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I have to admit, when I hear “chicken cordon bleu” I immediately think of Arby’s? Is that bad???
I can’t help it. I love their chicken cordon bleu sandwiches. As much as I love beef, I will turn down their roast beef sandwich for chicken cordon blue.
“Cordon Bleu” is French, for “blue ribbon”. Members of the highest order of knighthood wore wide blue ribbons, instituted by Henri III of France. Since then this term applies to food terminology. It refers to food prepared by the highest standard and the reference wonderful cooks. Hence the name of the world-renowned cooking school: Le Cordon Bleu
Traditionally “cordon bleu” is a dish of meat wrapped around cheese or cheese filling, then breaded and fried. Likewise, chicken cordon bleu is made of thinly pounded chicken wrapped around a slice of ham and cheese. It is then breaded, fried, or baked.
David gave me my first Le Cruset Dutch Oven for my birthday, back in October. It’s my favorite color, RED! I decided to break it in by revisiting this Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole I made a long time ago. This casserole uses the basic ingredients of chicken cordon
I’m so glad I revisited this Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole again. It was even better than I remembered. And it may just be better than the chicken sandwich I get from Arby’s…
Hope you enjoy this casserole!
Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 whole boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded (1 ⅓ pounds)
- ½ pound deli ham* thin-sliced, chopped
- ¼ pound baby Swiss cheese thin-sliced
Dijon Cream Sauce
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 ¼ cups whole milk
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- ½ teaspoons sweet paprika
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste **
Seasoned Bread Crumb Topping
- 1 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Assembly the casserole – Place the cooked shredded chicken into the bottom of a buttered 9 x 12 baking dish. Chop up the deli ham and scatter it over the top of the chicken, making sure to separate the layers of ham that can stick together. This way there won’t be any big chunks of ham and it will evenly layer the chicken. Lay the Swiss cheese slices on top of the ham, covering as much of the surface area as possible.
- Make the Dijon Cream Sauce – Melt the butter in a large sauce pot over medium-high heat. When butter is melted and slightly begins to foam, quickly stir in the flour, to form a smooth roux. Do not brown! Cook for a couple of minutes, until the roux is smooth and bubbly. While whisking, slowly pour in the cold milk a little at a time to make a smooth sauce. Continue whisking and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. When the sauce has thickened, stir in the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, paprika and season with salt and pepper, to taste**. Bring sauce back to a soft low boil; turn off heat.
- Pour the Dijon cream sauce evenly over the casserole, making sure to cover the edges of the pan. Use a spoon to help distribute the sauce evenly over the casserole.
- Prepare the Seasoned Breadcrumb Topping – Melt the butter and pour it into the bread crumbs, garlic powder, onion powder and fresh chopped parsley. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.
- Bake uncovered for 45 minutes until hot and bubbly throughout and the topping has turned light golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes prior to serving.
Notes
**Caution! Keep in mind that deli ham and cheese are usually pretty salty. Recipe adapted from Erica Lea
Sarah says
Oh my! This looks soooo good, and even better in that Le Creuset 😉
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thanks, Sarah!
Annie @ Givememeatloaf says
Girl you are BACK! This looks heavenly!! Dave doesn’t like ham, but I LOVE It, so this seems like a great way to sneak some into a meal I know we’d both love. Have to try this. Happy Weekend!!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Hold up! Dave doesn’t eat ham???? Bring him to Virginia STAT! I’ll make him like it!
Annie @ Givememeatloaf says
I KNOW!! He only likes this crazy good whole-ham that gets shipped into Maine for family reunions – but he’ll eat everything else pork-related! Crazy man.
The Mountain Kitchen says
Lol! I know he’d like what I can get back home. It’s the best! I think you could totally get him to eat it with this casserole! Hope you have a great weekend to! ❤
Cheryl "Cheffie Cooks" Wiser says
Bet the leftover were super delicious too Debbie! Win-Win…
The Mountain Kitchen says
They were. Thanks!
Donna says
This looks so good!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thanks, Donna! ?