This Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole is a quick and easy casserole version of the classic dish using rotisserie chicken to make it a weeknight winner. With tender shredded chicken and black forest ham in a creamy cheese sauce with a crispy breadcrumb topping, this dish is pure comfort food!
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I grew up eating my mom’s Classic Chicken Cordon Bleu Recipe every year at holidays and other special occasions, but it was too much work for a regular weeknight.
Enter this Chicken Cordon Bleu in casserole form! It’s so delicious, it was just meant to be.
I also love an easy chicken casserole on busy weeknights when the kids have piano or swim and I know they will be hungry. Casseroles are pretty much always a win in our house, so I do make them a lot. They’re my secret weapon, of sorts.
They’re pretty hands-off for the most part, and you can add almost any vegetable in them (if you cut them small enough!) so you know your family is getting the nutrients they need.
While regular Chicken Cordon Bleu is made with chicken breast that is pounded flat and rolled into a roulade, we’ll be using cooked shredded chicken in this casserole version, which means it’s also a great leftovers recipe for using up Thanksgiving turkey, a rotisserie chicken, or any other cooked or shredded chicken that you want to repurpose into a new dish to keep things interesting!
For more delicious recipes for an easy weeknight dinner, check out my White Chicken Enchiladas, this Classic Poppyseed Chicken Casserole, or my Chicken Spaghetti Casserole.
Why We Love This Recipe
- Change up the meat type, seasoning mix, garnish, and cheeses to make this casserole truly your own.
- We’ll be using simple ingredients here, and you can even use leftover chicken or turkey to make it!
- Quick and easy, this delicious casserole is ready in just 40 minutes.
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Chicken – You’ll need to cook and shred the chicken beforehand, but you can use leftovers from a previous meal or just grab a Costco rotisserie chicken, which is what I do.
- Ham – Black forest ham has an amazing flavor and you can just get it sliced from the deli counter. Or it’s a great way to use leftover ham from Easter dinner!
- Butter – Use salted butter for making the sauce and for binding the breadcrumb topping together.
- Flour – All-purpose flour will work well for making a roux for the cheese sauce.
- Seasoning – Use a flavorful combination of kosher salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and freshly ground black pepper, as well as a Shake’N’Bake chicken seasoning mix for this dish.
- Milk – Whole milk is best for the creamiest flavor in the sauce, but any milk will work (even non-dairy).
- Broth – Use low-sodium chicken broth for a great depth of flavor in the sauce.
- Mustard – Creamy dijon mustard will add a peppery tang to the sauce.
- Cheese – Use swiss cheese for the cream sauce and Parmesan cheese for the topping.
- Sour cream – Add sour cream into the sauce to make it extra creamy.
- Breadcrumbs – You’ll need Panko breadcrumbs or crumbled ritz crackers for a crunchy topping.
How to Make Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
- Make roux. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, then sprinkle flour over the melted butter and whisk together. Cook for 1-2 minutes to make a roux and remove the raw flour taste until bubbly.
- Add seasoning. Whisk in salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and pepper.
- Make sauce. Whisk in milk, broth, and dijon mustard. Continue to cook, whisking or stirring frequently, until thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add cheese. Whisk in the cheese, a handful at a time, until melted. Remove from the heat and stir in sour cream.
- Combine meats. Combine shredded chicken and ham in a large bowl.
- Add sauce. Add the cooked sauce to the chicken and ham and toss to coat evenly. Transfer the mixture to the bottom of a baking dish.
- Make breadcrumb topping. In a separate bowl, combine Panko breadcrumbs, Shake’N’Bake seasoning packet, and Parmesan cheese.
- Add butter. Then drizzle the melted butter on top and toss to coat.
- Add topping. Sprinkle the seasoned breadcrumbs over the casserole dish.
- Bake. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes in a preheated oven until bubbly and hot and the breadcrumb topping is golden brown. Serve with cooked pasta or rice with steamed broccoli or your favorite vegetable on the side.
Recipe FAQ’s
Leftovers should be cooled covered with plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Yes! This is a great recipe for making ahead and freezing.
Before baking: Freeze before baking it for the best results. Assemble the casserole then wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 3 months. Defrost fully in the fridge overnight before baking it as instructed.
After baking: You can freeze it after baking it if you have too many leftovers. Freeze it in the same way, but reheat it covered with foil in the oven so it doesn’t burn, or reheat it in the microwave.
Sure! If you want to add a layer of cooked pasta or rice to the bottom of the casserole dish and then cover it with the chicken, sauce, and topping mixture, go right ahead.
Tips for Success
- Serve this casserole with veggies on the side, or put them in the filling in addition to the meat before topping and baking the casserole, if you prefer. Some great options are green beans, sweetcorn, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, or peas!
- For a low carb casserole, use buckwheat flour for the sauce roux, and skip the bread crumbs in the topping. Add some cheddar cheese on top or some chopped crispy bacon for added flavor and texture.
Homemade Shake-N-Bake
I know Shake-N-Bake isn’t traditional for most chicken cordon bleu recipes, but it’s fantastic and was my mom’s secret ingredient. If you don’t have a premade Shake-N-Bake mix from the grocery store, you can make your own!
Combine: 3 cups Panko breadcrumbs, ¼ cup vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 teaspoon each minced onion, garlic powder, black pepper, and celery salt, ½ teaspoon each dried parsley, dried basil, dried oregano, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper. Combine all ingredients in a Ziploc bag or large bowl then shake or stir well to combine.
Substitutions and Variations
- You can use a different kind of shredded meat if you want to. Shredded pork would be delicious here instead of the chicken, especially with the ham in there as well!
- This recipe is a great way to use leftover ham or leftover turkey from the holidays.
- Add some fresh parsley or chopped crispy bacon to the top of the casserole before serving for extra flavor.
- You can use condensed cream of chicken soup as the base of your sauce, instead of using the roux method, if you prefer. But really the sauce comes together so quickly and tastes so much better than the canned cream of something soup!
- Change up the flavor by changing the cheese choices. Cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack Cheese, or Mozzarella cheese would taste delicious too!
More Casserole Recipes
- Tater Tot Casserole
- Pizza Casserole
- Baked Ziti
- Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Cheesy Baked Spaghetti Casserole
Chicken & Poultry
Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole
Chicken & Poultry
Chicken Spaghetti Bake
Chicken & Poultry
Cheesy Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
Meat
- 5-6 cups cooked rotisserie chicken, shredded
- ½ pound black forest ham, about 2 cups chopped
Sauce
- 4 Tablespoons salted butter
- 4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
- ½ pound Swiss cheese, about 2 cups grated
- 1 cup sour cream
Topping
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 1¼ cups Panko breadcrumbs or 1 sleeve of ritz crackers
- ¼ cup powdered Parmesan cheese
- 1 envelope Original Shake'N'Bake chicken seasoning mix
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle flour over the melted butter and whisk together. Cook for 1-2 minutes to make a roux and remove the raw flour taste until bubbly.
- Whisk in salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and pepper.
- Whisk in milk, broth, and dijon mustard. Continue to cook, whisking or stirring frequently, until thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
- Whisk in the cheese, a handful at a time, until melted. Remove from the heat and stir in sour cream.
- Combine shredded chicken and ham in a large bowl. Add cooked sauce and toss to coat evenly. Transfer the mixture to a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- In a separate bowl, combine Panko breadcrumbs, Shake’N’Bake seasoning packet, and Parmesan cheese. Drizzle with the melted butter and toss to coat. Sprinkle the seasoned breadcrumbs over the casserole dish.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbly and hot and the breadcrumb topping is golden brown. Serve with cooked pasta or rice.
Notes
- Storage: Leftovers should be cooled covered with plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezing before baking: Freeze before baking it for the best results. Once assembled, wrap the casserole dish in plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 3 months. Defrost fully in the fridge overnight before baking it as instructed.
- Freezing after baking: You can freeze the casserole after baking it if you have too many leftovers. Freeze it in the same way, but reheat it covered with foil in the oven so it doesn’t burn, or reheat it in the microwave.
What temp do you bake this at?
Oh sorry about that! Bake at 350 degrees F.
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