Easy Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu

There are a lot of different ways to make this classic dish. I used to think of chicken cordon bleu as a dish where the chicken breast is flattened, stuffed, rolled, flash fried, then baked in the oven. However, my mom always made it folded in half and baked rather than rolled and fried. And I'll tell you what: this method is just as awesome as fried and doesn't require as much technique.

The Stuffed Chicken Breast Series: An Easy, Gourmet Treat

But before I get into that, I'd like to welcome you to my Stuffed Chicken Breast Series. Yes, I'm going all in with stuffed chicken breast recipes. This is actually the very first stuffed chicken recipe I posted on my website. It's my mom's recipe and I've always loved it. So awesome. Now, I want to dedicate some time and attention to more stuffed chicken breast recipes and techniques.

For example, there are methods to choose from. The first is butterfly, stuff & fold, like my cordon bleu. Next option, slice down the top of breast to make a pocket, stuff crumpled tin foil into the pocket, sear it, then add the filling into the pocket. This seems like it will work if you have a creamier filling. Lastly, there is the rolling method: butterfly the breast, pound it thin, lay out/spread your filling onto the chicken, then roll the breast. For this type of technique your filling should lay flat and not be bulky. There are so many exciting combinations and methods to try! Also, yes, there are many more variations on how best to stuff your boneless chicken breast. These are simply a jumping off point!

Stuffing and Folding this Easy Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu is the way to go

All this baking method requires is to butterfly your chicken breast, pound it slightly, dip in butter, dip in breadcrumbs, add ham and cheese, fold in half, bake in oven. It's really that easy. The one extra step you could take is to toast your panko breadcrumbs slightly in a pan before breading the outside of your chicken. My recipe doesn't call for that to save on the prep time. But you could choose to do this if it's really important to the presentation for you.

Otherwise, get those chicken breasts in the oven and make the cheese sauce while they cook. You can follow along in my step-by-step video above. This recipe rocks and is truly a gourmet meal!

If You're Obsessed with Stuffing Chicken (Like Me), Try These:

• Three-Cheese Stuffed Chicken w/Sausage & Red Sauce
• Stove Top Stuffing Chicken Rolls
• Stuffed Chicken Pepperoni Pizza Bake
• Jalapeno Popper Chicken Wrapped in Bacon
• Cheesy Fajita Stuffed Chicken
• Bacon Ricotta Stuffed Chicken
• Asparagus and Cheese Stuffed Chicken
• Stuffed Chicken w/Sun Dried Tomatoes & Sharp Provolone

Easy Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu

---

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Stacey
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 4-6 1x

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

Fantastic and easy, this cordon bleu is sure to become part of your regular dinner rotation. Chicken, ham, cheese, and cheesy mornay sauce - need I say more?

---

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Chicken

• 4 chicken breasts (butterflied and pounded)
• 8 slices of ham (I used black forest)
• 8 slices of Swiss cheese
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 cups plain panko bread crumbs
• Salt, to taste

Sauce 

• 1 clove of garlic, finely diced
• ½ small shallot, finely diced
• 4 ounces of gruyere cheese (need to buy an 8 ounce block)
• ¼ cup of freshly shredded parmesan
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 2 ½ cups of whole milk
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon of salt, more if needed

---

Instructions

1. Finely dice shallot and garlic and set aside. 
2. Take your chicken breasts and trim any fat hanging from the sides. Then slice them lengthwise to split them open (also called butterfly). Do not cut them in half – the breast needs to stay one piece so you can stuff it with the ham and cheese. My video shows this well. Once the chicken is opened you need to pound them with a mallet to flatten them just a bit. 
3. Sprinkle a pinch a salt on both sides of all the chicken. 
4. Melt your butter in the microwave.
5. Set up your assembly station with the chicken, ham, cheese, melted butter on a plate, and plain panko breadcrumbs on a plate. 

Assembly:

1. Take one chicken piece and dip one side into the melted butter.
2. Pick up chicken and let butter drip off.
3. Place chicken on top of panko breadcrumbs (buttered side down) and press down on chicken to adhere the breadcrumbs.
4. Add one slice of cheese on bottom, two slices of folded ham on top of that and one more slice of cheese on top of the ham.
5. Now fold it gently and place in your baking dish.
6. Repeat that process for the other three pieces of chicken. 
7. Put into a preheated oven at 350 degrees and cook for 40 minutes. Then turn broiler on high five minutes to brown the breadcrumbs if you like, this is optional.
8. While the chicken is cooking you can prepare this easy mornay cheese sauce. 

Sauce Preparation:

1.  Melt five tablespoons of butter in a small sauce pot on low to medium heat. 
2. Add the garlic and shallots. Stir around and let it cook for a few minutes until onions are translucent and garlic is fragrant. Watch the heat on this, you don’t want to burn that garlic. 
3. Add all-purpose flour to create a roux. This is a thickening agent for sauces. Stir this for a few minutes until the raw flour cooks out a bit. 
4. Add milk and whisk thoroughly. Heat on low for a few minutes and this will start to thicken. 
5. Add the shredded gruyere and stir. Add the freshly grated parmesan and stir. Add salt and stir. 
6. Remove from heat and let it sit. Depending on how you timed this it will still be hot when the chicken is ready. If not, just simmer the sauce on low to re-warm. Ideally, you should heat the sauce and then let it sit a few minutes before serving. If your sauce is too thin add a little more gruyere. 
7.  TIME TO EAT! Enjoy!

 

Equipment

9x13 Baking Dish

Buy Now →

Box Grater, Stainless Steel

Buy Now →

Sauce Pot w/Lid (3 Quart)

Buy Now →

Porcelain Ramekins for Prep

Buy Now →

Kitchen Mallet (Meat Tenderizer)

Buy Now →

Ceramic Salad/Pasta Bowls

Buy Now →

Notes

1. For toastier browned panko, you can toast your breadcrumbs in a pan before adhering to the chicken. This step makes the process a bit longer and I wanted to focus on a simple baked recipe. But you can certainly do this if you choose. 
2. I used black forest ham, but any plain ham will be fine. I would stay away from honey ham or any kind of seasoned or spiced ham as this will change the flavor profile. 
3. Four stuffed chicken breasts is a lot of food. You can easily cut the chicken breasts in half right before serving and that will be plenty of food for one person. Keep in mind you will probably be serving with some kind of rice and/or vegetable side.
4.  I don’t normally present ingredients like cheese in ounces. But the standard way gruyere cheese is sold is in 8-ounce packages and you only need half of it for the sauce recipe, so I presented the amount as needing 4 ounces.