Go Back
+ servings
homemade chicken cordon bleu cut in half with cream sauce getting poured
Print Recipe
4.93 from 14 votes

Chicken Cordon Bleu Recipe

Chicken Cordon Bleu with Dijon Cream Sauce is an easy dinner you family will love. Tender boneless skinless chicken breasts are pounded thin, stuffed with swiss cheese and ham, coated with parmesan and bread crumbs, then baked to perfection. They are smothered in a flavorful cream sauce creating the perfect main dish!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

Chicken Cordon Bleu

  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan
  • 1 teaspoon herbs choice of garlic herb blend, thyme, etc
  • 1 tablespoons butter melted
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 4 slices swiss cheese
  • 4 slices of ham
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Dijon Cream Sauce - makes 1 cup

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 cups whole milk 
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese finely grated
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme Fresh thyme is best. If using dried, reduce amount to 1/2 teaspoon
  • Salt and pepper as needed

Instructions

To make the chicken:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Prepare breadcrumb mixture by combining breadcrumbs, parmesan, herbs, and melted butter. Set into a shallow dish and set aside.
  • Prepare egg and flour needed for dredging by putting each in a separate shallow dish. Set aside.
  • To prepare chicken, flatten to a uniform thickness of 1/4 inch by smashing with a meat tenderizer or rolling pin in between two sheets of plastic wrap. For each breast, set 2 pieces of swiss cheese wrapped in two pieces of ham in the center of each flattened breast. Wrap the chicken around the ham and swiss and use toothpicks to secure.
  • To bake, dip each stuffed breast in flour, then egg,  then press both sides firmly into the breadcrumb mixture to fully coat.
  • Set on parchment lined baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.

To make the sauce:

  • While the chicken is baking, make the dijon sauce. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour to the melted butter, whisk, and allow to cook for several minutes while continually whisking to avoid burning. Once the flour has started to cook, whisk in milk. Continue to heat until the milk bubbles and begins to thicken, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in dijon, parmesan, and thyme. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To serve:

  • Pour warm sauce over chicken breasts. Stuffed breasts are usually large enough such that a half of a breast is plenty for one serving.

Video

Notes

Cooking tips:
  • Tenderizing the chicken breasts: You can do this by butterfly cutting the breast meat, however I prefer to pound the chicken flat because it further tenderizes the meat. Place the chicken in between two sheets of plastic wrap to minimize the mess.
  • Assembling the chicken: The cheese will melt out of the chicken while it bakes. To minimize this, you can wrap the cheese in the ham prior to wrapping it inside the chicken.
  • Substitutions:
    • Prosciutto can be used in place of the ham. It is thinner and easier to work with plus it adds a fantastic smokey flavor, but it can be more expensive.
    • Any kind of cheese can be used in place of the Swiss. Provolone or mozzarella would both melt nice and look similar, but due to the unique flavor of Swiss cheese, they won't taste the same.

Nutrition

Calories: 472kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 150mg | Sodium: 889mg | Potassium: 463mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 715IU | Vitamin C: 1.5mg | Calcium: 459mg | Iron: 1.9mg