There's nothing more elegant and delicious than Chicken Cordon Bleu with Dijon-Parmesan sauce.
Thin chicken breasts rolled with ham and Swiss cheese, coated in seasoned bread crumbs and baked.
The result is a crispy rolled chicken breast with great flavor and texture.
Crispy on the outside, tender and cheesy on the inside - who could ask for a better combination?
Chicken breasts, pounded to ¼ inch thick then topped with Swiss cheese and ham. Rolled in seasoned bread crumbs and baked.
Why you'll love this recipe!
Assemble and walk away...that's all it takes! 3-4 rolled chicken breasts are usually done (to an internal temperature of 165ºF) in about 40-45 minutes.
- Flavorful, tender chicken in a crunchy batter with a dreamy Dijon Parmesan sauce
- Impressive, yet easy - looks and sounds fancier than it really is!
- Economical - 3 breasts (cut in half) make 6 servings!
Here's what you'll need:
Cordon Bleu ingredients: chicken breasts, thinly sliced ham, thinly sliced Swiss cheese, eggs, butter, bread crumbs, garlic, thyme.
The creamy sauce is a basic roux of flour and butter. Add milk, Dijon mustard and parmesan cheese to the roux and it's done!
How long does it take?
The prep time takes about 15 minutes, and that includes the time it takes to pound the breasts. Cook time takes about 45-minutes depending upon your oven ... sauce takes 5-minutes.
How to assemble the chicken, cheese and ham
The rolled chicken breasts will look like this before you bake them.
Place on lightly oiled baking sheet (or parchment paper) and bake uncovered. Spray a little oil on the chicken rolls before baking. Make the sauce and drizzle over chicken before serving.
Chicken Cordon Bleu sauce ingredients
This quick and easy sauce has just the right amount of "tanginess" to go with the creamy Swiss cheese and ham!
On low heat, melt butter and whisk in flour
Add in milk and continue whisking
Add Dijon mustard, parmesan cheese and vinegar; season with salt and pepper and serve
Keep the heat on low while you're making the Cordon Bleu sauce
Tips
Pound the chicken breasts to ¼" inch thick
Soak toothpics in water (do NOT use colored toothpicks - their color bleeds into the chicken when cooking)
Get super-thin slices of ham and cheese; thin slices makes it easier to roll
Put the toothpicks in securely, but make sure you can still see them after the chicken cordon bleu is done. If you push the toothpicks in too far, you can't find them when it's time to remove them.
Reheating Cordon Bleu
You want to keep the breading crispy, so the best way to reheat Cordon Bleu is in the oven.
Place cooked chicken on baking sheet and bake at 325ºF uncovered for 15-20 minutes. If you don't want the crispy coating to brown any further, place a foil tent over the chicken.
Reheat the sauce on the stove top or in the microwave.
Substitutions
Substitute the ham with other cured meats such as Prosciutto or Pancetta, which have a similar in flavor to ham.
As for the Swiss cheese, feel free to use any white cheese such as Gruyere or Provolone.
Make ahead
This dish tastes best when freshly baked and while the chicken is still moist. If you want to make it in advance, I recommend assembling and baking the chicken cordon bleu rolls without the breading. Refrigerating up to 3 days in a secure storage container.
When ready to serve, heat oven to 350ºF, dredge chicken rolls in egg/butter mixture then through the seasoned bread crumbs. Place chicken on lightly greased baking pan, lightly spray chicken with spray oil and bake until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF.
Prepare the Dijon sauce while the chicken is reheating.
I like to serve this easy Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe with a side of broccolini or broccoli; or steamed Brussels Sprouts.
Related recipes:
- Butter Chicken
- Ratatouille
- Smoked Paprika Chicken with Basmati Rice
- Chicken Fricassee
- Easy Pork Schnitzel
- Perfect Beef Tenderloin
- Chicken Linguine Alfredo
♥ If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and rating below! Thank you!
Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu Recipe
Equipment
- Toothpicks to secure the roll
- Meat mallet
Ingredients
Chicken Stuffing and Coating
- 3 chicken breasts trimmed, boneless, skinless
- 6 thin slices ham
- 6 thin slices Swiss cheese
- 2 cups breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 whole lightly beaten egg
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- spray oil
Dijon Sauce
- 1 stick butter
- ½ cup flour
- 1½ cups milk See Recipe Notes
- 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- salt and pepper , to taste
Instructions
Prep
- Preheat oven to 350ºF
- Lightly oil baking dish
- Soak 8-12 toothpicks in a small glass of water
- Melt butter2 tablespoons melted butter
- Lightly beat egg; combine melted butter and egg in flat dish1 whole lightly beaten egg
- Pour breadcrumbs into a separate flat pan; add thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper; combine well2 cups breadcrumbs, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon ground thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper
Assemble the Chicken
- Slice breasts lengthwise and pound to ¼" inch thick (See Recipe Notes)3 chicken breasts
- Lightly salt and pepper chicken breasts
- Place one slice of cheese on each piece; then, add a slice of ham6 thin slices Swiss cheese, 6 thin slices ham
- Roll the chicken and secure with a few toothpicks
- Using tongs, dredge the rolled chicken in the butter/egg mixture, then in the bread crumbs
- Place breaded chicken roll on prepared baking dish, seam side down; spray coated chicken breasts lightly with a little spray oilspray oil
- Bake uncovered @ 350ºF until internal temperature reaches 165ºF
- Allow to rest and cool a bit, then remove toothpicks
Make the Sauce
- In a medium pan, melt butter1 stick butter
- Gradually sprinkle in the flour, stirring constantly with a whisk½ cup flour
- Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly1½ cups milk
- Add Dijon mustard, vinegar and Parmesan cheese (See Recipe Notes); season to taste4 tablespoons Dijon mustard, ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon white vinegar, salt and pepper
- Drizzle sauce over chicken cordon bleu and serve
Notes
- Cut breasts in half lengthwise; pound to ¼ inch thick with meat mallet.
- Note: if you don't want to cut the chicken you can use a whole breast; just be sure to pound it down really thin and realize it will take a little longer to cook
- This roux-based sauce takes about 5-minutes to make and makes about 2 cups.
- Make the sauce right after the Cordon Bleu is done. Look at the consistency right after its combined and keep the heat on a low temperature.
- Add milk in ½ cup increments until it is to the desired consistency.
- To thin, add a little more milk and turn the heat up a little on the stove.
- To thicken, sprinkle in more flour
Anecia says
Thanks MaryAnn! Good catch! I added the bake temp and to bake uncovered...thank you very much!