My Favorite Meal - Chicken Cordon Bleu

Are there some meals that you just do not need the recipe for? Not that you do not want the recipe, but you know that it would just be bad for you to have it. There is a little Mom and Pop restaurant off of Exit 65 on I-77, The Front Porch, and they have excellent fried pork chops. I decided I needed to know how to make these fabulous fried porcine chops. So I made several batches over a few weeks. I finally perfected the recipe and then realized that this was not a good thing. Either familiarity breeds contempt or a worry about my expanding waist line caused me to let go of my recipe.

I say this because some people think it is funny that I do not know how to fix my favorite meal. What might be the result? Could it become something too familiar? Could the mystique of its lushes gravy and subtle melting of flavors be lost if I knew its creation? Maybe I am being mellow dramatic or maybe it is the cold medicine finally kicking in at 1:30 AM. (I am not preaching in the morning.) I just rather mother make it for me.

I think that I can remember the first time that I had this wonderful creation. I was a little boy and I believe that we were still in the old house on 8th street in Arial. My mouth exploded with the joys of this dish. Through the years it has been my all time favorite. I am not sure of all the ingredients, but I know that primarily it is a chicken breast flattened and rolled with ham and Swiss cheese. A toothpick or two are used to hold it together. These toothpicks could be tricky when I was a child. The gravy is the spectacular part. The goodness of the chicken, ham, and cheese mixing with the gravy. Aunt Martha and I are known for our battles to scrap the pan of every morsel. We would come away with sore hands from the blow of the other's spoon, but our mouths would be happy with the joy of that gravy.

Mom says that she got the original recipe from the Dinah Shore Show. I think mom might have made a few adjustments through the years. One year for my birthday she made a big pan. When I got home from work that night there were around 10 rolls. The next morning when she came in she asked where the left over chicken was? My response was "Left overs?"

So there it is my favorite meal: Mommy's Chicken Cordon Bleu, Noodles, and Steamed Broccoli.

The Hungry Preacher