Posted on

Crispy Chicken Cordon Bleu with a Creamy Dijon Sauce

This "Wicked Easy" Chicken Cordon Bleu includes rolled up layers of sliced ham and Swiss cheese with a crunchy, crispy coating, topped with a Dijon cream sauce!

the raw ingredients and seasonings for chicken cordon bleu

Chicken Cordon Bleu is a classic dish made with boneless, skinless chicken breast which have been seasoned and stuffed with sliced ham and Swiss cheese. 

raw chicken breasts on a cutting board being trimmed of their fat

The first step is to trim up the boneless, skinless chicken breasts of any excess fat, gristle, or cartilage. 

raw chicken breast between plastic sheets being flattened by mallet

Place the trimmed chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap, or inside a plastic zip-lock bag that is not closed, and pound with a meat mallet, rolling pin, or heavy pan until each breast is about a 1/2 inch thick all around.

raw chicken breast on plastic wrap seasoned with salt and pepper

Place the pounded chicken breasts onto a sheet of plastic wrap and season with the salt, pepper and garlic powder. 

A raw seasoned chicken breast topped with sliced ham and Swiss cheese

Top each seasoned chicken breast with the sliced ham and Swiss cheese, alternating layers.

The most popular and traditional cheese to use when making Chicken Cordon Bleu is Swiss cheese because of its flavor and that it melts but still holds its shape quite well. However, feel free to substitute any other cheese that you want. 

a raw seasoned chicken breast that is stuffed with ham and Swiss cheese being rolled up

Start to roll up the stuffed chicken breasts, tucking in the ends if possible. 

Rolled up raw chicken breast stuffed with ham and Swiss cheese

Try to roll up the stuffed chicken breasts as evenly as possible, tucking in and overlapping as needed to make sure there is no large seam.

raw chicken cordon bleu that has been rolled up tight inside plastic wrap to hold its shape

Then use the plastic wrap the chicken breast is sitting on to wrap it tightly and secure the shape. Twist the excess plastic on the sides to firm up the roll and then knot it to keep it from coming loose. 

raw chicken cordon bleu that has been rolled up inside plastic wrap and chilled to help hold its shape

Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts and then chill in the refrigerator or freezer for at least 30 minutes to set the shape.

You can store the rolled chicken breasts this way in the refrigerator for up to a day or two, or for up to 3 months in the freezer for those that want to make them ahead of time!

The ingredients to make the Dijon cream sauce

Meanwhile, gather the Dijon cream sauce ingredients so you can prepare this traditional Chicken Cordon Bleu sauce.  If you are pressed for time, a really simple sauce substitute that is uncooked and served cold can be made by mixing 1 cup of mayonnaise with 1 to 2 teaspoons of yellow mustard. 

heat the whole butter and chopped garlic in a pan over medium high heat

In a 1.5-quart saucepan, add the butter and garlic and cook over medium heat for a few minutes until the butter has melted, and the garlic has softened.

adding flour to the butter and garlic in a pan to make a roux

Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute until combined.

the flour is cooked with the butter and garlic to make a blonde roux

Cook the flour and butter mixture (roux) while mixing until it turns slightly blond in color and has a nutty aroma.

add milk to the blonde roux to make cream sauce

Slowly pour in the milk while constantly whisking. Whisk until the milk is fully combined with the roux and no lumps remain. 

the thickened cream sauce in the pan on the stove

Continue whisking until the mixture comes to a simmer and has thickened. Then add the Dijon mustard, salt and pepper; whisk to combine. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the Parmesan cheese. Hold warm until needed.

This sauce also goes great with numerous other dishes and stores well in the refrigerator or freezer!

breading ingredients of flour, eggs and panko bread crumbs

Gather the chicken cordon bleu breading ingredients. I prefer Panko breadcrumbs because they are slightly larger and provide more crunch, however you can use regular breadcrumbs, cornflakes, crushed Ritz crackers, etc.

standard breading procedure ingredients consisting on flour, beaten eggs, breadcrumbs and the product to be breaded

To bread the chicken, prepare three separate wide dishes or bowls. The flour goes in one, the beaten eggs in another, and the breadcrumbs in the last bowl. 

a saute pan partially filled with olive oil heating on the stove

Meanwhile, preheat a large sauté pan that has been filled a quarter of the way up with vegetable oil to about 325 *F. 

the raw chicken cordon bleu being dredged in flour

Unwrap the plastic wrap from the chilled chicken roll ups and then dredge in the flour. This dries the surface and provides something for the beaten eggs to adhere to. 

raw chicken cordon bleu being put into the egg wash

Then put the flour dredged stuffed chicken breasts into the beaten eggs which provides the glue that the breadcrumbs can stick to.

raw chicken cordon bleu being coated in the Panko bread crumbs

The egg wash dipped stuffed chicken breasts are then rolled in the breadcrumbs. This protects the chicken from the hot oil and provides a delicious crispy, crunchy outside coating to the Chicken Cordon Bleu!

raw chicken cordon blue going through the standard breading procedure

These breading steps are called the Standard Breading Procedure and can be used when breading any item for deep or shallow frying. To help prevent your hands from becoming battered, it is best to either use tongs or use one hand for the dry ingredients (flour and breadcrumbs) and your other hand for the wet ingredients (the chicken breasts and the egg wash).

the breaded chicken cordon bleu being cooked in the pan of hot oil

Place the breaded Chicken Cordon Bleu into the preheated oil and cook for about 5 minutes per side, or until the outside is an even golden brown. 

three chicken cordon bleu roll ups being browned in a frying pan of hot olive oil

Once the chicken breasts have achieved a good color, place them on a baking sheet and finish in a 350*F oven until cooked through. Oven cooking times will vary based on the size of the chicken breasts and if they were chilled or frozen before cooking. A temperature of 165*F in the chicken’s center is a sure way to know they are done!

cooked chicken cordon bleu that has been sliced and fanned out on a plate

When done, remove the Chicken Cordon Bleu from the oven and cut the roll into slices. 

sliced chicken cordon bleu on a plate topped with Dijon cream sauce and served with baked potato, peas and roasted onion

Serve the Chicken Cordon Bleu slices with the Dijon Cream Sauce and your choice of vegetables and starch. 

cooked chicken cordon bleu that has been sliced and fanned out on a plate

Chicken Cordon Bleu with a Creamy Dijon Sauce

This "Wicked Easy" chicken cordon bleu recipe includes sliced of rolled up ham and Swiss cheese stuffed inside a boneless skinless chicken breast that has a crispy crunchy coating that is topped with a Dijon Cream Sauce!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American

Equipment

  • 1 sauce pot
  • 1 saute pan
  • 1 cutting board
  • 1 meat mallet optional

Ingredients
  

Chicken Cordon Bleu

  • 4 each Boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • To Taste Salt
  • To Taste Black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp Garlic powder
  • 12 slices Swiss cheese
  • 8 slices Ham
  • 1 cup Flour
  • 3 each Eggs, beaten
  • 1.5 cups Breadcrumbs (plain, Panko, etc.)

Dijon Cream Sauce

  • 3 tbsps Butter
  • 2 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 3 tbsps Flour
  • 2 cups Milk
  • 4 tbsps Dijon mustard
  • 1 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
  • To Taste Salt
  • To Taste Black pepper

Instructions
 

Chicken Cordon Bleu

  • Trim the boneless, skinless chicken breast of any excess fat, skin, ligaments, etc.
  • Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap (or in a large ziplock bag) and pound with a meat mallet, rolling pin, or heavy pan until an even 1/2 inch thick all around.
  • Place the flattened chicken breasts on a piece of plastic wrap and season with the salt, pepper and garlic powder.
  • Top each seasoned chicken breast with 3 slices of Swiss cheese and 2 slices of ham, starting with a cheese slice and then alternating with the ham.
  • Evenly roll the chicken breast around the ham and cheese stuffing, tucking in the ends if possible. Then wrap the plastic wrap tightly around the chicken breast, twisting the excess plastic wrap at the ends to firm and form the chicken breast into a cylindrical roll.
  • Tie off the plastic wrap at the ends to hold it in place around the stuffed chicken and then place the rolls into the refrigerator or freezer to set for at least 30 minutes. The rolls can be stored at this stage in the refrigerator for up to a day or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
  • After the rolls have set, prepare 3 separate wide bowls for breading the chicken. Put flour in one, beaten eggs in to another and the breadcumbs in the third. Dredge the chicken first in the flour, then the egg, and then the breadcrumbs.
  • Preheat a saute pan filled a quarter of the way with oil to 325*F. Place the breaded chicken cordon bleu in the oil and coook for 5 minutes per side, or until the outside is an even golden brown.
  • Remove the golden brown chicken from the oil and place into a 350*F oven until fully cooked (Internal temperature of 165*F). When done, slice the chicken and serve with the Dijon Cream Sauce and your choice of starch and vegetable.

Dijon Cream Sauce

  • In a saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and garlic and cook until the butter is melted and the garlic is soft, about 1 minute.
  • Whisk in the flour slowly to combine and then cook for a couple of minutes until the flour mixture turns slightly yellow and has a toasted smell.
  • Slowly whisk in the milk until fully combined and no lumps remain. Continue whisking and cooking until the mixture comes to a simmer and has thickened.
  • Add in the Dijon mustard, the salt and the pepper and whisk to combine. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the shredded Parmesan cheese. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Serve over the sliced Chicken Cordon Bleu.
Keyword breaded, cheese, ham, saute, stuffed
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Please follow, share, and like us:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.