Chicken Cordon Bleu Bread Bowls

I got this recipe from melskitchencafe.com

For the Chicken and Sauce:

4 TBS butter

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts cubed

1/2 cup minced yellow onion

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 TBS flour

1/2 cup apple juice

1 1/4 cups chicken broth (can use 1 3/4 chicken broth if you don't have apple juice on hand)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 TBS prepared yellow mustard

1 TBS dried thyme

2-3 cups broccoli florets

salt and cayenne pepper to taste

To Assemble:

4-6 medium round regular or sourdough bread bowls (I bought some from the store and it came in a 3 pack which was perfect because there wasn't enough for 4 when I made this)

8-10 thin slices smoked ham

1 cup grated Swiss cheese

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I had some in the freezer that I pulled out, but I am sure its better with fresh)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly coat the foil with cooking spray.

Place the broccoli florets in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes until tender but still bright green. Remove the plastic wrap and set aside.

In a 10-12 inch skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chicken and saute until the chicken begins to brown but isn't cooked all the way through, about 3-4 min. Stir the onions and garlic in and cook, stirring often, until softened (when chicken is slightly pink), about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the chicken/onion mixture and stir to incorporate. Cook, stirring, constantly for 1 min.

Gradually add the chicken broth and apple juice, stirring constantly to avoid any clumps from forming. Stir in the cream, Parmesan, mustard and thyme. Simmer for about 5-6 min, until the mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir in the broccoli; season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

Hollow out the inside of the bread bowls by cutting off the tops and tearing out the insides. Leave about 1/4 inch edge along all sides of the bread bowl. Compress the remaining bread together to firm up the sides and make room for the filling. Place the bread bowls on the prepared baking sheet and toast them for about 5 min in the preheated oven.

Remove the toasted loaves from the oven and arrange the ham slices in the bottom of each loaf. Using a slotted spoon divide the chicken mixture evenly between the loaves, reserving about 1-2 cups sauce in the pan for serving (there was probably only 1 or less cups left when I made this, I might use more liquids next time I make this). Top chicken mixture in each loaf with shredded Swiss and a sprinkle of Parmesan.

Bake the bread bowls until the cheese melts, about 10-15 minutes (I checked mine @ 8 min and they were done). Serve each bread bowl with reserved cream sauce.

Josh and Steph really really liked this recipe but they like mustard. Don't get me wrong, I thought it was yummy but it could've been yummier without the mustard (yuck). Next time I make this I plan on leaving it out.