So I have to give Mr. Hungry mad props for this idea. I was brainstorming meatball ideas for my list a few weeks ago and asked him to throw a few out there – this was one of his contributions, and it was a really good one. How it would be executed was going to be my problem – and I think I worked it out pretty well!
Classic Chicken Cordon Bleu is a French preparation that is typically made from a chicken breast that is stuffed with swiss cheese and ham, then breaded and fried to crispy perfection. It’s then sometimes (but not always) served with a creamy white wine sauce.
For this recipe I decided to add the chopped ham to the meatball mix (for which I used ground turkey because it was on sale), and then stuff the center with a chunk of Swiss cheese. I breaded it with seasoned coconut flour and fried them so they would have that classic crispy exterior.
Personally, I think these meatballs are even better than the classic recipe using chicken breast – but I love meatballs so you can take that with a grain of salt.
I was feeling pretty good about this recipe – I had tasted the first test meatball and thought it was a definite winner. I was frying up the rest of them and Mr. Hungry came in from working outside so I had him try one. “One of your best meatballs yet!” was his muffled response as he went back out to the shed to resume whatever important “man stuff” he does out there.
Confident in my meatball making prowess, I continued with the rest of the batch.
Not even a minute later, Hungry Jr. wanders in from the living room and this happened:
“Something stinks in here!”
“Awesome. Why don’t you go outside and play?
“Uh uh – I want to stay inside with you.”
“How nice. I’m making meatballs, want one?”
“No way. *sniff, sniff* It smells like when Grandpa was in the hospital in here.”
*le sigh* “Wow, that good huh?”
“That’s NOT good mom!”
“Oh. Sure you don’t want to try one?”
“I GUESS I will.” *crunch, crunch* (long pause) “I guess they aren’t that bad.”
“Wow, thanks for that resounding endorsement!”
“You’re welcome.”
“Want another one?”
“No thanks, I don’t like that gross cheese in the middle that tastes like feet. I’m going to go outside with Dad now.”
“Ok, have fun.”
Nothing like trying to get a recipe past your kid to bring you back down to earth! To be fair, I hated swiss cheese as a kid too. If you or someone in your family isn’t a fan, you can always substitute something less offensive like cheddar or Monterrey Jack instead!
In all honesty, these meatballs don’t really need a sauce – they are super tasty on their own, especially when hot and the cheese is all oozy. I did throw together a quick and easy cold sauce though, because I like the contrast in temperature sometimes. Since there was ham and cheese in the meatball, I added a little Dijon mustard and chopped dill pickle to the sauce because it seemed like an obvious pairing.
The meatballs and sauce were delicious together – and I especially liked eating them cold the next day! These meatballs make an awesome low carb lunch option for when you’re at work or on the go – they are easy to eat with your hands and don’t need to be reheated to taste amazing!
Despite Hungry Jr.’s less than enthusiastic response, I promise that these are fantastic and I’m pretty confident that YOU at least, will love them!
Chicken Cordon Bleu Meatballs – Low Carb and Gluten Free Recipe
- Yield: 16 meatballs, approximately 1/2 cup sauce 1x
Description
A low carb and gluten free meatball recipe based on the classic French Chicken Cordon Bleu. Stuffed with Swiss cheese and fried to crispy, golden perfection!
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1lb ground chicken or turkey
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 4 slices deli ham, finely chopped
- 16 1/2 inch squares swiss (or other) cheese
- oil for frying
For the coating:
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp paprika
For the sauce:
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 Tbsp chopped dill pickle (or dill pickle relish)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
Instructions
For the meatballs:
- Combine the ground meat, egg, almond flour, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, dried parsley, and chopped ham in a medium sized bowl. Mix well with your hands and form into 16 balls. Take each ball and press a square of cheese into the middle, reforming the meat evenly around the cheese with your hands. Combine the coconut flour, salt and paprika in a medium bowl. Add the beaten egg to a separate small bowl. Add your choice of frying oil (lard, light olive, coconut, peanut, etc.) in a medium-sized nonstick pan to a depth of about 1/2 an inch. Heat oil to about 350 degrees (F). While the oil is heating, dip your meatballs into the egg mixture, then the coconut flour mixture until evenly coated. Fry the meatballs in the hot oil for about 3 minutes per side. Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel-lined plate until ready to serve.
To make the sauce:
- Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, dill pickle, and mustard in a small bowl and mix well.
Notes
Approx nutrition info per meatball: 97 calories, 4g fat, 1g net carbs, 12g protein
Approx nutrition info for 1/2 tbsp sauce: 33 calories, 4g fat, 0g net carbs, 0g protein
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Depends on how hungry you are
Jen F says
Can’t wait to try this new take on chicken cordon bleu, my kids love anything if it’s in meatball form!
★★★★★
Allyson Giovanello says
these are awesome! next time I will use a little less salt. but soooo glad i made them!!!
thanks so much!!!!
★★★★★
Jenn says
These look amazing! I’m having so much fun with your recipes. I wish these newer ones had the “print” option though – it shows up on your older recipes, but not the newer ones, and I have to copy and paste them to print them out.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Ugh I know Jenn, so sorry! When Ziplist went away the recipe plugin stopped supporting the print function and I’m working on a way to do upload them to a newer, better recipe plugin so they will print again! Hope to have that addressed ASAP!
Julia says
Oh, I was just going to ask about using my own chicken breast and thighs to make my own ground chicken and if it was OK to use my food processor to do it. It does make it ground enough to use for meatballs and patties? I’ve never tried it but want to because I can get the whole meat a lot cheaper than the ground meat. Plus I would have the leftover bones to make soup with. This recipe is on my list to make as soon as I can thaw the chicken. lol
Julia says
Also wanted to ask, can these be frozen well? Do I precook or freeze raw, which is best? I love making a big batch and freeze to make quick meals ahead of time.
Beth says
These look absolutely wonderful. I will be making these in the near future. I literally LOL @ the stinky feet comment. I actually love swiss cheese. Maybe its a aquired taste.
Oria says
Hungry Jr. is so right! I love all cheese except Swiss! I am glad to know that there is someone else out there who is also right on this! ;)
★★★★★
Alison says
I made these the other night and they were fantastic! I didn’t make any changes to the recipe but my grocer does not carry organic ground chicken so I threw three chicken breasts in the food processor with the ham and it worked great.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks Alison, not sure how I missed your comment but glad you enjoyed the meatballs! I bet making your own meat mix in the food processor was even better than my preground version – I’ve got to try that one of these days!
Cyntha says
Nancy, bake them first for about 15 minutes and then fry for about 5 minutes.
shannon says
kids? they’re awesome for their…um…brutal honesty? :) and i’m pretty sure Mr. Table and Mr. Hungry are cut from the same cloth. One, because outside yardwork takes like 837 hours and i still don’t understand what all goes on out there. Two, because he would LOVE these meatballs: chicken cordon bleu is one of his favorite things, and i never make it, because i’m all “meh” about it. i’d totally make these, however.
Mellissa Sevigny says
“Mr. Table” made me laugh! And yes, many mysterious hours are spend out there, and sometimes I’d rather not know what is going on. Especially when I hear him fire up the chainsaw and I know darn well he’s cutting in shorts and flip flops. O_o These meatballs are sure to be a hit with Mr. Table if he loves Chicken Cordon Bleu already – the Wee One? Not so sure if she has an aversion to “feet cheese” like Hungry Jr.! ha ha! And you can always use regular breadcrumbs in lieu of the almond flour filling and coconut flour breading if you guys aren’t gluten free!
SallyBR says
Cannot beat the honesty of a kid! I am laughing here, imagining you trying to retain your composure as a master recipe developer! :-)
love these meatballs, put double stinky cheese on mine, no problem!
I’ve been using coconut flour quite a bit for breading and as a filler for meatloaves, works great
Mellissa Sevigny says
It was definitely a humbling experience Sally! ha ha! I’m hoping that like me, he’ll develop an appreciation for cheese that smells like feet when he gets a little older. ;)
Nancy D. says
Does anyone know if these can be baked instead of fries? I bake my meatballs. Thanks.
Mellissa Sevigny says
They can Nancy, they just won’t be as crispy on the outside if you bake them!