This Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole is a delicious family and kid friendly dinner meal! A pasta recipe with a creamy cheese sauce, ham, and chicken. Great use of leftover chicken or leftover ham! All topped with a crisp breadcrumb mixture.
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.
Notes
White wine is optional however it adds a great flavor to the sauce. You could use a Tablespoon of lemon juice instead of desired.Want it saucy? Increase the milk to 4 cups and/or barely cook the casserole (it should all be hot and cooked through already) just to get the top brown.