Easy Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. In a small bowl mix together the panko bread crumbs, herbs de Provence or Italian seasoning, and about ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Place a chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Use a mallet or similar to pound the chicken to an even thickness, about ¾ of an inch thick. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.
4. Using a very sharp knife cut a pocket along the length of the chicken breast. Make the pocket as large as you can without cutting all the way through the chicken breast.
5. Season both sides of the chicken breast with salt and pepper, there’s no need to season inside of the pocket.
6. Start an assembly line to stuff and top each chicken breast. The directions are for one breast, but do it for all 4.
7. Spread about 1 teaspoon of mustard inside of the pocket you made in the chicken breast.
8. Lay 1 1/2 slices of cheese in the pocket.
9. Then add 1 slice of ham that had been cut into quarters (use all four quarters).
10. Then layer in another 1 1/2 slices of cheese.
11. Now use 3 or 4 toothpicks to close up the pocket nice and tight, you don’t want that ham and cheese to escape.
12. Spread about another 1 ½ teaspoons of mustard over just the top of the chicken.
13. Top with about 2 ½ tablespoons of the seasoned panko bread crumbs. Gently press the bread crumbs down into the mustard.
14. Spray the bread crumbs on the top of the chicken with cooking spray, or if you have an oil mister then mist with oil. This will allow the bread crumbs to get a golden color. Place the chicken into a greased baking dish and repeat with the remaining pieces of chicken.
15. Put the pan in the 400 F oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes.
16. Then remove it from the oven and let it stand for about 10 minutes before serving. Make sure that you remember to pull the toothpicks out.