Skim by Section
★ Why You'll Love this Recipe ★
Classic Chicken Cordon Bleu is easier than you might think to make.
This oven-baked dish is made with chicken cutlets, smokey ham, Swiss cheese, breadcrumbs and seasonings all served with a creamy white wine sauce.
An Easy Special Occasion Dinner
This dish is perfect for celebrating special occasions and holidays, hosting a family dinner or a dinner party. It's also easy enough to make on a weeknight or as a family dinner on the weekends.
Serve this Chicken Cordon Bleu with a tasty side dish or two and a delicious dessert for a full meal!
This dish is a classic for a reason. The flavors just work! I've simplified the process as much as possible to make this recipe very easy and fool-proof.
I think you're going to love it!
★ Ingredients You'll Need ★
Here's a look at what you'll need to make classic Chicken Cordon Bleu:
- Chicken cutlets. You can slice chicken breasts in half, lengthwise to thin them out of buy cutlets already ready to go. Be sure to pound them flat. This is key to tenderizing them and ensuring the chicken cooks evenly.
- Swiss cheese. If you don't love Swiss cheese Havarti is a great alternative.
- Ham. A good quality deli ham does taste better. My favorite pre-packaged ham is black forest or honey ham.
- For coating the chicken and creating the creamy sauce: Flour, salt, butter, thyme, white cooking wine, chicken broth, chicken bouillon and heavy cream all work together to coat the chicken and create a deliciously creamy sauce.
- Panko bread crumbs add a nice crunchy texture that goes so well with the sauce.
★ Tips & FAQs ★
- Choose Quality Ingredients: Start with fresh, high-quality chicken breasts, ham, and Swiss cheese. Using good ingredients is key to a delicious dish.
- Pound the Chicken: Use chicken cutlets or butterfly whole chicken breasts to thin them out. Pound chicken with a meat mallet to an even thickness. This helps tenderize the meat and ensures that it cooks evenly.
- Use Thinly Sliced Ham and Cheese: Opt for thinly sliced ham and Swiss cheese to make rolling the chicken easier. Thick slices can make the dish bulky and difficult to roll.
- Secure with Toothpicks: Use toothpicks to hold the rolled chicken together. This prevents the filling from falling out during cooking.
- Serve Hot: Chicken Cordon Bleu is best enjoyed right after cooking while it's still hot and crispy.
Yes. If starting with chicken breast, you'll just need to butterfly the chicken. To do this, slice the chicken breasts horizontally to create thinner cutlets. This not only cooks the chicken evenly but also makes it easier to roll with the filling.
If you're not a fan of Swiss cheese, you can use other cheese varieties like Gruyère, provolone, or I personally really love Havarti cheese as a Swiss substitute.
Yes, you can fry or bake Chicken Cordon Bleu. If frying, be sure to fry each side until the chicken is cooked through. Check with a meat thermometer and make sure the chicken temperature is at least 165˚ before serving.
Common sides include mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables, rice pilaf, or a fresh salad. Choose your favorite accompaniments to complete the meal.
You can assemble the chicken rolls in advance and refrigerate them until ready to cook. However, it's best to bread and fry them just before serving to maintain their crispiness.
Yes, you can freeze cooked chicken cordon bleu. Allow it to cool, wrap it in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and place it in an airtight container before freezing. Reheat in the oven to maintain the crispy texture.
★ More French Recipes ★
Try this dish as a casserole!
If you love chicken Cordon Bleu but want to try my casserole variation, check out that Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole recipe here.
Want more dinner ideas?
Browse all my easy dinner recipes. Be sure to Pin your favorites for later!
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 chicken cutlet
- 6 slices Swiss cheese
- 6 slices ham
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme
- ½ cup butter (1 stick), divided
- ¼ cup Panko bread crumbs
Sauce
- ½ cup white cooking wine
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
- 1 cup heavy cream
Mighty Mrs. is a #WalmartPartner.
Instructions
- Pound chicken flat. Place chicken cutlets on a cutting board, cover with plastic wrap and pound flat as needed to achieve an even thickness.
- Stuff chicken. Layer a slice of ham and a slice of Swiss cheese onto each cutlet, then roll it up. Secure with a toothpick if needed.
- Coat chicken in seasoned flour. In a medium bowl, mix flour, salt, and thyme.Add each rolled and stuffed piece of chicken to the bowl and rotate to coat the chicken on all sides.
- Sear chicken. Heat butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.Sear chicken in the skillet, cooking each side for about 2-3 or until golden brown.
- Make and add the cream sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk together wine, chicken broth, bullion and cream to make the sauce.Pour sauce over top of chicken. Use a brush to completely coat the chicken with sauce.
- Bread and bake chicken. Top chicken with breadcrumbs, pressing them as needed to be sure they stick. Bake at 375˚F for 20 mins or until chicken is fully cooked.
- Serve. Plate baked chicken and spoon wine sauce from pan over top right before serving.
Notes
- Add salt and pepper to finished dish as desired, to taste.
- Chicken is done when internal temp of chicken reaches 165˚F.
- Cover chicken loosely with foil as it bakes, if needed, to prevent bread crumbs from over-browning.
Leave a Reply