Chicken Cordon Bleu with Bacon-Brussels Sprout Hash

John is working on a research project this month which means he's at home most of the day. This is fantastic for a number of reasons... 1. The alarm clock doesn't go off at 4:30am 2. He is around to help run errands, play with the cats, etc. and 3. Thursday I was treated to an AMAZING home cooked dinner!

John made three delicious Tyler Florence recipes: Chicken Cordon Blue

Bacon and Brussels Sprout Hash

Roasted Chicken Jus

All of the dishes were phenomenal! The chicken stuffed with gruyere and prosciutto with the savory crispy crunch coating was out.of.this.world... let me tell you. Your traditional deli ham and swiss version cannot hold a candle to this combo. The roasted chicken jus was an absolutely decadent touch poured over the chicken and the vegetables (you're probably noticing a brussels sprouts and potato theme this week) browned in bacon drippings (yum yum yum) were the perfect accompaniment.

Since I wasn't at all a part of the preparation, I decided to get some insight from the other Chef Lacy for you...

M:What inspired you to try this menu?

J: I saw Tyler Florence make it last Saturday on Food TV and it looked good. I've wanted to do some more cooking lately.

M: How long did it take you from start to finish?

J: Not sure. I did some prep earlier in the day. First I made the chicken- pounding it out and filling it with the prosciutto and gruyere. (He had the chicken breasts rolled and in the fridge. He then coated, breaded and baked them just before dinner.) That took me about 30 minutes. Then I did about 30 more minutes of prep for the hash and the jus. I had to go back and watch the show again to get the recipe for the pan roasted jus and the vegetables because it wasn't on foodtv.com with chicken recipe.

M: Hmm... I found the recipes on there- I just posted them to the blog.

J: Oh...

(silly boy)

M: Was the chicken hard to assemble?

J: No, I've got skills. It could have been really difficult if I hadn't seen Tyler do it on TV. Using saran wrap is key for rolling it up. M: What was in the crumb coating on the chicken? It was incredible.

J: The panko was nice and crispy and the thyme and grated garlic added extra flavor. There was butter in there too. I had some extra gruyere so I added some finely grated cheese in there as well. M: Did you do anything else different from the recipe that we should know?

J: I used frozen white pearl onions instead of red pearl onions and red new potatoes instead of fingerlings because that's what was available at the grocery.

M: What was the delicious smell with I came in from work?

J: That was the jus. I timed it where I'd be cooking the jus close to when we were ready to eat. You have to be sure you cut the vegetables into big rustic pieces to cook with the chicken wings. I used a pack of 8 wings (it was only $3), 3 carrots, 3 celery stalks, a handful of parsley, a handful of thyme, and a lot of love. (aww)

M: Would you do anything differently next time?

J: I prefer roasted potatoes and brussels sprouts like we normally make- I'd roast the "hash" next time. The steamed/braised way wasn't quite as good although I really liked the pearl onions in there. M: How did you pick the wine? It was a perfect compliment.

J: I wanted French wine to pair with the meal. I remembered the Chateau Greysac Medoc label when I saw it at Harris Teeter. I think Tripp may have brought it over one night.

($20 Bordeaux 90 pts wine enthusiast)

M: What dish or menu might you attempt next?

J: I want to do something Hungarian next. Possibly chicken paprikash, goulash or cabbage rolls.

Well Johnboy, we'll be looking forward to that!!! Though this is dinner will be a tough act to follow.

Nice apron.