Patti's Mock Chicken Cordon Bleu

For over a year now, I have been regularly preparing, taste-testing, and posting about Mom's classic recipes. And, while I will continue to post Mom's recipes, I will also now expand to post other family favorites. Feel free to send me ideas.

This first expansion recipe is a Smith family classic. Since the age of eight, MDS has had this chicken dish for his birthday dinner. In honor of his birthday today, I now present to you Patti's Mock Chicken Cordon Bleu, a tasty recipe from my mother-in-law. This recipe will feed a crowd, or better yet, make for terrific leftovers.

The recipe is quite simple, but I do have a few tips that may be helpful. The recipe calls for dried beef. I find it difficult to locate dried beef, so I often use Carl Buddig beef lunch meat. I use an entire one-pound package of bacon. Also, I use a pint of sour cream, so that there is extra sauce for extra rice.

This recipe has it all--chicken, bacon and beef. But the chicken is the star and always comes out very tender. I think it is the combination of being cooked in bacon and sauce. I typically use six large chicken breast which seem to just barely fit in the pan. But some of the chicken breasts are so large, that they could easily feed two people or one very hungry birthday boy.

Mock Chicken Cordon Bleu

• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 12 slices of bacon
• 1 jar dried beef (2.4 - 4 oz.)
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
• cooked rice (about 4 cups)

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Chop the beef into small pieces and scatter the pieces into the bottom of the pan. Wrap each piece of chicken in bacon and place the chicken in s single layer in the pan. In a bowl, mix the soup and sour cream together. Then, spread on top of the meat to completely cover the meat. Bake, uncovered, for 3 hours at 275 or for 2 hours at 350. Then remove the chicken to a platter, but leave the sauce in the pan. Stir in the rice into sauce and add black pepper to taste. Enjoy!