This is a recipe for an elegant, easy and unique sauce for Chicken Cordon Bleu. Ready in just a few minutes and perfect for entertaining, learn why this Apricot Brandy Sauce is fit for royalty.
If you’re a regular reader, you’ll remember that before Christmas I went to high tea at Cherokee Castle and Ranch. What a lovely experience and I came home with a great little cookbook written by Tweet Kimball’s Chef and Butler. Tweet was Colorado’s First Lady in cattle ranching, successfully introducing Santa Gertrudis Cattle to Colorado.
She loved to entertain and lived in the stately Cherokee Castle just a few miles south of what is now Highlands Ranch.
You can read all about the property in my first post about the castle and our tour of the castle. I featured her recipe for Deviled Ham Canape Appetizer.
High society locals were regularly invited to join her for dinner with world famous people like Winthrop Rockefeller and Princess Anne.
My latest adventure in cooking from this Colorado cookbook, which I’ve come to adore, is this recipe for Apricot Brandy Sauce for Chicken Cordon Bleu.
What an outstanding treat this is. And such an easy recipe for dinner party entertaining.
Especially if you have a good source for pre-made Chicken Courdon Bleu. Which I do. My local specialty and meat market, Tony’s Market on Dry Creek always has it, and I’ve also seen it at King Soopers (Kroeger) … ready to bake.
If you’re going to make it at home I would always trust Tyler Florence and his recipe, or even Taste of Home always seems to a reliable source.
This is an easy sauce that takes this classic Swiss recipe to a new level. Ready in a few minutes, made on the stove top.
Let’s take a look:
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Good Quality Apricot Preserves or Apricot Jam
- Brandy
- butter
- Lime Juice
That’s all it takes for the big wow factor. The flavors compliment each other so well.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Preserves: Peach Preserves is an excellent substitution for Apricot Preserves.
- Liquor: Substitute bourbon or rum for brandy.
Step by Step Instructions, It’s Easy
- Step 1: In a small sauce pan, over medium heat, melt butter. Add apricot preserves, brandy and lime juice.
- Step 2: Whisk until hot and steamy and well blended. Serve immediately over cooked Chicken Cordon Bleu.
Chicken Cordon Bleu is a classic comfort food where boneless skinless chicken breasts or cutlets are pounded thin, coated in bread crumbs (Panko is good here) and then wrapped around thin sliced ham and Swiss cheese. Swiss in origin, Cordon Bleu refers to the wide blue ribbons worn by the highest members of Knighthood instituted by Henry III of France.
Brandy is a spirit made from distilled wine or other fermented fruit juices. Brandy is not a whiskey as whiskey is distilled from grain. An excellent reference fo learn more about Brandy is this article from Total Wine.
Yes. To make this easy chicken meal even easier, make the sauce a couple of days ahead of time. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container. I like to save Mason style jars for this very purpose. To reheat, simply pour the sauce in a saucepan and use medium low heat to warm it up. Stir occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
This sauce for Chicken Cordon Bleu is naturally gluten free, however, to make this meal gluten free, you would need to coat the chicken with gluten free bread crumbs.
Tips for Success
- You don’t need expensive brandy to cook with. Save the good stuff for sipping. Choose a standard brandy made from grapes rather than a flavored brandy.
How Else Can I Use This Sauce?
This sauce would also compliment the saltiness of a Grilled Ham Steak, or pair well with Grilled Pork Tenderloin. And if you’re looking for an easier option, simply use it as a glaze for grilled chicken breasts or grilled or fried pork chops.
Apricot Brandy Sauce for Chicken Cordon Bleu
The sweet, tangy, boozy apricot sauce is a nice partner for the salty ham, Swiss cheese and chicken. And how fun to tell your dinner guests that Tweet Kimball served this for Princess Anne. I hope you give this simple Chicken Cordon Bleu sauce a try. It’s healthier than a cream sauce and just so easy. Plus it brings such a special feel for a simple dinner.
With a simple side dish of sauteed asparagus with lemon, we thought this was a very nice meal. Let’s take a look:
More Baked Chicken Recipes
And if you’re looking for more, don’t miss my Main Course Chicken Category. You’ll find lots of delicious choices for chicken dinners. Including the most popular on my site for Chicken Mushroom Spinach Skillet.
And if you’re looking for more sauce ideas for chicken, check out this one for Cherry BBQ Sauce for grilled chicken.
Apricot Brandy Sauce For Chicken Cordon Bleu
Ingredients
- 8 bundles Prepared Chicken Cordon Bleu Bundles Cooked
- 1 small jar Apricot Preserves
- 6 Tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup brandy regular, peach or apricot flavored
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
Instructions
- Cook Chicken Cordon Bleu according to instructions.
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt butter. Once butter is melted add Apricot Preserves, brandy and lime juice. Cook until hot and well blended. A whisk works well here.
- Drizzle the sauce over cooked cordon bleu's and serve immediately.
Notes
- You don’t need expensive brandy to cook with. Save the good stuff for sipping. Choose a standard brandy made from grapes rather than a flavored brandy.
Nutrition
Apricot Brandy Sauce for Chicken Cordon Bleu …It’s what’s for Dinner.
That apricot sauce puts one of my favorites over the top! Yum!
I hope you give it a try. Let me know what you think.
An oldie and goodie! Looks like retirement is cooking up some great food!
Thanks Abbe – and you are very correct about that. 🙂
Absolutely delicious recipe, love that apricot brandy sauce ♥
Thank you so much Doreen.
This needs to be on my menu this week! Nettie
Let me know what you think. It’s my new “go to” for entertaining. Even if it’s just entertaining us. 🙂
Just pass me a plate full and a fork. Looks and sounds good.
🙂 Thanks Christine.
The mountains of Colorado are among the most beautiful places. This Chicken Cordon Blue has me drooling. That amazing sauce with the saltiness of the ham sounds amazing.
I love Colorado Julie. Let me know if you make this recipe and what you think.
Looks and sounds delicious! (even to us common folk!) 😉
Us common folk thought it was delicious! 🙂
That sauce looks so good! I am so drooling over those pics!
Thank you Prasanna
I love this new twist on Chicken Cordon Bleau…looks so good!
Thanks Sandi
Oh wow, this does sound amazing, never had apricot sauce but really want to try now:-)
Let me know what you think about the recipe Camilla.
this really sounds like a gourmet recipe that is so doable for home. What a great dish for entertaining
Thank you Dahn. It’ really a very nice recipe for entertaining.
Well, you had me at brandy! That sauce looks like something I could happily slurp up on a daily basis! And I always have those ingredients on hand. BTW, I just read that Princess Anne’s butler wears jeans on the job.
Well good for Princess Anne’s Butler – maybe he learned that when he was here in Colorado. 😉
Oh my goodness that sauce sounds incredible and the chicken looks wonderfully moist. A real treat and perfect for entertaining! Have a lovely weekend!
Thank you so much Tricia. We really enjoyed this recipe.
What a gorgeous meal, the apricot sauce sounds amazing.
Thank you Cheri – we sure liked it.
I remember the first time I had Veal Cordon Bleu — totally blown away with the flavor and the presentation. That was a LONG time ago, back in the days when canned green peas still ruled in most kitchens. Anyway, love the sauce. And I do happen to have a source of ready-made chicken cordon bleu, so I’m all set!
Boy, if you have a source for quality pre-made, I hope you give this one a try. And of course let me know what you thought.
Wow, talk about easy entertaining…this is it.
Thanks Karen – I agree.
looks very good and one of the advantages of the big city is places like Tony’s. Don’t know how far we would have to go to get fresh made Cordon Bleu like this
This sauce is worth making Chicken Cordon Bleu from scratch. 🙂
Just give me a big old jar of that sauce, PLEASE!
Wouldn’t that sauce be good for many salty meat dishes? 🙂