Recipe by Jay Mathiesen
Commentary by Beth Politsch

View the Grilled Chicken Cordon Blue Photo Guide here!

Jay makes the food, I shoot the pictures and sample the results of Jay’s hard work (pretty awesome job, huh?). That’s how we put together the recipes and photo guides for this newsletter.

So I was a little bummed when the camera’s battery died in the middle of prepping this month’s Grilled Chicken Cordon Blue recipe a few Saturdays ago. That is, until I sampled it when it came off the grill, and realized we would have to do the whole thing over again the next week. Hooray!

Hands-down, this Grilled Chicken Cordon Blue recipe is one of my absolute favorites of all time. Bite into this Blues Hog Tennessee Red Sauce-basted chicken breast and you’ll savor a citrus-spicy, oozy Swiss cheese and ham center that will send you over the moon!

I only wish we could talk Jay into making this at the store every weekend!

Ingredients:
Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (preferably with no additives)
Shaved ham
Baby Swiss cheese slices
Dizzy Pig Shakin’ The Tree Rub
Blues Hog Tennessee Red Sauce (i.e. Cordon Blue, instead of Cordon Bleu)
Cooking oil

Instructions:
1. Butterfly the chicken breasts and lay them open on your cutting board.
2. Rub chicken breasts with a light coat of oil.
3. Sprinkle with Dizzy Pig Shakin’ The Tree Rub.
4. Place 4-6 slices of shaved ham on each breast.
5. Cut Baby Swiss slices into halves, and place 2-3 half slices on each breast on top of ham.
6. Fold the breasts around the ham and cheese and secure with butchers twine or Food Loop Flame stainless steel cables.
7. Grill over direct fire until well seared on both sides. Baste with Blues Hog Tennessee Red Sauce while cooking.
8. Move to indirect heat to finish. Take internal temperature to 155 degrees F. Remove butcher’s twine and serve.

Need a complimentary side dish? Check out our other great recipes, like Jay’s Grilled Pineapple!

Each time you accumulate $250 in purchases of supplies and accessories*, you’ll get a $15 reward**! Your $15 may be applied to any purchase!

Our reward program is a no-fuss way for us to give you credit for being a great customer! There is no card, and there are no strings attached. We get to see what parts of the city our customers are coming from, and we get to see a very happy customer each time we give someone $15 off their purchase!

*Purchases of grills, smokers and rentals do not count toward the $15 reward.
**Customer must choose at least $15 worth of merchandise before tax in order to redeem reward. Reward will be given after the purchase that puts you over the $250 mark is complete. Reward is given in store credit only. Not redeemable for cash.

Good knives are essential to easy brisket preparation. A boning knife, flank & shoulder knife and a carving knife are good options. Backyard Bash carries high quality Forschner Cutlery.

A large cutting board, on which to trim and season your brisket, will contain meat juices and protect your countertop from sharp knives. Try Smoky Mountain Smokers disposable cutting boards for easy cleanup!

Plain yellow mustard is brushed on your trimmed brisket to help your seasonings stick. Don’t worry, you won’t taste the mustard once your brisket has been smoked!

A quality seasoning will enhance the flavor of your brisket by adding complex flavor profiles to the meat. Backyard Bash has a great selection of rubs made locally and across the country, like Head Country, Rufus Teague, and
more!

Jaccard Meat Tenderizers push seasoning into the meat and break down tissue, creating better flavor, more tender brisket, and allowing meat to cook faster. Jaccards come with 15 blades or 45 blades.

A large foil pan to place your brisket in once it’s prepped can be found at any grocery store.

You’re on your way to creating amazing smoked brisket! Backyard Bash is dedicated to helping you get the most out of all your cooking experiences!

$75 gets you access to one of the nation’s foremost BBQ cooks, a fabulous lunch that consists of mouth-watering smoked meat, plus side dishes and dessert, a class packet for you to keep and all of the meat and class materials. Just bring yourself and your appetite! Find out more by clicking the link below and don’t forget to check out our Tenderloin and Wine class, scheduled for February 13th! This is a great class for couples!

Class schedule…

Ingredients:
6 deboned chicken thighs (can find in most supermarkets already boned out)
1 lb thin sliced bacon
1 pkg Johnsonville New Orleans-style sausage (you can find in same section as hot dogs)
Favorite Rub (I prefer Plowboys Yardbird)

Instructions:
Heat cooker to 275 degrees F…I like using apple or wild cherry for a smoking wood

1. Pull out a sheet of saran wrap. Lay thighs (one at a time) out flat in middle of plastic. Put another sheet of plastic over top. Lightly pound with meat mallet and thin the thigh out a little to about a ¼” thick.

2. Dust the inside of the thigh with rub. Cut one sausage to length — it should fit in the middle of the thigh and leave about a ¼” on each side. Now roll the thigh with the sausage in the middle. It should look kind of like a chicken egg roll.

3. Dust outside of thigh with rub. Wrap a slice of bacon length-wise around the thigh. Make it as tight as possible to help hold the sausage in. Now take another slice of bacon and wrap the thigh. This time you can hold in it place with a toothpick if you like.

4. Put in smoker at 275 degrees F, until chicken is done and bacon is close to crisp. You will be looking at about 1 ½ hrs. When Bacon looks like it is getting close, glaze at least twice 15 minutes apart with sauce (I like using Blues hog Tennessee Red). Remove from cooker and let set 5-10 minutes. Slice in ½” slices. Enjoy!

Combine:
One jar of apricot preserves
2 Tbsp Chinese garlic chile paste
¼ Cup orange juice
2 Tbsp Rice vinegar
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce