Stuffed Chicken Cutlets with Ham and Cheese

By norsegal8

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 tsp. minced fresh thyme
• 2 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
• table salt
• black pepper
• 4 slices thin-sliced deli ham
• 4 (5 to 6 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts tenderloins removed and breasts trimmed
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1 Tbsp. + 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4 slices high-quality white sandwich bread, pulsed in a food processor to coarse crumbs and dried

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

1. FOR THE FILLING: Melt the butter in a medium skillet over low heat; add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds longer; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl and using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Stir in the onion mixture, thyme and cheddar; season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
3. Butterfly each chicken breast and pound between two sheets of plastic wrap to a uniform 1/4-inch thickness. Pound the outer perimeter to 1/8-inch. Place the chicken, smooth side down, on a work surface and season with salt and pepper. Spread each cutlet with one-quarter of the cheese mixture, then place 1 slice of the ham on top of the cheese, folding the ham as necessary to fit onto the surface of the cutlet. Roll up each cutlet from the tapered end, folding in the edges to form a neat cylinder. Refrigerate until the filling is firm, at least one hour.
4. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Set a wire rack over a baking sheet and set aside. Place the flour in a pie plate or shallow dish. Beat the eggs with one tablespoon of the oil in a second plate. Spread the bread crumbs on a third plate. Dredge one chicken roll in the flour, shake off the excess, then roll it in the egg mixture, and then into the bread crumbs, pressing gently so that the crumbs adhere. Place on the wire rack, and repeat with the remaining chicken rolls. Allow the coating to dry about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Wipe the wire rack and the baking sheet clean and set aside.
5. Heat the remaining 3/4 cup oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, but not smoking. Using tongs, carefully add the chicken, seam side down, to the pan and cook until medium golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn each roll and cook until medium golden brown on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken rolls, seam-side down to the now-clean wire rack on the baking sheet; bake until deep golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the center of a roll registers 160 to 165 degrees, about 15 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving