Ever since I was a kid working in catering halls to pay for college, I’ve been fascinated by how delicious this simple dish is. Though the original has ample amounts of oozing butter, this version doesn’t have any butter in it at all, and it still tastes great. Pay close attention to the cooking time so the chicken doesn’t dry out, and prepare the sauce 2 hours ahead of cooking time.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　1/2 cup evaporated skim milk

　　2 teaspoons cornstarch

　　1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

　　3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　Nonstick cooking spray

　　4 chicken cutlets (4 ounces each), pounded very thin

　　3 ounces thinly sliced lean ham (from the deli counter)

　　1/3 cup whole-wheat flour

　　1 1/2 cups whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs, such as Ian’s All-Natural

　　4 large egg whites

　　

Step 1

In a small saucepan, whisk the evaporated milk into the cornstarch. Bring the milk mixture to a boil over high heat, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook until the mixture has thickened, about 1 minute. Then whisk the cheese into the sauce until it is melted and smooth. Whisk in the chives, and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

　　

Step 2

Spray an ice cube tray with cooking spray, and divide the cheese sauce equally among 8 of the cube holes. Freeze the cheese sauce until it is hard, about 2 hours.

　　

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 450˚F. Place a wire rack on a foil-lined baking sheet, and set it aside.

　　

Step 4

Lay the chicken cutlets on a work surface, and season them with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange the ham slices over the chicken. Place 2 frozen cheese cubes in the center of each piece of chicken. Roll up the chicken to encase the filling, and secure each package with 2 toothpicks.

　　

Step 5

Put the flour in a shallow dish. Place the panko in another shallow dish. In a medium bowl, whip the egg whites with a whisk until they are extremely foamy but not holding peaks. Working in batches, dredge the chicken bundles in the flour, shaking off any excess. Dip them in the egg whites to coat completely. Then dredge them in the breadcrumbs to coat completely.

　　

Step 6

Place the chicken bundles on the wire rack. Spray the chicken lightly with cooking spray, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake until the breading is golden brown and crispy outside and the cheese sauce is fully melted, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

　　

nutrition information

Step 7

Fat: 81g (before), 6.6g (after)

　　

Step 8

Calories: 1,360 (before), 333 (after)

　　

Step 9

Protein: 43g

　　

Step 10

Carbohydrates: 24g

　　

Step 11

Cholesterol: 91mg

　　

Step 12

Fiber: 3g

　　

Step 13

Sodium: 497mg

　　Now Eat This by Rocco DiSpirito. Copyright © 2010 by Rocco DiSpirito. Published by Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Hailed as the "Leading Chef of his Generation" by Gourmet magazine, Rocco DiSpirito received the James Beard Award for his first cookbook, Flavor. He went on to author Rocco's Italian-American (2004), Rocco's Five Minute Flavor (2005), Rocco's Real-Life Recipes (2007), and Rocco Gets Real (2009). DiSpirito also starred in the Food Network series Melting Pot, the NBC hit reality series The Restaurant, and the A&E series Rocco Gets Real.