Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

by KetoFocus.com

Fancy chicken cordon bleu turned into an easy weeknight casserole

A simple way to enjoy the flavors of swiss cheese, ham and chicken but without all the fuss. Turn this blue ribbon iconic dish into Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole - same classic flavor of Dijon mustard, white wine sauce paired with swiss and ham.

Deconstructing classic dishes and dumping everything into a casserole dish is an easy way of getting that sought after flavor but without the hassle and mess. Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole is one of those dishes – just like my tried and true lasagna or pizza casserole.

chicken cordon bleu casserole in a white baking dish next to swiss cheese

No need to stuff, roll and bread your chicken with this chicken cordon bleu recipe. Instead we add our chicken and ham to a casserole dish and top it a creamy white wine sauce and top with Swiss cheese. It’s comfort food at it’s finest, an easy weeknight dinner you can make, and you won’t even miss the breading!

How to make chicken cordon bleu casserole

  1. Cook cubed chicken in a skillet.
  2. Add cubed ham and cook for a few minutes. 
  3. Make white wine sauce by adding butter, cream, chicken broth and white wine to the skillet breaking up the brown bits for added flavor. Add in other flavor components like Dijon mustard, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes and salt & pepper. Stir in shredded Monterey jack cheese to thicken.
  4. Pour sauce over chicken and ham. Top with Swiss cheese and bake.

ingredients for a chicken cordon bleu casserole including chicken breast, ham, butter, heavy cream, chicken broth, white wine, swiss cheese, mustard, red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper

Key ingredients in chicken cordon bleu

  • Chicken – Of course it wouldn’t be a chicken cordon bleu recipe without chicken. Since we are turning this into a casserole, you can use any cut of chicken you prefer – chicken thighs, chicken breast, tenderloins. Traditional chicken cordon bleu uses chicken breasts because they are easy to slice, pound, stuff and roll in the cheese and ham.
  • Ham – Usually pre-cooked sliced ham is layered inside chicken breast but since we are making a casserole, cooked ham can be cubed and tossed into the skillet with the chicken to cook. If you choose a ham with a higher moisture content, it is best to cook some of the moisture out of the ham so you aren’t left with a soupy casserole. This is a great way to use up leftover ham from the holidays. Bacon can be used in place of ham as a substitution.
  • Cream – To make a creamy sauce, you need to add cream. Nut milk can be used instead if you are trying to limit calories, fat or dairy. Other recipes use cream cheese or sour cream; however, this using cream to make a white wine cheese sauce is the closest flavor to classic chicken cordon bleu.
  • White wine – The sauce poured over chicken cordon bleu is a white wine based sauce. I chose a Sauvignon Blanc but other white wines you may want to try are Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay. If you are a dry household and didn’t want to use wine or alcohol in your cooking, omit this completely and add 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice after the sauce is finished to help brighten up the sauce.
  • Dijon mustard – A key component for a flavorful cordon bleu sauce. Stone ground mustard and yellow mustard couple be used in a pinch.
  • Cayenne pepper & Red pepper flakes – Added for a little kick or spice to the sauce. These are optional but highly recommended.
  • Cheese – Both Monterey jack cheese and Swiss cheese are used in this casserole recipe. The Monterey jack is used in the cheese sauce as it melts very well. The Swiss cheese is added because that is a key component to chicken cordon bleu.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole Recipe Video

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Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole Ingredients

  • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
  • 8 oz cubed ham (precooked)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup chicken brothchicken broth
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole Directions

  • Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
  • a baked casserole in a white dish topped with parsley

    What is chicken cordon bleu?

    Cordon bleu means “blue ribbon” in French. It’s also called schnitzel cordon bleu as it is a dish of meat (traditionally veal or pork) wrapped around cheese or a cheese filling. Then breaded and pan-fried or deep-fried.

    Over the years, more people started using chicken – pounding it thin and wrapping it around a slice of ham and Swiss cheese.

    What to serve with chicken cordon bleu casserole?

    Since this easy weeknight dinner is pretty rich, it pairs best with a lighter vegetable side dish, like broccoli or a leafy green salad. Some other side dishes you may want to serve with chicken cordon bleu are:

    a serving of chicken cordon bleu casserole on a white plate, topped with parsley with sliced swiss cheese next to it and a fork

    Cheese sauce for cordon bleu

    Some cordon bleu recipes use a cheese sauce instead of a slice of cheese stuffed and rolls inside the chicken breast. Since this casserole is a deconstructed cordon bleu, we use a cheesy white wine sauce.

    The sauce is made with heavy cream, white wine, Dijon mustard – and made thick and cheesy by adding shredded Monterey Jack cheese. For a bit of a kick, we add red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper although, these ingredients are both optional.

    Other casserole recipes for cordon bleu use cream cheese or sour cream. Those are perfect shortcuts but don’t give the same classic flavor as this recipe does.

    Substitutions

    There are many ways to customize this easy casserole to your taste preferences. Here are a few:

    • Chicken – Any cut of chicken will work in the recipe – chicken breast, thighs or tenderloins. Like mentioned above in the history of chicken cordon bleu, you can use veal or pork in place of the chicken. Leftover shredded chicken can be used as well.
    • Ham – Although ham is the traditionally used in the filling of this stuffed chicken dish, bacon or prosciutto can be used in it’s place.
    • Heavy cream – Nut milks, like almond milk, macadamia nut milk and cashew milk can be used in place of heavy cream for a nut free option. Milk and half and half can also be considered.
    • White wine – For an alcohol free casserole, omit the wine and add 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice instead.
    • Dijon mustard – Forgot to get the Dijon mustard? No problem! Just use yellow mustard or a 1 teaspoon of ground mustard powder.
    • Cheese – Try experimenting with other cheeses in this weeknight casserole recipe. Maybe provolone, mozzarella, white cheddar cheese or Havarti cheese. Parmesan cheese would make a delicious topping to this casserole if you don’t have any Swiss cheese on hand.

    Time saving tips

    This casserole recipe doesn’t take long to make. To get it on the dinner table even faster, try using pre-cooked shredded chicken or a rotisserie chicken. Although it may affect the flavor, canned chicken can be used.

    Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole: FAQS

    What is casserole dish do I need?

    I used a square baking dish; however, a larger rectangle casserole dish like an 8 x 11 - inch or 9 x 13 - inch casserole dish can be used.

    Can you freeze this casserole?

    Yes, this can be a freezer meal. I recommend cooking the chicken, ham and sauce first. Then assembled, top with shredded Swiss cheese and freeze. To thaw, refrigerate overnight or cook from frozen at 350 degrees for 40-60 minutes or until bubbly.

    How do I decrease the calories in this dish?

    Substitutions are highlighted above, but you can swap out the heavy cream for skim milk or nut milk. Use chicken breast instead of chicken thighs. Omit the white wine and use lemon juice. Decrease the amount of cheese used in the sauce and the topping.

    What about the bread crumbs?

    Bread crumbs are optional. You could add panko breadcrumbs or pork panko mixed with parmesan cheese to the top of your casserole before baking. The bread crumbs add an extra crunch to this chicken recipe.

    Nutritional information & Macros

    Nutrition Information

    Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

    Servings: 6

    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 558
    Fat 39.1g
    Protein 47.3g
    Total Carbs 1.6g
    Net Carbs 1.5g

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    5 Comments

    1. Hi, sounds like a wonderful casserole. Do you really need 2 lbs. of cooked chicken, or would it be 2 cups? Thanks, cannot wait to make this!

    2. Are you kidding me? This is FANTASTIC!!! I’m eating it for breakfast. My husband is not keto but I think he would like it over egg noodles. I only had deli ham but it worked out just fine. Thanks so much for this recipe! I’ll be adding it to my rotation for sure!!

    3. Thank you! We started doing cover dish meals at our church and this is perfect with the seasoned Panko crumbs on the top of the Swiss cheese.

    4. Made this last night for our dinner, followed recipe exactly except I doubled sauce, served with steamed broccoli… This was absolutely delicious! Hubby loved it and took leftovers for his lunch today!

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