Chicken Cordon Bleu

Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu

A classic comfort food, this chicken cordon bleu recipe is made with thin chicken cutlets rolled with ham and melty Swiss cheese, coated in crispy Panko breadcrumbs then baked until tender and crunchy.

This way of making cordon bleu chicken is a bit of a shortcut, yet not as easy as one pan chicken cordon bleu pasta! It skips the traditional way of frying and bakes it instead. Serve with Caesar salad and mashed red potatoes for a complete meal!

Why This Recipe Works

• Baked, not fried: Baking is much easier than frying in heavy oil, although we do love to pan fry this parmesan crusted chicken.
• Fancy-sounding, yet easy: Golden brown chicken, stuffed with cheese and salty ham then baked. It looks impressive, yet is easier once you master the simple steps!

• Chicken: You’ll need about 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts. They’ll be sliced in half crosswise, to make 8 thinner cutlets in total.
• Ham & swiss: You want to use thinly sliced deli ham for this. If it’s too thick you won’t be able to roll it up. I prefer to use pre-sliced Swiss just to make life easier, but by all means, use grated from a block, or slice your own.
• Panko breadcrumbs: I love the lightness and crispness that the larger Panko crumbs provide. I also find they brown evenly and aren’t as dark as regular breadcrumbs.
• Salt & pepper: This is just a bit of seasoning for the breadcrumbs.
• Salted butter: Once melted, we’ll use this to dredge our chicken rolls. This is to help the breadcrumbs stick to the outside. Use unsalted butter if preferred.
• Mayonnaise & Dijon mustard: A delicious combination of tangy and creamy to serve with the baked chicken.

1. Prepare the breasts. Use a sharp knife to slice horizontally and create 2 halves from each piece for a total of 8. One at a time, place half between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet to gently pound it into 1/4” thickness.
2. Add the filling. Lay each piece flat on a piece of plastic wrap. Add 1 slice of ham and 1 slice of cheese on top. Start with the smaller end of the breast and start rolling it up tightly, bringing in the sides as you move up.
3. Roll and wrap. Once you’ve rolled them up, use the plastic wrap to wrap them up and contain them in a firm bundle. Twist the extra plastic on the sides like a candy wrapper. Chill for 30 minutes.
4. Dredge in butter and crumbs. In one shallow dish whisk together the Panko, salt, and pepper. In another dish add melted butter. Discard the plastic wrap, dip one bundle at a time into butter, and roll it in breadcrumbs then repeat with all bundles and place them on a prepared rimmed baking sheet.
5. Bake until golden. Bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 30 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked. When meat is stuffed, it can take a little longer for the inside to cook, so you must use a digital thermometer to test for doneness.
6. Serve with sauce. Feel free to serve the pieces whole with a side of mayo and Dijon mustard sauce, or for presentation, you can slice the chicken and present them as pinwheels on a platter and have people take a few pieces each. It’s up to you!

Recipe Tips

• If you don’t have a meat mallet, use a rolling pin to pound the meat. You want to make it an even thickness for even cooking.
• Tuck in the sides as you roll the chicken like a burrito that way the filling won’t fall out.
• Don’t skip the chill time, it helps keep the roll in its shape to prevent unfolding and falling apart!
• Keep an instant-read thermometer nearby. It’s the most accurate way to tell when your chicken has an internal temperature of 165°F.
• Allow the pieces to rest before serving. Otherwise, the juices will run out leaving the meat dry if you cut into it too soon.