Grilled Chicken Cordon Bleu Sliders

How to make Grilled Chicken Cordon Bleu Sliders Recipe - "Chicken Cordon Bleu is one of those forgotten dishes," Dannielle Judie reminisces. "When that style first came out everyone ate it, but now you don’t see it as much anymore." Which is a shame because we feel the combination of thin-sliced ham, juicy chicken and melted Gruyère cheese is more than enough to earn the title "Cordon Bleu" or "Blue Ribbon." Luckily, Dannielle is around to revive and update this classic recipe by making it into sliders and adding a touch of Louisiana with a piquant Creole aioli.

Makes 16 Sliders

CREOLE MUSTARD AIOLI:
1/2 cup (125g) Creole mustard or spicy mustard
1/2 cup (110g) mayonnaise
2 tbsp (30ml) olive oil
1 tbsp (15ml) fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
1/4 tsp Creole seasonings
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup (235ml) Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp (30ml) olive oil
1 tbsp (15g) kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
4 boneless, skinless whole chicken breasts
16 slices premium deli ham
16 slices Swiss or Gruyère cheese
16 Hawaiian rolls, mini buns or slider buns

Method:
To make the aioli, in a medium bowl, add all the ingredients and whisk together until well incorporated. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour before using.

In a large bowl, add the Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cumin, garlic powder and onion powder. Whisk vigorously until all the ingredients are well blended to make a marinade.

Split the chicken breasts in half and rinse. Add the chicken to the marinade, cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes. Drain the chicken and discard the marinade.

Apply nonstick spray on a rectangular grill pan or grill pan skillet and heat over medium-high heat. When the pan begins to lightly smoke, place the chicken on the hot grill pan, being careful not to crowd the meat. After about 5 minutes of searing, the meat will show dark grill marks. Turn the chicken over to the other side and repeat.

After about 3 minutes of cooking, place the ham slices over the chicken, followed by the cheese slices on top of the ham. Continue to cook for about 3 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Make sure the chicken is fully cooked before serving.

Warm the sliced buns on a griddle or pan until toasty. Spread the Creole mustard aioli on the top bun. Cut the chicken in half to fit and place on the bottom bun. Top the chicken with more aioli.

Grilled Chicken Cordon Bleu Sliders