Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

This easy chicken cordon bleu casserole is perfect for a busy weeknight meal. An amazing dinner that combines all your favorite flavors of chicken, ham, and Swiss cheese but is super fast to prepare. Cordon bleu casserole uses rotisserie chicken but you can also use leftover chicken as well! We all love an easy chicken casserole recipe in 2024 when life is crazy busy!

What I Love This Recipe

I am always on the hunt for leftover chicken recipes and this is a favorite. It is completely delicious and very easy. If you would rather not use rotisserie chicken, feel free to use any other form of cooked chicken, but be sure it is well seasoned. I just can’t pass up those delicious $5 rotisseries at Sam’s Club when I am in a rush. Convenience is worth it sometimes! If you don’t have a Sam’s or Costco close to you with the large rotisserie chickens, you will need two of the smaller ones they sell at your Walmart, Publix, Kroger or grocery store in your area. You want somewhere between 5-6 cups of cooked chicken meat.

The Funny History with Cordon Bleu Casserole

As I finished up this recipe, I caught a quick glimpse of my 3-year-old daughter outside, 100% butt-naked. Nothing. Nada. Just those cute little cheekies running down the sidewalk for all the neighborhood to see.

I dashed out the door, gathered her up, and sternly asked why in the world she playing outside naked?!? Offended, she crossed her arms and declared, “I’m not!!  I have my necklace on!!” Touche, sweet child.

Those chunky cheekies also made another appearance when checking in on her before I went to bed. She was sound asleep and naked once more but accompanied by an extremely large collection of toys perfectly lined up in a very OCD manner. I’ve decided both of these instances are cute and adorable. I even took pictures to use as blackmail for when she is older. However, if there is a third naked occurrence anytime soon, I might have to begin seeking help. These two memories will forever be tied to the first time I made this chicken cordon blue casserole. Now, every time I make it, I think of my youngest daughter.

You have to admire her level of body confidence. Maybe if I only ate salads, exercised all day long, and never ate anything indulgent like this chicken cordon bleu casserole, I could have the same confidence that my naked 3-year-old has 🙂  But nah…it’s not worth it. The reason I exercise every day is mainly so I can eat more food every day. For me, a 3-mile run is worth it if I can enjoy a creamy, delicious, and easy chicken casserole like this for dinner.  Every one of my kids LOVE this dinner and that rarely happens. With six kids, odds are that at least one of them will turn up their nose at it.  Not the case with this chicken casserole recipe.

What is Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole?

A chicken cordon bleu casserole is a much simpler version of the classic French recipe. Technically, a cordon bleu is a protein that is pounded flat, wrapped around cheese, and often ham, then breaded before being baked or fried. Generally, the proteins used are veal, pork, and chicken. If you are interested in this version, I have a classic, yet easy Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe, as well as an amazing Chicken Cordon Bleu Sauce to pour over the top. To me, the original chicken cordon bleu recipe is the ultimate stuffed chicken dish. However, rarely do I have the time to make it and it can much less forgiving than this casserole version.

To keep meal prep simple for this casserole, the classic French flavors of chicken, ham, Swiss cheese, and Dijon mustard remain, but instead of the complex prep mentioned above, they are layered in a pan. Before going into the oven, the layers are topped with buttery bread crumbs that become golden brown in the oven. The casserole’s end result retains all the original flavors but requires significantly less work.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole Ingredients & Tools

While there are always variations, the classic chicken cordon bleu casserole uses the following ingredients:

• Cooked chicken meat
• Sliced ham
• Sliced Swiss cheese
• Garlic butter bread crumbs as a topping
• Dijon mustard sauce
• Deep 9×13 inch casserole dish

What is the “Blue” in Cordon Bleu?

In French, cordon bleu means “blue ribbon,” referring to the wide blue ribbons worn by the most distinguished members of chivalry in the 1700’s. Using this same idea, today cordon bleu applies to the highest standards in food preparation. It is why you’ll find Le Cordon Bleu culinary schools and programs around the world. Think of chicken cordon bleu as the blue ribbon or first place of stuffed chicken dishes and this recipe is no exception. It definitely wins first prize with my family!

Recipe FAQs

Can I use leftover chicken instead of rotisserie chicken?

Absolutely! Use whatever seasoned leftover chicken you have on hand. Taking the extra time to pick the chicken off the bones is not at the top of my favorite tasks either. Another great option is to go into the freezer section of the grocery store and purchase pre-cooked, frozen chicken and let it thaw before using it in the recipe. If you are using leftover chicken breasts or thighs, that you might have roasted or cooked on the BBQ over the weekend, I recommend shredding or chopping the chicken into bite-size pieces. If you are shredding it remember to warm the chicken slightly in the microwave or let it come to room temperature as it is much easier to pull or shred. The same goes for using pre-cooked frozen chicken that you have let thaw.

How to make a Keto Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

To transform this recipe into a Keto-friendly chicken cordon bleu casserole, simply leave off the bread crumb topping and instead, add a few more slices of Swiss cheese over the top of the cordon bleu sauce. To keep the cheese from getting too brown, wait to add the layer of cheese on top until there are 10 minutes left in the baking time. If they are added earlier, the cheese will burn.

How to make Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole with Pasta

You can easily add pasta to your chicken cordon bleu casserole so it is a complete one dish meal. Simply add 2 cups of cooked egg noodles to the bottom of the pan with the chicken and ham on top. I recommend cooking the pasta or egg noodles 1-2 minutes less than the package instructions so they do not get mushy when baking. You can also toss the noodles in 1/2 cup of the sauce prior to placing in the pan and then pour the remaining sauce on top after you add the chicken, ham, and Swiss cheese.

How to make Cordon Bleu Casserole as a freezer meal

Simply prepare the recipe as written but do not bake the chicken cordon bleu casserole before freezing. Also, be sure to use a heavy-duty disposable pan so your regular pans are not stuck in the freezer for weeks. Once you finish the prep work, top the pan first with plastic wrap, then the aluminum lid or a sheet of aluminum foil. Using both helps keep out the freezer burn if you seal it tightly. Don’t forget to label the outside with the date and finishing directions. When it is time to serve the dish, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator for a few days, then remove the plastic wrap and foil before baking according to the recipe. 

You can also make and portion the meals in small, individual-size disposable aluminum pans. This makes them easy to freeze, fast to defrost and a great individual dinner option. I love doing this and giving them to my parents so they have some easy meals in their freezer.

5 Reasons Why Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole is the perfect for a meal train

We were recently part of a few different meal trains and I wanted to have something tasty and easy to bring over. I decided this cordon bleu casserole was the perfect meal. Here are the top 5 reasons you should make this dish for your next meal train:

1. It is always a favorite and crowd pleaser among kids and adults making it perfect for families with kids or without.
2. It is easy to make so you are not spending the whole day in the kitchen making dishes for the meal train.
3. It is a large serving and makes 10 portions.
4. It can be made in advance and kept in the fridge or frozen.
5. It can be portioned into any size disposable pan so you can adjust the number of servings as needed.

Recipe Variations 

Being a home cook provides endless opportunities to experiment with recipes, personalizing them to your tastes and creativity. Any of the following variations would be great spin-offs of this Cordon Bleu Casserole:

• Try out a different protein – while chicken is the classic meat choice for a cordon bleu, pork, veal, or beef would work as well. As long as the meat has enough seasoning, it will be perfect.
• Substitute vegetables for the chicken –  between the chicken, the ham, the Swiss cheese, and the sauce, this recipe is very protein-forward. Try adding fresh broccoli, cauliflower, or asparagus instead of the chicken. The casserole will still have the ham, cheese, and sauce for protein. But watch out! This veggie version might be even more popular than the original. 
• Switch out the ham – looking for a little addition of smokiness to the casserole? Try using bacon instead of ham. Or, add a bit of an Italian flare to this French dish with some prosciutto. Or, take it all-American with sliced roast beef. If you do not eat pork you can always make it with smoked turkey breast or turkey bacon instead of ham. The sliced smoked turkey breast still gives a nice flavor and is slightly healthier.
• More cheese please – while the Swiss cheese provides a nice sharpness to the finished recipe, don’t be afraid to play around with other cheeses that also have some personality to them. A sharp white cheddar, gouda, manchego, or brie would be easy substitutions. 

Try a different topping for your casserole

Another great way to modify this recipe is by changing what you use as a topping. Try these two tasty options below.

• Use stuffing mix as your topping – if you love the flavor and texture of stuffing mix you can easily switch it out for the breadcrumbs. This variation also makes the dish Thanksgiving and holiday appropriate. Not that you can only eat stuffing around the holidays. If you want to use stuffing mix as your topping, I recommend using 1 box (6oz) of uncooked cornbread stuffing (Stove Top or Pepperidge Farm) to replace the breadcrumbs. You still want to toss the stuffing in butter before placing it on top of the casserole. I also recommend saving 1 cup of the sauce to pour over top of the stuffing mix so you get a nice combination of moist and crispy stuffing bites.
• Use crushed Ritz crackers as the topping – you can switch out the breadcrumbs with one sleeve of crushed Ritz crackers for an extra buttery cracker topping on your casserole.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

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Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole makes for a delicious, easy dinner recipe for a busy night.  Super kid friendly chicken casserole recipe.

• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 10 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Base:

• 1 large rotisserie chicken, meat removed and pulled (about 5–6 C)
• 1/2 pound sliced deli-style black forest ham, chopped
• 1/2 pound sliced swiss cheese

Sauce:

• 4 Tb butter
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 Tb flour
• 3 C milk
• 2 Tb lemon juice
• 1 Tb dijion mustard
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Topping:

• 4 Tb melted butter
• 1 1/4 C seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/4 C parmesan cheese

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×13 casserole dish with nonstick spray.
2. Layer the chicken in the bottom of the dish followed by the ham and finally the swiss cheese.
3. Melt the butter over medium heat, in a medium saucepan, and add garlic as it melts. Keep stirring with a rubber spatula to avoid burning.
4. Stir in salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, and lemon juice. 
5. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. 
6. Add the milk, slowly. Whisk often to keep clumps from forming. Turn the heat to high and cook until the sauce thickens and boils completely. 
7. Pour the finished sauce over the base layer already in the dish. 
8. Mix the topping ingredients, in a small bowl, until the butter is evenly distributed over the crumbs.
9. Sprinkle over the top of the dish and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving so the sauce with thicken just a bit.
   

Notes

Feel free to use any leftover chicken you have on hand instead of a rotisserie chicken.

• Author: Carole Jones
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: French

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/10 th
• Calories: 474
• Sugar: 10 g
• Sodium: 1410 mg
• Fat: 33 g
• Saturated Fat: 13 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 26 g
• Fiber: 3 g
• Protein: 41 g
• Cholesterol: 144 mg

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