Chicken Cordon Bleu
Chicken Cordon Bleu is one of those go-to chicken recipes that you will keep going back to. It’s a great casserole for company and a chicken dinner that everyone will love. It has Panko breadcrumbs for that crunch and a creamy Dijon sauce that takes it over the top.
CHICKEN CORDON BLEU RECIPE
This was one of the first meals I attempted as a newly married woman.
I had never heard of pounding chicken to make it thinner and spent a lot of time in the kitchen violently trying to pound out the chicken and roll all of the fillings up inside.
In the end, most of the cheese and filling leaked out while baking and I was left with a dry chicken breast.
I boycotted making this since that experience figuring it was way too much work for me.
You know how most things taste better when someone else cooks them? Well, this is one dish that I really enjoyed even though I cooked it myself.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN CORDON BLEU
First, layer the ham, cheese, and breadcrumbs on top of the chicken breast. Next, drizzle with the cream sauce and serve.
- First, layer a slice of ham on top of the chicken.
- Next, add a piece of Swiss cheese on top.
- Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake.
WHAT IS IN CHICKEN CORDON BLEU?
- HAM: Prosciutto can be replaced for the ham.
- CHEESE: Traditional this dish has Swiss cheese in it but you can use cheddar, provolone, or any other cheese you like.
- BREADCRUMBS: This recipe calls for Panko breadcrumbs but you can use regular breadcrumbs as well.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH CORDON BLEU
WHAT ARE PANKO BREADCRUMBS?
Panko breadcrumbs are a Japanese bread crumb made from white bread. They can be found by the regular breadcrumbs at the grocery store.
OTHER CHICKEN RECIPES
- One-Pan Garlic Butter Chicken
- Grilled Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup
- Chicken Cordon Bleu Lasagna
- One-Pan Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli and Rice
- Parmesan Chicken Meatballs
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
- Baked Chicken Chimichangas
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Chicken Cordon Bleu is one of those go-to chicken recipes that you will keep going back to. It's a great casserole for company and a chicken dinner that everyone will love. It has a creamy Dijon sauce that takes it over the top.
Ingredients
- 3 large, thick boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half length-wise (to make two thinner chicken breast cutlets; you will have 6 total thin chicken breasts)
- 6 slices good quality deli ham
- 6 slices Swiss cheese
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs (regular breadcrumbs can be substituted)
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon base (I like Better Than Boullion)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
-
Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
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Lay the cut chicken breasts in a single layer in the 9X13-inch dish. Layer each chicken breast with a slice of ham and a slice of Swiss cheese, making sure the entire chicken breast is covered with ham and cheese.
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In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top.
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Bake the chicken for 30-35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through completely, the cheese is bubbling and the bread crumbs are golden.
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When the chicken is almost done, in a medium saucepan, melt the 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in the flour, whisking constantly. Cook the flour/butter mixture for 1-2 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking quickly. Stir in the chicken base and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk mixture constantly over medium heat until the mixture begins to simmer and thicken, about 3-5 minutes.
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Once the sauce has bubbled and thickened, remove from heat and stir in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce and Parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted. Keep the sauce warm until the chicken is finished baking. If your sauce is too thick, whisk in some more milk. If it's too thin, simmer longer.
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Serve each chicken cordon bleu portion with warm sauce.
Recipe Notes
Mel saves the heels of her bread and stores them in the freezer until she needs them then grinds them up quickly in a blender or food processor.
Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe
WOW!!! I’ve made this several times and I follow your directions exactly (except I use boneless skinless chicken thighs). The only thing I don’t follow is the sauce, I haven’t made it yet.
I have 2 sons, a picky 11 year old and an indifferent 13 year old. The first time I made this recipe last year, my sons and husband devoured everything. I had hoped for leftovers to bring to work, but all that was left were panko bits and a tiny piece of melted Swiss. I learned my lesson and double the recipe, putting it all out two large baking dishes (that’s how much I have to make). I layer it with chicken, cheese, ham, and cheese – to keep it all together.
Thank you for the incredible recipe. I haven’t made the sauce because even without the sauce – IT IS SO DELICIOUS and easy!
PS – my 11 year old is now learning to make it on his own (YAY!)
That is awesome! What a cool 11 yr old.
My husband is traveling and I wanted a easy and tasty dinner for my son and I. I made the chicken and he made the sauce. Made enough for us to take for lunches for the week. Next time I make it I think I will do chicken, cheese, ham, cheese, breadcrumbs. This would hold the chicken and ham together and add more cheese, which is always a good thing. Thanks for this. Will be adding this to our rotatiom
Thanks I’m glad you like it.
This recipe was amazing! A huge hit with my family! Loved how easy (and delicious)it was!
Thank you!
OMG. This is my new favorite main dish to serve when I have a dinner party. The only thing I changed was the pan I used for cooking. The first time I made it, there was so much liquid in the bottom of the Pyrex due to the water they add when processing chicken. Now is use my trusty revere ware 9×13 pan with rack. It keeps the chicken from braising in the liquid released during cooking. I’m serving it again tonight. Thanks for sharing!
Your recipe is not authentic ‘Cordon Bleu’. All you’ve done is create a layered chicken casserole using Cordon Bleu ingredients. I’m sure it doesn’t taste bad – but you’re taking the easy way out…
That’s exactly why I called it “Easy” chicken cordon bleu. You are right. It is the easy way out and no one said it was authentic.
David, you are correct that this is not “authentic”, but dang was it easy to throw together at the end of the work day. It was far tastier than buying the prepackaged frozen Chicken Cordon Bleu. I have been teaching my teens how to put together easy “real” meals instead of using prepackaged meals since they were toddlers, and they both loved this as a quick weeknight meal. Lighten up a little! It will make you a happier person!
This was definitely one of the easiest, and tastiest versions of Cordon Bleu! Would I love authentic? Heck Yeah! Seriously though, who has time to pound, layer, roll, dip, bread, etc.? I’m not pretentious and I don’t need my kids to grow up being pretentious so this is the perfect dinner for us!
Thank you for testing and sharing this recipe! It’s our go-to for a weekend night that my husband or I can make plus have time to spend with our children.
I just can’t understand why someone would waste their time to write snarky, mean comments about a recipe knowing ahead of time it’s not dubbed “authentic” and clearly titled “easy.” Christy Denney – Keep rocking these amazing recipes. My family and I love them! 💕
Thank you Lena for sticking up for me!
This was definitely one of the easiest, and tastiest versions of Cordon Bleu! Would I love authentic? Heck Yeah! Seriously though, who has time to pound, layer, roll, dip, bread, etc.? I’m not pretentious and I don’t need my kids to grow up being pretentious so this is the perfect dinner for us!
Thank you for testing and sharing this recipe! It’s our go-to for a weekend night that my husband or I can make plus have time to spend with our children.
I just can’t understand why someone would waste their time to write snarky, mean comments about a recipe knowing ahead of time it’s not dubbed “authentic” and clearly titled “easy.” Christy Denney – Keep rocking these amazing recipes. My family and I love them! Thanks for making so many cooking moments easy and yummy!
This dish is amazing! I only had grainy dijon but it must have worked because the sauce was wonderful! Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. My picky family loved it. It was quick to make but still good for a fancy Sunday dinner.
So happy to hear that.
Thanks so much for this recipe. I make the traditional recipe and everyone loves it. The original recipe is so time consuming. I was looking for a shortcut to mine and had one in my mind BUT not sure how to execute it. So thank you, thank you for this. I am having a Bridal shower for my daughter this Saturday and this is the PERFECT recipe for me to serve. What a blessing this is and it really sounds good. I will keep you posted on how the guests will like it!
So happy to hear this!
I made a variation of this tonight for dinner and it was a hit! I substituted deli smoked turkey for the ham. I didn’t use that sauce. I just made cream of chicken with a T. of white wine and a 1/2 t. of rosemary. I needed to cook the chicken for another 10 minutes. Was just perfect! Yum. So happy I found this!
I wanted to mention that I served it with a green salad and for starch: bulgur cooked in low sodium chicken broth and dried cranberries. All melded very well. Will definitely make for the next dinner party!
Sounds delicious!
Best quick and easy recipe out there, for Chicken Cordon Bleu. Delicious too. Instead of the cream sauce, I poured some homemade chicken gravy, I made from scratch without any drippings starting off with a roux. Then sprinkled the bread crumbs over that. The 35 minutes of baking was perfect. Chicken was juicy, fully cooked, and tender. I will definitely be making it again. Thank you so much.
You’re welcome!
Delicious, make it you won’t regret it. Very company worthy.
Thank you!
Wonderful! Usually my cheese ends up stuck to the bottom of my pan. Not this time. Presents well for guest dinner. Husband loved it.
Awesome to hear!