Chicken Cordon Bleu:
A Shortcut Dinner
My book, Cooking to Impress, explores shortcut cooking techniques that make meal preparation easier. Premade, frozen Chicken Cordon Bleu is one of my go-to examples: it lets me serve a favorite dinner without the labor of preparing stuffed chicken from scratch.
A Classic Dish, Cordon Bleu Made Easier
One of my go-to dinners is stuffed chicken, especially Chicken Cordon Bleu. Found on most fine-dining restaurant menus, Cordon Bleu consists of a chicken, pork, or veal cutlet pounded thin and wrapped around cheese and ham. Preparing it from scratch is labor-intensive. The dish also shares its name with Le Cordon Bleu, the world’s largest and most prestigious French culinary, hospitality, and gastronomy institute.
Discovering the Shortcut—and Its Restaurant Connection
I first discovered Barber Cordon Bleu several years ago while helping my mother shop for an American Legion dinner featuring Chicken Cordon Bleu. We bought cases at a restaurant supply store, and the guests enjoyed the meal immensely. Later, I found the same product in consumer packaging at my local grocery store, although the portions were slightly smaller.
That restaurant-supply purchase introduced me to a shortcut used beyond the home kitchen. Barber Foods continues to offer different sizes for the food-service industry. I have even seen its products served in restaurants, where preparation varies fine-dining restaurants prepare the dish from scratch, while many midlevel restaurants use premade, frozen versions.
What I Buy and Keep on Hand
For home cooking, Barber Foods, owned by Tyson Foods, now offers several varieties of stuffed chicken under the Tyson label. I can typically find only three locally: Cordon Bleu, Scallop Lobster, and Creme Brie Apple. I usually buy two varieties each month to keep in my freezer.
Serving the Meal: Time and Cost
The stuffed chicken takes about 25 minutes to cook and requires no preparation time. To complete the meal, I serve it with potatoes and vegetables, the usual accompaniments both at home and in restaurants. For potatoes, I have several quick options:
- Tater tots cook alongside the chicken.
- Baked potatoes take four or five minutes in the microwave.
- Mashed potatoes take about five minutes.
Depending on the type, vegetables can also be prepared quickly with little or no prep work.
A box of two stuffed chicken portions sells for about $4. Potatoes cost roughly $0.50, and vegetables cost up to $1.50. The meal typically comes in under $4 per person. By comparison, midlevel restaurants charge around $20 for the same meal.
Cordon Bleu Without the Fuss
For me, premade Chicken Cordon Bleu brings the idea behind Cooking to Impress to the dinner table: a favorite meal without all the work of making it from scratch. With quick potatoes and vegetables alongside it, this freezer staple makes dinner easier—and keeps the meal within my budget. The range of stuffed chicken varieties also gives you different options to suit your palate, so you can change up dinner while keeping the same shortcut approach.
Reference: Tyson Stuffed Chicken Varieties
Tyson’s stuffed chicken catalog lists the following other varieties:
- Broccoli Cheese
- Chicken Parmesan
- Kiev
- Creme Brie Apple
- Scallop Lobster
- Margherita
- Loaded Baked Potato
- Asparagus Cheese
- Jalapeno Popper
- Cheddar Bacon Ranch
- Pepperoni Pizza
