nuggets are filled with ham, plenty of cheese and covered in a crispy, golden crust.

Cordon Bleu Nuggets

3-4 chicken breasts

1/2 cup flour

Salt and pepper

1 egg

1/2 cup water

1 cup bread crumbs

6 slices thin sliced deli ham

5 slices thin sliced Swiss cheese

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

 Slice the chicken into chunks. You can make them as small or large as you like. I like to go bite sized. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make a dredging station with flour in one bowl, bread crumbs in another and finally your beaten egg.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roll your ham into a “cigar” and top with the cheese.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next add a chunk of chicken on the top of the ham and cheese and roll tightly into a all and secure with toothpick.  Set aside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dredge each stuffed chicken chunk into the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, and then the breadcrumbs. Shake off excess each time you dredge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the coated chicken breasts in the oil and cook until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Flip the chicken over and cook on the second side until golden brown and cooked through to 165 degrees,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remove from skillet, place on a plate, cover with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make sure that you check insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken and not into the molten hot cheese.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 NOTE:

You can also bake these…

Place the stuffed breast chunks on a greased baking sheet. You can leave the toothpicks in for now.

Spritz all the nuggets with some cooking spray and bake for ten minutes. Then remove the toothpicks, flip the nuggets, and cook for ten minutes more.  Insert a thermometer and make sure they are 165 degrees.

 

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce:

1 Tablespoon yellow mustard

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

¼ cup honey

½ Tablespoon lemon juice

⅛ teaspoon onion powder

⅓ cup mayonnaise

 

Mix all the dipping sauce ingredients together until well blended. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

 

 

Homemade Garlic Shrimp Pizza

  

If you have never had a shrimp pizza, you have no idea what you’re missing. I make homemade pizza all the time, but this is better than traditional pizza.  Far better. This is a buttery deep dish crust topped with a rich and creamy garlic béchamel sauce, loaded with seasoned shrimp and covered in mozzarella cheese. It’s like eating a creamy Shrimp Alfredo with the buttery bread already built in.  You’ve gotta try this folks. It’s my personal favorite!  

 

Homemade Garlic Shrimp Pizza

 

2 tablespoons butter 

2 tablespoons flour 

1 cup half and half

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Salt and pepper to taste

   

Shrimp:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3/4 pound large raw shrimp, deveined with tails removed

2 tablespoons olive oil 

2 teaspoons Montreal steak seasoning 

2 tablespoons butter 

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, grated 

 

Crust:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Non-stick cooking spray

1 round of pre-made pizza dough 

drizzle of olive oil

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1 round of pre-made pizza dough 

1 cup grated whole milk mozzarella 

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 

Preheat a oven to 400 degrees. Spray your sheet pan or pizza pan with non-stick spray. Stretch the dough to fit a large round pizza pan or a non-stick baking sheet. Drizzle a little olive oil on top of the dough.  Set aside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a medium skillet add butter and olive oil over medium high heat until sizzling. Add the shrimp, minced garlic, and the Montreal Steak seasoning and sauté until shrimp are just turning pink.  Do not overcook.  Transfer shrimp to bowl and set aside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a medium saucepan, add the butter and cook over medium heat until melted. Add the flour to the butter and stir for 1 minute. Slowly add the half and half and whisk constantly while sauce is thickening.  Add in garlic powder and salt and pepper and cook until very thick. You want the sauce thicker than your usual béchamel sauce. Add more milk to thin or less milk for thicker sauce.  Stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan and remove from the heat. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Spread the white sauce on the dough in an even layer. Add a light layer of mozzarella on top. Next, scatter the shrimp over the sauce and cover with more mozzarella. Sprinkle on Italian seasoning and a little more Parmesan cheese. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bake in oven for about 15 minutes or until crust is lightly browned, cheese has melted and sauce is bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley for garnish. Slice and serve.  Store leftovers in fridge.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

YUM.

 

 

 

 

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to Welcome Home.

Shrimp Picata

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I like Chicken Picata…. I pound the chicken out flat and then quick fry it and then add all my lemony ingredients.  But why not Shrimp Picata?  I wondered if that would be as good so I tried it today.  Oh my gosh it is so good.  Plump, tender shrimp pair perfectly with the lemony butter sauce, which is simple yet fresh and bright. I would even say better than the chicken.  And so much easier to make.  This recipe will take maybe 15 minutes start to finish! 

 

Shrimp Picata

 

1-pound large shrimp, peeled and de-veined and tails off.

1 teaspoon corn starch

1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning 

2 tablespoons olive oil divided

2 garlic cloves minced

¼ cup white wine (or use extra chicken stock)

¾ cup chicken stock

1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice

4 tablespoons cold butter

3 tablespoons capers drained

kosher salt ONLY as needed, adjust to taste

1 lb. spaghetti noodles

freshly ground black pepper ONLY as needed, adjust to taste

1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped small

 

Rinse the shrimp and pat dry with a paper towel. Place the shrimp in a medium-sized bowl and sprinkle with flour, corn starch, and lemon pepper seasoning. Toss to coat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp to the skillet and toss to coat with oil. Cook, while stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes, until the shrimp is pink and almost cooked through. Transfer the cooked shrimp to a bowl and set aside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the wine to the same skillet and simmer for about 1 minute, scraping up the browned bits as it heats. Add the chicken stock to the pan and continue simmering and whisking for 5 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by about half. 

Reduce the heat to medium and add the cold butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly. Add the capers and simmer 2 more minutes, or until the liquid has thickened slightly. Allow to continue simmering on low heat while your pasta cooks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. Cook spaghetti according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain pasta.  Make sure you drain it well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Return pasta to the large skillet and warm over medium heat. Add the pasta water if necessary and 3 tablespoons butter, and season with salt and pepper.  Add shrimp to the pasta and toss well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remove from heat and sprinkle on parsley.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to Welcome Home.