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This Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole is the perfect easy meal for those who love the combination of chicken and ham with plenty of cheese and creaminess in the classic cordon bleu recipe! This dish is easy to make and will be a hit with your whole family!
If you’re looking for more family-friendly casseroles that are easy to make and loved by all, we’ve got you covered! Try million dollar spaghetti, King Ranch casserole, or crack chicken casserole next!
Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
This chicken cordon bleu casserole is an easy, foolproof meal that even the pickiest of eaters will enjoy! It’s made with simple ingredients like chicken, ham and cheese in a creamy sauce. Everyone from the kids to adults will go crazy for the flavor and texture in this irresistible dish!
Fuss-free and flavorful rotisserie chicken is layered with ham, Swiss cheese, an amazing lemon cream sauce and is topped with buttery panko breadcrumbs. Bake until bubbly and golden brown for a hearty, satisfying meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights. You can even assemble the casserole a day ahead of time! See the “storing leftovers” section for make-ahead instructions.
Ingredients Needed
This chicken cordon bleu casserole recipe uses many kitchen staples for a mouth-watering, amazing dinner! It’s a great recipe for using up leftover shredded chicken and ham, if you have it. You can find exact measurements for each ingredient in the recipe card below.
- Chicken Breast: Rotisserie chicken is great because it is convenient and adds so much extra flavor.
- Ham: Deli ham is really handy but if you have leftover cooked ham, that works great too!
- Cheese: Swiss cheese is the traditional cheese variety used in cordon bleu recipes, but gouda or provolone would be delicious too. You want a creamy cheese that will get nice and melty.
- Butter: Mix with the breadcrumbs and seasoning to make the topping bake up golden brown.
- Breadcrumbs: We’re using panko bread crumbs for delicious crispiness.
- Seasoning: Italian seasoning and salt gives the bread crumb topping extra flavor.
Lemon Cream Sauce
- Butter: Unsalted butter makes the cream sauce flavorful and rich.
- Flour: To thicken the sauce for the chicken cordon bleu casserole.
- Broth: Use low sodium, good quality chicken broth for flavor and consistency in the lemon cream sauce.
- Milk and Cream: This combo makes the sauce incredibly creamy and smooth.
- Dijon Mustard: For a light tangy taste.
- Cheese: The sauce is finished with a blend of shredded parmesan cheese and shredded Swiss cheese.
- Lemon Juice: Adds wonderful fresh, lemony flavor.
- Salt & Pepper: To taste!
How to Make Cordon Bleu Casserole
There are several steps to follow when making this casserole, but they’re all very simple and straightforward. Once you make the topping and the sauce for the cordon bleu casserole, just assemble all of the layers in a pan and bake! Here’s how it all comes together:
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 3-quart baking dish with pan spray.
- Add the Meat: Spread the shredded chicken in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the ham evenly over the chicken.
- Make the Topping: In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, panko, Italian seasoning, and salt. Set aside.
- Making the Sauce: Prepare the lemon cream sauce by melting the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add the flour and whisk to combine. Continue to whisk until the mixture becomes nutty and fragrant and the bubbling subsides, about 2 minutes.
- Finish the Sauce: Slowly whisk in the broth, milk, cream, and dijon. Whisk until smooth and thickened, which should only take a minute or two. Whisk in the cheese slowly, whisking until it is fully melted. Whisk in the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
- Assemble and Bake: Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken and ham and top with the shredded Swiss cheese. Top with the panko mixture and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the casserole is bubbling and the bread crumbs are golden brown. Top cordon bleu casserole with chopped parsley and hollandaise, if desired.
Tips and Variations
Here are some helpful tips and ways to make this dish your own! This Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole is so tasty, I know your family is going to go crazy for it just like mine does!
- Different Chicken: Rotisserie chicken is called for in the recipe card, but you can use any cooked, boneless chicken. This could be leftover chicken from another recipe, frozen cooked chicken, canned, or some you have cooked up and cut up or shredded just for this recipe! Make it easy and use what you have on hand.
- Type of Ham: While cubed ham adds great texture, any ham will do. Use deli ham that has been chopped up, diced ham, leftover baked ham…just be sure whatever ham you use is cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Broil: Don’t be alarmed if the panko isn’t browning very deeply! You can brown it by turning the oven to broil for a minute or two, but keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn.
- Quicken the Thickening: When preparing the sauce, you may speed up the thickening by pre-warming your liquids. Measure your broth, milk, and cream together in a large liquid measuring cup and heat them for about 1-2 minutes in the microwave until steaming. This will make your sauce thicken almost instantly when you whisk in the warm liquid to the roux in the pan.
Storing Leftovers
- Make it Ahead: Cordon bleu casserole is a great prepare-ahead meal! You can make the sauce up to 3 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container until you’re ready to assemble your casserole. You may also assemble the whole casserole the day before, cover it, and store it in the refrigerator. Allow 10-15 extra minutes of baking time, since all the ingredients will be chilled.
- In the Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight storage container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- In the Freezer: To freeze, transfer leftovers to an airtight freezer-safe storage container and freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- To Reheat: Heat leftover cordon bleu casserole in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes, until the casserole has reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit. You can also reheat individual servings in the microwave.
More Delicious Casserole Recipes
Casseroles are some of our favorite go-to meals! They’re easy to make, flavorful and so comforting! For all of my family’s favorites, check out this full list of casseroles!
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Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
Ingredients
- 5 cups rotisserie chicken
- 8 ounces deli ham, chopped into small pieces
- 1 cup swiss cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
Lemon Cream Sauce
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 ⅓ cup milk
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, shredded
- ½ cup swiss cheese, shredded
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 3-quart baking dish with pan spray.
- Spread the shredded chicken in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the ham evenly over the chicken.
- In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, panko, Italian seasoning, and salt. Set aside.
- Prepare the lemon cream sauce by melting the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add the flour and whisk to combine. Continue to whisk until the mixture becomes nutty and fragrant and the bubbling subsides, about 2 minutes.
- Slowly whisk in the broth, milk, cream, and dijon. Whisk until smooth and thickened, about 3-4 minutes. Whisk in the cheese slowly, whisking until it is fully melted. Whisk in the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken and ham and top with the shredded Swiss cheese. Top with the panko mixture and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the casserole is bubbling and the bread crumbs are golden brown. Top with chopped parsley and hollandaise, if desired.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Please tell me how many rotisserie chickens are needed for this recipe. The recipe looks absolutely fabulous and I’d like to make this soon.
Thank you!
Hello!! You’ll use about 2 regular rotisserie chickens.
I made this as instructed with one exception. I am not a Swiss cheese fan so I substituted out the Swiss for what I had on hand. This was tasty, it was a little more liquidity than I expected, but the taste was solid. Even the leftovers reheated well.
I made this today exactly as written and it was delicious! I halved the recipe for an 8×8 baking dish, which worked out great. The only problem was that there was liquid at the bottom of the dish after baking. Next time I make this (and there will be a next time), I think I’ll just eliminate the chicken broth. Thanks very much, Alyssa!
can this cordon bleu casserole be put togetherthe day before then baked the next day?
Yes, it’s perfect for that!