Chicken Cordon Bleu

Perfect Chicken Cordon Bleu – made with tender chicken breasts, flavorful black forest ham, tangy Swiss cheese, and a crisp panko finish. And to polish it off it’s highlighted with a creamy garlicky mustard sauce to finish. It may be old fashioned but it’s still absolutely delicious!

What is Chicken Cordon Bleu?

Cordon Bleu is a dish with Swiss origin that is a derivative of schnitzel.

Chicken cordon bleu specifically is made of chicken that has been pounded thin, layered with ham slices, and topped with Swiss cheese. They layers are rolled snug or folded over, after which it’s breaded with flour, egg and dried breadcrumbs. And to cook it’s and either pan fried or baked.

In the United States it was a dish that was very popular between the 60’s and 70’s. In my experience as a kid growing up in the 90’s I commonly remember chicken cordon bleu casserole which was a simplified version (which wasn’t quite as good, but mimicked the same flavors).

You can serve it whole (note in this recipe though you’ll only get four servings if doing so), or you can slice and layer them on a platter domino style. I prefer the later as you’ll get more servings and presentation is eye catching with those pretty swirls.

And the creamy honey mustard sauce, which I believe is a staple to the dish, should be poured over each individual servings right before it’s served (so the breading doesn’t get soft, because that crispy crunch is a crowning finish!).

This dish is perfect for entertaining or for the holidays. It may be a little bit of extra effort but very well worth it!

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What to Serve with Chicken Cordon Bleu

I recommend serving this with:

• steamed or roasted green beans, asparagus or broccoli
• garlic mashed potatoes or parmesan roasted potatoes
• spinach cranberry salad or this kale salad

Chicken Cordon Bleu Recipe Ingredients

For the chicken:

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Black forest deli ham
• Swiss cheese
• All-purpose flour
• Eggs
• Panko breadcrumbs
• Parmesan cheese
• Fresh thyme and optional parsley
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

For the creamy honey mustard sauce:

• Butter
• Garlic
• Low-sodium chicken broth
• Heavy cream
• Dijon mustard
• Prepared yellow mustard
• Honey
• Cornstarch 1 Tbsp butter

How to Make Chicken Cordon Bleu

Here’s a summary of how we’ll prepare the chicken (see below for full recipe):

1. Flatten chicken pieces to 1/4″ thickness (between plastic wrap) using a meat mallet.
2. Top with ham slices and Swiss cheese.
3. Roll snug then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
4. In 3 separate dishes individually add flour, mix eggs, then mix panko, parmesan, olive oil and herbs. Season each with salt and pepper.
5. Dredge chicken in flour, followed by eggs, then panko mixture.
6. Transfer to greased baking sheet. Bake until cooked through, about 30 to 35 minutes.
7. Serve with creamy honey mustard sauce.

How to Make the Creamy Sauce

1. In a medium saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until lightly golden and fragrant, about 20 seconds.
2. Pour in chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and let simmer until it’s reduced to 1/2 cup (or just under), about 10 minutes.
3. Stir in heavy cream, dijon mustard, yellow mustard, honey, and cornstarch broth mixture. Whisk until mixture has thickened. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
4. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm. Rewarm over low heat as needed and thin with a little more broth if desired.

Tips for the Best Chicken Cordon Bleu

• To prevent all the cheese from melting out work to fold the ham and chicken edges up around the cheese as you roll it up.
• Don’t skip the chill time for the stuffed and rolled chicken. This helps it hold it’s shape while breading and baking.
• For best results use an oven probe thermometer or an instant read food thermometer otherwise it’s very easy to end up with overcooked or undercooked chicken.
• You don’t want to slice into it to check for color and doneness because cheese will seep out (again stick with a thermometer, and test to 165 in center of each chicken breast.
• If you find cheese is melting out the sides of the chicken a bit as it bakes you can either wrap up the side with a small piece of foil or plug it with a balled up piece of foil.

Possible Variations

• You can use all dijon mustard or all regular yellow mustard if preferred based on flavor preference. I personally just like the blend here.
• If you like a sweeter sauce add an additional 1 Tbsp honey. If you want no sweetness you can omit.
• Try a different cheese such as Gruyere or sharp white cheddar.
• Rosemary would be a tasty option in place of thyme.
• If you don’t like mustard I’d try a white wine sauce. Replace 1/2 cup of the chicken broth with dry white wine, omit the mustard.

Storage and Reheating

• The cooked chicken should be stored in an airtight container in refrigerator.
• If reheating individual portions warm in a microwave on 50% power in a microwave safe plate until heated through.
• For several portions you can reheat in a 350 degree oven in a greased baking dish covered with foil until warmed through (just keep in mind the cheese may seep out).
• Note that reheated results won’t be as good as fresh (breading will soften and chicken won’t have quite the same moisture, but no need to waste delicious tasting chicken).

More Favorite Chicken Recipes to Try

• Chicken Parmesan
• Chicken Piccata
• Lemon Chicken
• Oven Fried Chicken
• Parmesan Crusted Chicken