Reinvent Cordon Bleu With A Delicious Protein Swap

You already know the drill with cordon bleu: chicken, ham, cheese, and breading. After spending enough time in the heat, this combination comes out crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a cheesy gooeyness you can hardly resist. Comforting and familiar but never lackluster, it's not hard to understand why this dish is so well-loved. So what happens when we shake things up a bit and use beef instead of chicken? Don't knock it until you've tried it, because this might just be the key to reclaiming cordon bleu's forgotten novelty and making you feel as though you're eating this dish for the first time again.

Unlike chicken, there's nothing subtle or mild about beef. It's deeply savory with the uncanny ability to absorb any seasoning it's paired with. This results in a complex flavor base that makes the cordon bleu much more fascinating than usual. Layers of savoriness unfold when you've also got the salty ham and tangy, creamy cheese joining in. All of this is delivered through juicy, creamy bites that melt the flavors straight onto your taste buds. There's nothing quite like it — the feeling of slicing into the sturdy, crispy cordon bleu and discovering its satisfying interior, just waiting to be devoured.

The fun thing about beef cordon bleu is there are so many different cuts of beef you can try. Steak — sirloin, flank steak, or filet mignon — makes for a marvelously juicy, tender cordon bleu. Freshly cooked meat is preferable, but nothing's stopping you from making the most of last night's leftovers either. The meat roll can be grilled for an extra smoky edge or simply pan-fried to keep things quick and simple. Either way, you'll have a masterpiece on the plate once you're done.

Ground beef is another excellent candidate for cordon bleu. Undoubtedly, it yields a different result from the steak. Instead of meat rolls, you'll get something more akin to a meatloaf. Of course, you'll need to mix the ground meat with eggs, milk, and breadcrumbs to stabilize it for the shaping first. Opt for the oven to cook if possible. You don't want to risk the whole thing falling apart as you're maneuvering it on the frying pan.

Aside from the classic cordon bleu, ground beef and its endless versatility also opens up many possibilities for spin-offs. How about incorporating elements of a Salisbury steak into the recipe? Rich, cheese-smothered, and fall-apart tender meat all drenched in a luscious sauce is pure culinary heaven. The same meat patties can also be stuffed in between two brioche buns and some vegetables to make a one-of-a-kind cordon bleu burger.