Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole is a perfect weeknight meal filled with chicken, ham and cheese all mixed into a delicious cream sauce and topped with buttery breadcrumbs!
A FLAVORFUL CASSEROLE IN UNDER AN HOUR
Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole has layers of chicken, ham, and cheese that are all blanketed under a homemade sauce. A lot of people love Chicken Cordon Bleu but can feel intimidated by trying to make it at home, but with this casserole, you get the same satisfying comfort food dish but without all the extra hassle.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Ever hear of this meal and not really know what it means? Traditional Chicken Cordon Bleu is a French dish that is made with chicken breasts that are typically stuffed with ham and Swiss cheese before being breaded and fried or baked. It usually has a creamy lemon Dijon sauce to go with it too. You’ll expect the same flavors in this casserole recipe, but it’s much easier to make!
Not a problem, switch it out for a more mild cheese option. Provolone, gouda and mozzarella are all milder tasting cheeses that would work with this.
I’d go with any of your favorite vegetable sides or a nice green salad. Steamed broccoli, corn, asparagus or steamed mixed vegetables would all go well with this. This is a fairly rich casserole so I suggest going with slightly lighter sides.
When baking, check on your casserole at the 20 minute mark to make sure your topping isn’t getting too dark, if this is the case, cover with aluminum foil for the remaining bake time.
Can I make any substitutions?
A nice option is to add a bag of frozen broccoli florets to the chicken layer and then proceed with the rest of the recipe directions. You could also add 2 Tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese to your Panko topping for extra cheese.
Yes! Assemble the casserole as directed before baking. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dish until you are ready to bake it. It can be kept in the refrigerator for 2 days until baking.
Yes, if serving less people, you can cut this recipe in half. I’d suggest using a smaller baking dish though. You may need to adjust the baking time, so check on it often and prepare to tent with foil if needed.
Leftovers should be refrigerated and be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- shredded chicken – store bought rotisserie chicken works great with this for ease of preparation. I’d suggest grabbing a larger family-size rotisserie chicken – not the smaller ones you sometimes see in grocery stores. But, boiling up some chicken, roasting some chicken breasts, or making some Chicken Breasts in the Air Fryer are also other options.
- sliced deli-style black forest ham – Hillshire Farms sells 9 ounce tubs of thinly sliced ham. To make this easy, you can just purchase one of those and slice them up.
- sliced Swiss cheese – see the FAQ section if you want an alternative. You want about 12 thin slices.
- unsalted butter – I suggest unsalted butter so you can have control over how much salt you want in this recipe.
- Dijon mustard– This helps bring out that original cordon blue traditional flavor. I would not substitute with regular mustard unless you really love mustard as regular yellow mustard has a stronger flavor.
- freshly squeezed lemon juice – this is optional. I made this optional as not everyone always has lemons on hand, but I think having the pop of fresh lemon juice helps bring the traditional flavors through. Don’t use bottled lemon juice. If you don’t have fresh lemons, just skip this ingredient.
- garlic powder
- salt – Depending on how you like your seasoning, I add just a touch. Adjust as you see fit.
- nutmeg – optional. Again, another optional ingredient as not everyone has it or cares for it. But if you’re craving that classic Cordon Bleu flavor, stick to using it.
- cayenne pepper– optional. This can be a powerful ingredient for some folks. I am sensitive to spice and I don’t think this makes it spicy, it adds a nice kick of flavor but if you are adverse to any spice at all then leave it out.
- all-purpose flour
- whole milk – I highly, highly recommend whole milk. This makes for the best cream sauce. If you substitute, it will taste okay bit not as delicious as using milk with fat in it. I have not tried this with lower fat milk or milk substitutes.
- Panko breadcrumbs – regular breadcrumbs can be used.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN CORDON BLEU CASSEROLE
Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Evenly spread the shredded chicken into the baking dish. Next, evenly layer the sliced ham over the chicken.
Then place the Swiss cheese slices evenly over the ham, overlapping the cheese slices to fit into the casserole dish. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper.
Sprinkle in the flour and continue whisking over medium heat until it forms a paste. Slowly add the milk, a quarter of a cup at a time, whisking after each addition until the mixture is smooth, before adding the next bit of milk.
Once all the milk has been added, allow it to simmer for 4 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Pour the sauce over the cheese layer and spread it evenly around as best as possible, making sure to get in all the corners.
Combine the butter and Panko breadcrumbs in a small bowl and spread this mixture evenly over the casserole dish as your final layer. Bake in the oven uncovered for 30-40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the Panko topping is golden brown.
Remove the casserole dish from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes to allow the sauce to set. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
Ingredients
- 5 cups shredded chicken
- 9 ounces sliced deli-style black forest ham, cut into strips (about 9 slices – see notes below)
- 8 ounces sliced Swiss cheese (about 12 thin slices)
Sauce:
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
Topping:
- 1 ½ cups Panko breadcrumbs
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (see notes below)
- chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Evenly spread 5 cups shredded chicken into the baking dish.
- Next, evenly layer 9 ounces sliced deli-style black forest ham, cut into strips over the chicken.
- Then place 8 ounces sliced Swiss cheese evenly over the ham, overlapping the cheese slices to fit into the casserole dish.
- Melt 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in t1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (if using), 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (if using) and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (if using).
- Sprinkle in 6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour and continue whisking over medium heat until it forms a paste.
- Slowly add 3 cups whole milk, a quarter of a cup at a time, whisking after each addition until the mixture is smooth, before adding the next bit of milk.
- Once all the milk has been added, allow it to simmer for 4 minutes or until the sauce has thickened (whisking occasionally.)
- Pour the sauce over the cheese layer and spread it evenly around as best as possible, making sure to get in all the corners.
- Combine the 1 ½ cups Panko breadcrumbs and 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature butter in a small bowl and spread this mixture evenly over the casserole dish as your final layer.
- Bake in the oven uncovered for 30-40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the Panko topping is golden brown.
- Remove the casserole dish from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes to allow the sauce to set. Sprinkle with chopped parsley (optional) and serve.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- Hillshire Farms makes a 9 ounce tub of ultra thin honey ham, so to make this easy, you can just buy one of those and slice them up.
- it’s okay to heat the butter up in the microwave so it is softened or slightly melted.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! Followed the recipe as it reads. Family loved it! Adding to my recipe rotation.
Yay! I love hearing that Brenda! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back & comment!
My husband and I really enjoyed this recipe as-is.
I love anything with chicken so I love this. Can’t wait to make this again.
So happy you enjoyed this one! Thank you for coming back to comment!
Incredible!