There’s nothing fairly like conventional hen sous-chef. Salty ham and creamy cheese stuffed into tender, crispy hen — what’s to not love? Well… the effort of constructing it, for positive! That’s why I crafted this straightforward hen sous-chef casserole recipe.
While the flavors and texture of the basic dish are fully crave-worthy, the effort and time generally is a little a lot. Stuffing that hen and cooking it good generally is a hands-on, time-consuming activity that makes it a meal that’s not very best for simply any evening.
So be ready to have your socks knocked off. This casserole recipe takes all of the steps for making a dish with all the flavors of basic hen sous-chef from formidable to dreamy!
Why This Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole is Going to Be Your Go-To
This tacky, chicken-filled goodness is about to turn out to be your new favourite recipe. Here’s why!
- All pure. Quite a lot of recipes name for canned creamy soup — however not this one. You’ll get all the conventional flavors of hen sous-chef with straightforward, pure elements.
- Lower-carb. While you’ll be able to serve this scrumptious dish with carbs, the recipe itself is decrease in carbs than many. If you’re trying to make it much more low carb, skip the crunchy topping.
- Easy. This casserole channels all the flavors of the standard recipe however with considerably much less prep time.
Ingredients
The ingredient checklist appears just a little lengthy, however they’re all straightforward to seek out at your native grocery retailer!
- Unsalted Butter – A little bit of unsalted butter provides richness and taste to the sauce
- Cloves of Garlic – Finely mince or grate the cloves earlier than tossing them in.
- Flour – Thicken issues with flour. It offers the sauce a wealthy and creamy texture.
- Whole Milk – Whole milk creates the bottom of the sauce, ensuring it’s silky easy.
- Dijon Mustard – A spoonful of Dijon mustard provides a contact of tanginess.
- Lemon Juice – A splash of lemon juice brightens issues up, giving the casserole a zesty kick.
- Coarse Kosher Salt – Sprinkle in some coarse kosher salt to convey out the flavors and supply steadiness.
- Ground Black Pepper – A pinch of floor black pepper provides simply the correct quantity of mild warmth.
- Smoked Paprika – This ingredient makes the dish refined smoky (and additional satisfying!).
- Shredded Swiss Cheese – A beneficiant serving to of shredded Swiss cheese provides gooey, melty goodness. If you need a milder selection, strive utilizing shredded mozzarella or provolone.
- Parmesan Cheese – We by no means skimp on the Parmesan at our home! Add a lot to impart the standard taste of this dish.
- Cooked Chicken, Diced or Shredded – While you may make hen particularly for this, you may as well use leftovers or a rotisserie hen.
- Ham Steak, Cubed – Throw in some cubed ham steak for that savory, salty taste that’s basic in a hen sous-chef.
Crunchy Topping
- Butter – Melt the butter in intervals within the microwave to verify it isn’t overheated.
- Italian Seasoning – Give the topping some basic Italian taste with this seasoning.
- Garlic Powder – We can by no means get sufficient garlic right here! Use powder to disperse it evenly within the topping.
- Panko Bread Crumbs – Panko offers the topping the right crunch issue. Looking for buttery taste? Try utilizing crushed Ritz crackers.
- Fresh Parsley, For Garnish (Optional) – Garnish with some contemporary parsley for an additional pop of coloration and freshness.
How to Make Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
Making this casserole is very easy you’ll be whipping up this breezy model of the basic on the common.
- Sauté garlic in butter. Add the butter to a saucepan. Once melted, stir within the garlic.
- Make roux. Gradually add the flour and whisk till a roux has fashioned.
- Add milk, lemon and seasonings. Pour within the milk and lemon juice earlier than whisking within the Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and paprika. Allow the sauce to simmer.
- Whisk in cheese. Sprinkle within the cheeses and whisk till they’ve totally melted, then take away the pan from the range.
- Add ham, hen and sauce to dish. Place the ham and hen within the ready baking dish and pour the cheese sauce over prime.
- Toss meats in sauce. Toss gently to make sure the ham and hen combination is coated.
Crunchy Topping:
- Mix elements. Mix collectively the melted butter, Italian seasoning, breadcrumbs, and garlic powder in a small bowl.
- Add to prime of casserole. Top the casserole with the breadcrumb and butter combination.
- Bake and permit to relaxation briefly. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.
What to Serve With Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
This casserole is one which you could spoon in your plate and simply dig into all by itself. But, you may as well serve it with selfmade bread, rice, mashed potatoes, or pasta like egg noodles or buttered noodles.
Want to get some nutritious veggies in? Try including a aspect of broccolini, roasted greens, or a easy aspect salad.
Variations
While this French basic turned casserole is fairly unimaginable by itself, there are a bunch of how so as to add a twist.
- Bacon – Add crispy bacon bits to the casserole for much more savory taste. Bacon makes every thing higher, proper?
- Herbs– Incorporate contemporary herbs like thyme, rosemary, or parsley into the sauce for added freshness and aroma.
- Veggies – Mix in quite a lot of diced greens resembling bell peppers, chopped cauliflower, asparagus, spinach, or mushrooms so as to add coloration and vitamins to the casserole.
- Spicy Kick – Add Cajun seasoning or sizzling sauce to the sauce combination for a spicy taste profile. Or, embody diced jalapenos for an additional kick of warmth.
- Mushrooms – Sauté sliced mushrooms with garlic and butter, then unfold them with the hen and ham for a wealthy, earthy taste.
- Italian Inspiration – Replace the Dijon mustard with pesto sauce and add sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts for an Italian twist.
- Tex-Mex – Season the hen with taco seasoning and add black beans and corn kernels to the casserole for some Tex-Mex aptitude. Take it up a notch by utilizing pepper jack cheese as an alternative of Swiss for a spicy kick.
Storage and Freezing
The nice half about this recipe is that it’s really easy to retailer and reheat — simply take it straight from the fridge or freezer and toss it within the oven or the microwave.
Make Ahead
You could make the sauce forward of time and retailer it within the fridge for as much as 24 hours, then assemble the casserole and prepare dinner when prepared.
How to Store Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
Store leftovers of this casserole in its authentic dish or an hermetic container for 3 to 4 days.
Can I Freeze Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole?
You can simply retailer this casserole within the freezer for as much as 3 months in a freezer-safe container.
Common Questions About Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
This creamy sauce is made by combining a flour-based garlicky roux with Dijon mustard, contemporary herbs, and nutty parmesan cheese.
Chicken Kiev is often stuffed together with her mattress butter whereas hen sous-chef has a filling of ham and cheese.
You can pair starches like potatoes, rice, or pasta with hen cordon Bleu. It’s additionally an excellent pairing with veggies, whether or not cooked or served as a salad.
More Recipes That Take Chicken to the Next Level
Chicken dinners don’t need to be boring! These are a few of our favourite hen recipes that we all know you’ll love too.
Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
With all of the flavors of basic hen sous-chef, this Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole simplifies issues for the final word EASY dinner!
Servings:
Crunchy Topping (optionally available):
Preheat the oven to 350°F and coat a 9×13 or 3 quart casserole dish with cooking spray or vegetable shortening. Set apart.
In a medium saucepan, soften the butter. Add the garlic, stirring for 1 minutes till softened. Whisk within the flour till it types a paste.
Continue to whisk whereas including the milk, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, pepper and paprika. Bring to a low simmer after which whisk within the Swiss and Parmesan cheese till melted. Remove from the warmth.
Spread the cooked hen and ham into the ready baking dish. Cover with the cheese sauce, turning to coat evenly. Set apart in case you are making the crunchy topping, in any other case, bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
Crunchy Topping:
In a small bowl, stir collectively the melted butter, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Add the melted butter, stirring till it’s all moist. Evenly sprinkle over the casserole.
Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Remove and permit to take a seat for five minutes earlier than consuming. Top with chopped parsley, if desired.
If you tried this recipe, come again and tell us the way it was within the feedback or star scores.
Calories: 360 kcal, Carbohydrates: 12 g, Protein: 28 g, Fat: 22 g, Saturated Fat: 12 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6 g, Trans Fat: 0.3 g, Cholesterol: 91 mg, Sodium: 1481 mg, Potassium: 433 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 4 g, Vitamin A: 589 IU, Vitamin C: 30 mg, Calcium: 318 mg, Iron: 2 mg
