Deconstructed Chicken Cordon Bleu

January 5, 2010 > 7 Comments

Ever since I came up with our favorite Deconstructed Broccoli & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts, I’ve been planning to try deconstructing other favorites rolled and stuffed meat recipes. Chicken Cordon Bleu seemed like an obvious choice.

We all really enjoyed this dish, although I will admit I overcooked it a bit so the chicken was a little dry. (Blame that one on the chef having a bad day.) The Swiss cheese sauce was rich and flavorful without being overpowering. This absolutely tasted like chicken cordon bleu and it was so much less work than the traditional.

Deconstructed Chicken Cordon Bleu

• 1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into large 4 or 5 bite pieces
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 lb. ham lunch meat (use think-cut slices so that you can taste the ham. Shaved or thinly cut slices will not add as much flavor.)
• 4 T. butter or margarine
• 1/4 c. flour
• 2 c. milk
• 2 c. shredded Swiss cheese, divided
• 1/2 t. Italian seasoning
• 1/4 t. black pepper
• 1 T. butter or margarine, melted
• 3/4 c. breadcrumbs

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste and place in a baking dish. Layer ham on top of the chicken.

2. In a small sauce pan, melt 4 T. butter or margarine over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk, Italian seasoning and black pepper. Bring to a slow boil and let slowly boil until thickened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 1/2 c. Swiss cheese until melted.

3. Pour cheese sauce over the chicken and ham. Sprinkle remaining Swiss cheese on top.

4. Melt 1 T. butter or margarine and stir into the bread crumbs until moistened. Sprinkle over the cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes, until chicken is fully cooked. (Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness on your chicken.)

Serve over or alongside pasta, rice or mashed potatoes.

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