Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Chicken cordon bleu used to be one of those really fancy dinners that maybe your mom would make when company was coming over. Lately, however, it’s been pushed back into almost obscurity. You don’t even see the stuff in frozen dinners anymore! It’s turning into one of those “vintage” dishes, like Jello molds from the 70’s or ham loaf from the 60’s.

I’m sure there are still people making chicken cordon bleu, but it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to find people that know how to make it and are willing to make it. I think I’ve only had chicken cordon bleu once in my entire life, that’s how rare it has become around these parts.

Long story short, I had some Swiss cheese leftover from making this Bratwurst Rice Bake, and oddly enough, the first thing that came to my mind was to make chicken cordon bleu. I’m all about that hassle-free life, so instead of tediously pounding and breading and stuffing chicken breasts, I dug up this casserole recipe and decided to give it a whirl.

Wow! This was good. I got a great deal on some delicious Virginia deli ham at Crest, and it tasted wonderful mingling with the breaded chicken nuggets and the creamy Swiss cheese. This will definitely be one of those recipes that I pull out when I’m at a loss of what to make for dinner.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

• Servings: 6-8
• Time: 40 mins
• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

A deconstructed classic Americana dish that fits perfectly in a casserole dish.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 1/2 cups milk, divided
• 1 large egg
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 cups Italian-style breadcrumbs
• 8 ounces deli ham, diced
• 4 ounces Swiss cheese, grated
• 1 (10.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup
• Cooked egg noodles, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large (9×13″) baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir together 1/2 cup milk and egg. Add cubed chicken breast to mixture and let sit for about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place breadcrumbs in another large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and then add chicken pieces a few at a time and toss to coat. Place breaded chicken in prepared baking dish.
3. Top chicken with deli ham and grated Swiss cheese. In a small bowl, whisk together cream of chicken soup with remaining milk. Top casserole with soup mixture and cover with foil.
4. Bake for 35 minutes in preheated oven. Remove foil and continue baking for another 10 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and chicken is cooked through.
5. Serve over cooked egg noodles.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray large baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine 1/2 cup milk with egg. Place chicken pieces in milk mixture and let sit for 5 minutes.

Put breadcrumbs in another large bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Add chicken pieces a few at a time and toss to coat. Place breaded chicken in prepared dish.

Top chicken with diced deli ham and sprinkle with grated Swiss cheese.

In a small bowl, stir together cream of chicken soup with remaining milk. Pour over the top of the casserole and cover dish with foil. Bake for 35 minutes and then take foil off and continue baking for 10 more minutes.

Serve casserole on top of hot, cooked egg noodles. Enjoy!