When I was a kid, chicken cordon bleu seemed like the epitome of luxury—the French-sounding name, the tightly rolled pinwheels, the stretchy cheese when you cut into it. Now it might be a bit out of style, but those flavors never get old (same goes for grilled ham and cheese sandwiches). That’s why this supersimple dinner is in regular rotation in my weeknight cooking; it’s like chicken cordon bleu without the fuss. Best of all? There’s still that ultimate cheese pull.—Brenna Donovan
Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken with Asparagus FAQs
Indeed you can. Tester Craig Relyea found that he could prepare the recipe up through the browning of the chicken and prosciutto in step three. Then he added the cheese and continued the recipe 20 minutes before serving his guests. Easy peasy.
Spanish jamón serrano or Portuguese presunto would be a great subsitition. Speck, another Italian ham, is a great substitute. Although, unlike the others, it’s smoked. Which isn’t a bad thing. Not at all.
Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken with Asparagus
Ingredients
- Four (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and pounded to 1/2 inch (12-mm) thickness
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 8 thin slices (4 ounces) prosciutto
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 4 ounces fontina cheese, cut into 4 slices
- 2 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed
- 2 shallots, halved and sliced thin
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 350°F (178°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Wrap each breast with 2 slices prosciutto.
- In a 12-inch (30-cm) oven-safe nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon oil until just smoking. Add chicken and cook until prosciutto is lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and top each breast with 1 slice fontina.
- Bake until chicken registers 160°F (71°C), 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a serving platter, tent loosely with aluminum foil and let rest until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C), about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in the same skillet over medium-high heat, warm the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil until shimmering. Add asparagus and cook until just tender and spotty brown, about 4 minutes.
- Stir in shallots, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and cook until shallots are lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Serve asparagus with chicken.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This really did take me back to the days of the chicken cordon bleu (and chicken Kiev)! I loved the ease of preparation and the taste was fabulous. It felt comforting yet not heavy like much of the comfort food I enjoy. I followed the recipe and did not feel that any changes were necessary. I served this with crispy potatoes and a glass of red wine.
This prosciutto-wrapped chicken with asparagus is a very simple and succulent dish to prepare and has tons of flavor with the prosciutto and the cheese.
The chicken breasts I used were quite large, so I sliced them in half lengthwise through the middle to create thick slices using the top halves for the dish, saving the other halves for another day. Therefore, I didn’t need to pound down the chicken. The wrapped chicken browned up nicely in a few minutes. I realized that I could easily prep the chicken to this point for a dinner party, then finish it in the oven when the guests arrive. These are wonderfully tender pieces of chicken, and the asparagus and shallots offer a nice contrast to the cheesy bites. We added some carrots and a baked potato to round out the dish.
I love a complete recipe with sides included and this prosciutto-wrapped chicken with asparagus is a two-for-one deal for an elegant weeknight meal. Everyone loved the flavor of the fontina cheese. I think we would have typically used a Swiss cheese or something similar for this type of chicken dish but we all loved this combined with prosciutto and asparagus.
This prosciutto-wrapped chicken with asparagus recipe was easy to follow and quick to prepare. I liked the frying of the asparagus on a pan rather than blanching it in boiling water. I served my chicken and asparagus with dauphinoise potatoes.
My one criticism was that I thought there was too much asparagus. I used only about half of the amount given and I still had a lot. The recipe was tasty and even people who did not proclaim to like chicken liked it as it gives the chicken a lot of flavour and also keeps the chicken breast moist and stops it drying out during cooking.
The cooking times for this recipe were spot on – I’m always leery of cooking over medium-high heat, but it worked well with both the chicken and the asparagus. I was unable to find sliced fontina, so I grabbed some aged gouda. Totally missed the mark, in my opinion – I’ll definitely be making this again and will find the fontina or opt for a provolone. This is a lovely, somewhat exotic, midweek meal that’s low carb and healthful. It came together easily and provided lovely contrasting flavors and textures. In short, it’s easy and looks difficult – the perfect magic trick.
Are you recommending using Fontina d’aosta in this recipe or a domestic mild type or maybe Fontal? I know cheeses can be subbed but since d’aosta “has something to say” I’m wondering what the original recipe intended.
Den, I’d recommend using the cheese that you enjoy most. The original recipe just called for Fontina, and I think most of our testers just used your average grocery store variety, but if you have access to a nicer, more flavorful cheese, by all means, please use that. When I made it with a regular, mild Fontina, it turned out beautifully, so I can only imagine how elevated it might be with a different cheese.