So I have made cream cheese stuffed chicken and cordon bleu on their own but I wanted to combine them for this smoke.
Started with some thick cut chicken breasts
split and pounded for more surface area.
Dusted with Oak Ridge BBQ Santa Maria rub on the inside
Mixed up some chive cream cheese with finely chopped onion, yellow peppers, chopped garlic and black pepper
Put a smear of the cream cheese spread on one side and filled the rest up with ham and Swiss like a cordon bleu should be....starting to get hungry now.
Of course everything is better wrapped in bacon isn't it? More rub added to the exterior
Wrapped for a rest in the fridge while I get the smoker set up
On the smoker with a tube of Lumberjack cherry pellets, wanted to run the smoker at 300 (or at least at some point) to crisp up the bacon. Evidentially my electric is not capable of going higher than 270 when it is cold and a bit of wind. so had to shift gears for the end of the cook. smoke rolling.
Thin blue smoke or as close to it that can be done with pellets and an electric
pulled at about 145 deg, I wanted to crisp up the bacon so into a 400 degree oven for the finish
cut open for the money shot
All plated with asparagus and for me, some Caribbean hot sauce, pickled red onions and habaneros (thanks Steve H )
I would claim this to be a very successful cook, the wife agreed. I think adding the cream cheese stuffing just added, well creaminess to the dish. I will be doing this again, it had good smoke flavor and was juicy to boot.
Started with some thick cut chicken breasts
split and pounded for more surface area.
Dusted with Oak Ridge BBQ Santa Maria rub on the inside
Mixed up some chive cream cheese with finely chopped onion, yellow peppers, chopped garlic and black pepper
Put a smear of the cream cheese spread on one side and filled the rest up with ham and Swiss like a cordon bleu should be....starting to get hungry now.
Of course everything is better wrapped in bacon isn't it? More rub added to the exterior
Wrapped for a rest in the fridge while I get the smoker set up
On the smoker with a tube of Lumberjack cherry pellets, wanted to run the smoker at 300 (or at least at some point) to crisp up the bacon. Evidentially my electric is not capable of going higher than 270 when it is cold and a bit of wind. so had to shift gears for the end of the cook. smoke rolling.
Thin blue smoke or as close to it that can be done with pellets and an electric
pulled at about 145 deg, I wanted to crisp up the bacon so into a 400 degree oven for the finish
cut open for the money shot
All plated with asparagus and for me, some Caribbean hot sauce, pickled red onions and habaneros (thanks Steve H )
I would claim this to be a very successful cook, the wife agreed. I think adding the cream cheese stuffing just added, well creaminess to the dish. I will be doing this again, it had good smoke flavor and was juicy to boot.