Description
Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu is a simple and delicious dish featuring chicken breasts stuffed with Swiss cheese and ham, coated in crispy panko breadcrumbs, and baked to golden perfection. Served with a creamy Dijon mustard sauce, this classic recipe is perfect for a comforting homemade meal.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs for Super Easy method or 1 cup panko breadcrumbs for Quick Dredge method
- Oil spray
Chicken
- 2 small chicken breasts (6-7 oz/180-210 g each)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 slices Swiss cheese (or substitute with Gruyere, cheddar, mozzarella - see notes)
- 4 to 6 slices ham (about 2.5 oz/75 g)
Super Easy Method
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
Quick Dredge Method
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp plain flour
Dijon Cream Sauce (makes 1 cup)
- 1 1/2 tbsp butter
- 1 1/2 tbsp flour
- 1 1/4 cups milk (preferably full fat, low fat is also okay)
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp parmesan cheese, finely grated
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 200°C/390°F for a standard oven or 180°C/350°F for a fan-forced oven to prepare for baking the chicken cordon bleu.
- Prepare Breadcrumbs: Spread the panko breadcrumbs on a baking tray and lightly spray with oil. Bake for 3 minutes or until they turn light golden. Remove from oven and immediately scrape into a bowl to cool.
- Prepare Chicken Pockets: Cut a pocket into each chicken breast without slicing all the way through. Fold the Swiss cheese in half and place 2 pieces inside each pocket, then add ham slices on top. Close the pocket securely and seal with 2 toothpicks. Season the outside of the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Coating – Super Easy Method: In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Spread this mixture over the top and sides of the chicken breasts (avoid the underside). Then sprinkle panko breadcrumbs over the coated chicken, pressing gently to adhere. Spray the breadcrumb-coated chicken with oil.
- Coating – Quick Dredge Method: Whisk together egg and plain flour in a bowl. Dip each chicken breast first into the egg mixture, then into the panko breadcrumbs to coat evenly. Transfer the coated breasts onto a tray and spray with oil.
- Bake Chicken: Place the prepared chicken on a baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the toothpicks before serving.
- Make Dijon Cream Sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute to form a roux. Gradually whisk in half the milk until smooth, then add the remaining milk, Dijon mustard, and parmesan cheese. Continue to whisk constantly for about 3 minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve: Serve the baked chicken cordon bleu hot with the Dijon cream sauce on the side.
Notes
- Swiss cheese or masdaam cheese are ideal because they melt well but hold their shape during cooking. Substitute with Gruyere, cheddar, or mozzarella but expect more cheese to ooze out; use additional toothpicks to seal pockets if using these.
- Small ham rounds are ideal and you may need 2 slices per chicken breast to cover the pocket fully.
- Full-fat milk is preferred for the sauce but low-fat milk works as well.
- You can make ahead using the Quick Dredge method: refrigerate uncooked chicken for up to 24 hours or freeze it. Keep leftover breadcrumbs to touch up coating before baking. Thaw before cooking.
- Calories per serving (180g chicken plus approx. 1/3 cup Dijon cream sauce) are estimated for nutritional reference.
