With almost every Monday night being a tapas night for my husband and me, we have tried many different menus.  Sometimes it is nice to return to a menu or dish that we liked, but other weeks we like to try a new set of recipes.  This Monday was one of those nights.

To make planning easier, both of us usually like to start with a theme, whether it be choosing an ethnicity, region, or style of cooking.  I suggested a French theme, which has had little representation in our dinners.  My husband questioned whether we could make a meatball that mimicked chicken cordon bleu.  I decided this would be a good challenge for my cooking skills.

I knew that I could incorporate the swiss cheese portion of the cordon bleu easily by placing a small cube of cheese inside each meatball.  However, it seemed a little more daunting as to how ham would be added.  I debated wrapping each meatball in a thin strip of ham, but that seemed unappealing both in texture and look.  I decided that dicing the ham and mixing it into the meatball mixture would be my best option.

I am pleased to say that these meatballs were tasty.  To make a richer recipe, a creamy white wine sauce could be used as an accompaniment.  These meatballs could be used as either a main course or an appetizer.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Meatballs

1/4 pound swiss cheese

1 pound ground chicken

1/4 pound baked deli ham, diced

1 egg

2 pieces of bread, blended into breadcrumbs

1 Tb. poultry seasoning

1-1/2 tsp. Montreal steak seasoning

1 tsp. paprika

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350.  Cut swiss cheese into 1/2 inch cubes, and set aside.  In a large bowl combine chicken, ham, egg, breadcrumbs, both seasonings, paprika, salt, and pepper.  Mix until well combined, using hands preferably.  Take 1 piece of cheese and a small amount of meat mixture (about 2-3 Tb.), and form a meatball around the cheese.  Place on rimmed baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining cheese and meat.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Serve immediately.