This Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole is an easy and delicious pasta bake recipe with all the great flavors you love of the classic! Pasta is tossed in a creamy cheese sauce with ham and chicken, all topped with a breadcrumb mixture.
Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta
Growing up, I remember eating Chicken Cordon Bleu and just loving the combination of flavors. Gooey cheese, crunchy coating, everything about it was just yum.
But making and cooking the individual chicken pieces can be a little time consuming, so I started looking for alternative ideas.
A way to get the same ingredients, flavors, and memories but in a faster and simpler dish. Enter: Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta Bake Casserole.
Pasta bakes are so simple and easy to make, and they result in such a delicious dish! Somehow mixing everything together and baking it off elevates a simple pasta dish to something special. My husband is always a fan of pasta bakes.
I love to make my Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta Bake (or Chicken Cordon Blue Pasta Bake) extra cheesy by adding a layer of shredded cheese in the middle of the pasta itself. No one ever seems to complain 🙂 No idea why…
Why is Cordon Bleu Called Chicken Cordon Bleu?
The name references a “blue ribbon” or a dish of excellence and
What Does Cordon Bleu Mean in Cooking?
This represents a meat such as chicken that is wrapped around cheese and sometimes other fillings and then breaded.
Classically, a Chicken Cordon Bleu has ham and cheese on the inside.
How do you Describe Chicken Cordon Bleu?
A thin slice of chicken is rolled up with ham and cheese on the inside. It is then breaded and baked.
What is in Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole?
Here is what you need to make this recipe:
- Chicken
- Ham
- Milk
- Swiss Cheese (or Monterey Jack, or Mozzarella)
- White Wine
- Flour
- Butter
- Panko Breadcrumbs
- Dried Parsley
- Salt
- Black Pepper
Swiss is a classic cheese here but I am a fan of Monterey Jack. You can also throw in some of your favorite veggies, more meat, etc. Make it your own! That is one of the best things about cooking 🙂
Leftover chicken and deli ham make this dish incredibly simple.
How to Make Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
First cook your chicken with salt and pepper until cooked through. I do this in the oven but you can also do it on the stove. This is a great recipe for leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken!
Then cook your pasta to al dente as per package directions. It will cook a little more in the oven, so we definitely do not want it overcooked here!
Then make your sauce. Melt some butter and whisk in the flour to make a roux. Then whisk in the milk and when it is warm, add your cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
Now assemble it all in a large casserole dish. Mix the pasta with the cheese sauce, chicken, and ham. Put half of it in the dish, a layer of a little more cheese, and then the rest of the pasta.
Top with the butter, breadcrumbs, and parsley mixture and bake until hot.
If your top is not browning, turn on the broiler and keep a close eye on it!
Cheese sauce is whipped up in just a few minutes while the pasta cooks, and then you can let the oven do the rest of the work! And whenever you have people hovering, or when leftovers disappear in a flash, you know you have a winner.
What are your favorite childhood dishes that you wish were faster or easier to make?
Equipment
- 9×13 Baking Dish
Ingredients
Pasta
- 1 pound pasta shape of choice such as penne or rotini
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup white wine (optional)
- 3 cups milk
- 2 cups Swiss cheese (or monterey jack, or mozzarella), shredded is best to melt faster
- salt
- black pepper
- 2 cups chicken cooked, chopped into bite sized pieces
- 3/4 cup deli ham cut into 1″ squares
Topping
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ Tablespoon dried parsley
Instructions
- If you are not using leftover or rotisserie chicken, cook 2 chicken breasts with salt and pepper either in an oven at 350°F or on a stovetop with a little oil in a skillet over medium heat until cooked through.Chop the chicken into bite sized pieces and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a large pot, heat water to a boil and cook pasta as per package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside when done.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the butter until melted over medium low heat. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Cook until the roux is a light golden color, whisking occasionally, approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Add the white wine to the roux mixture and cook until reduced by half, approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Add the milk to the white wine and roux mixture. Whisk to combine. Cook until heated through.
- Add 1 1/2 cups of the cheese to the milk mixture and stir until melted in. (Reserve the other 1/2 cup of cheese for assembly). Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Combine the pasta, cheese sauce, chicken, and ham in a large pot. Stir to combine.
- Spread half of the pasta mixture in a large baking dish. Top the pasta layer with the 1/2 cup of reserved shredded cheese.
- Fill the dish with the rest of the pasta.
- In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, panko breadcrumbs, and dried parsley. Stir to combine.
- Sprinkle the breadcrumbs across the top of the pasta.
- Bake the pasta until heated through and the breadcrumbs are starting to turn a light golden brown, approximately 15 minutes. If the top is not browning, turn on the broiler and keep a very close eye on it so it does not burn as it cooks fast.If the breadcrumbs are darkening too fast, cover the dish with aluminum foil. Serve warm.
