Ingredients
- Chicken Breast: 3 pounds, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes. Provides the hearty protein base of the casserole.
- Cooked Ham: 8 ounces, diced. Adds a salty, savory counterpoint to the chicken and cheese.
- Swiss Cheese: 8 ounces, shredded. Offers a nutty, slightly tangy flavor that is characteristic of cordon bleu.
- Cream of Chicken Soup: 2 (10.75 ounce) cans. Creates the creamy sauce that binds the casserole together.
- Sour Cream: 1 cup. Adds richness and a subtle tang to the sauce, balancing the flavors.
- Milk: ½ cup. Thins the sauce to the perfect consistency and adds moisture.
- Dijon Mustard: 2 tablespoons. Enhances the flavor profile with a bit of sharpness and depth.
- Garlic Powder: 1 teaspoon. Provides a savory aromatic note to complement the other flavors.
- Onion Powder: 1 teaspoon. Adds a subtle oniony sweetness and depth to the overall taste.
- Dried Parsley: 1 tablespoon. Provides a touch of freshness and visual appeal.
- Salt: 1 teaspoon, or to taste. Enhances the overall flavors of the casserole.
- Black Pepper: ½ teaspoon, or to taste. Adds a subtle spice and depth to the dish.
- Bread Crumbs: 1 cup, plain or panko. Creates a crispy topping for texture contrast.
- Melted Butter: 4 tablespoons. Adds richness and helps the breadcrumbs brown and crisp up nicely.
Instructions
- Preheat Your Oven and Prepare Baking Dish: Begin by preheating your oven to 375°F (190°C). This ensures that your casserole will cook evenly. While the oven is heating, grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. Greasing the dish prevents the casserole from sticking and makes serving and cleanup much easier. You can use cooking spray, butter, or oil to grease the dish. Make sure to coat the bottom and sides of the dish evenly.
- Prepare the Chicken: Take your 3 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cut them into 1-inch cubes. Uniformly sized cubes will ensure that the chicken cooks evenly throughout the casserole. If your chicken breasts are particularly thick, you might want to butterfly them first before cubing to ensure faster and more even cooking. Set the cubed chicken aside in a bowl.
- Combine Sauce Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the two cans of cream of chicken soup, 1 cup of sour cream, and ½ cup of milk until smooth and well combined. Make sure there are no lumps of soup or sour cream remaining in the mixture. The cream of chicken soup forms the base of the creamy sauce, while the sour cream adds richness and tanginess, and the milk thins the sauce to the perfect consistency for coating the chicken and ham.
- Add Seasonings and Dijon Mustard: To the creamy soup mixture, add 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1 tablespoon of dried parsley, 1 teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. Whisk all these seasonings into the sauce until they are evenly distributed. Dijon mustard adds a subtle tang and complexity that elevates the flavor profile. Garlic powder and onion powder provide savory aromatic notes, while parsley adds a touch of freshness and visual appeal. Salt and pepper are essential for enhancing all the flavors in the casserole.
- Incorporate Chicken and Ham: Add the cubed chicken and 8 ounces of diced cooked ham to the bowl with the creamy sauce mixture. Gently stir everything together until the chicken and ham are evenly coated with the sauce. Ensure that every piece of chicken and ham is well coated to maximize flavor in every bite. The ham should be pre-cooked; you can use deli ham, leftover ham, or ham steaks diced into small pieces.
- Assemble the Casserole in Baking Dish: Pour the chicken and ham mixture into the prepared greased 9×13 inch baking dish. Spread the mixture evenly in the dish to ensure even cooking. This layer will form the base of your delicious Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole.
- Top with Swiss Cheese: Sprinkle 8 ounces of shredded Swiss cheese evenly over the chicken and ham mixture in the baking dish. Make sure to distribute the cheese evenly so that every part of the casserole gets a cheesy topping. Swiss cheese is the classic choice for cordon bleu, providing a nutty and slightly tangy flavor that complements the chicken and ham beautifully.
- Prepare Breadcrumb Topping: In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of bread crumbs with 4 tablespoons of melted butter. Toss the bread crumbs with the melted butter until they are evenly coated. The melted butter helps the breadcrumbs to brown and crisp up beautifully in the oven, adding a delightful textural contrast to the creamy casserole. You can use plain breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs for a crispier topping.
- Sprinkle Breadcrumbs Over Cheese: Sprinkle the buttered bread crumbs evenly over the shredded Swiss cheese. Distribute the breadcrumbs across the entire surface of the cheese to ensure a consistent crispy topping. The breadcrumbs will bake to a golden brown and create a wonderful textural contrast to the creamy interior of the casserole.
- Bake the Casserole: Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly around the edges, the chicken is cooked through, and the breadcrumb topping is golden brown and crispy. The cooking time may vary slightly depending on your oven and the size of the chicken cubes. You can check if the chicken is cooked through by inserting a meat thermometer into the thickest part of a chicken cube; it should register 165°F (74°C). If the breadcrumbs are browning too quickly before the casserole is cooked through, you can loosely tent the dish with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.
- Rest Before Serving: Once baked, remove the casserole from the oven and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. This resting period allows the casserole to set slightly, making it easier to serve and preventing it from being too runny. It also helps to distribute the heat evenly throughout the casserole, ensuring that it is perfectly heated throughout when you serve it.
- Serve and Enjoy! After resting, your Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole is ready to be served. Serve it hot and enjoy the creamy, cheesy, and flavorful combination of chicken, ham, and Swiss cheese, topped with a crispy breadcrumb crust. This casserole is delicious on its own or served with your favorite side dishes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: one normal portion
- Calories: 450
- Fat: 25g