With prosciutto and Gruyère instead of the traditional ham and Swiss rolled inside, this baked chicken cordon bleu is a subtle twist on a classic dish.
I'm all about good chicken dishes - from chicken paprikash to chicken Francese to bacon wrapped stuffed chicken.
But today I'm stepping back in time a little bit, sharing one of my favorite dishes as a kid - chicken cordon bleu! Of course the ones I had were just frozen from the grocery store, but I loved them so much!
When you first cut into chicken and the cheese just oozes out... man I'm salivating right now just thinking about it.
I will admit, after I moved on from frozen food I really hadn't had chicken cordon bleu in some time. It had become a forgotten meal to me.
That was until my wife and I got married and it was one of the options we could serve our guests at our reception. While they had multiple chicken options, to me there was no question chicken cordon bleu was what we were having and luckily it was a huge hit with our guests.
The other day, I really wanted a chicken dish that we hadn't had in a while so was looking for inspiration. And our wedding dinner popped in my head so I dug through some old recipes and found a baked chicken cordon bleu I made right when I first got into cooking. Yes it takes a little bit of time to make, but is so worth it!
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Recipe Ingredients
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts - large enough to be able to roll up.
- Prosciutto - can use ham if preferred.
- Gruyère cheese - Swiss cheese also works.
- All-purpose flour - helps the eggs stick which binds the breadcrumbs.
- Salt, black pepper, dried thyme, garlic powder - enhances the flavor.
- Eggs - helps the breadcrumbs stick.
- Panko breadcrumbs - has the right crunch for this chicken dish.
- Unsalted butter - browns the breadcrumbs and base for cream sauce.
- Garlic - adds flavor to the sauce.
- Milk - whole milk is best.
- Dijon mustard - adds a slight mustard flavor to the sauce.
- Parmesan cheese - called Parmesan cream sauce for a reason.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Place parchment paper on baking sheet and set aside. Prep your dredging bowls. Add flour, salt and pepper in medium shallow bowl. Beat eggs in another medium shallow bowl. In final shallow bowl, add bread crumbs, thyme, garlic powder, melted butter and a little salt and pepper for more seasoning.
- Lay 1 chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound the chicken until it’s ¼″ thick. Remove the plastic and lay 2 slices of prosciutto on top of chicken breasts. Add ¼ of the cheese over the prosciutto. Tuck the sides and roll up the chicken breasts, keeping together with a few toothpicks.
- Lightly dust the chicken with the flour, then dip in the egg mixture and finally in the bread crumbs. Place on the parchment lined baking sheet and repeat the process with the remaining chicken.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
- While chicken is baking prepare the sauce. Melt butter and garlic over medium heat in medium saucepan. Once butter is melted, add flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually add milk and cook until the mixture is smooth and bubbly, about 10 minutes. You’ll want to stir constantly.
- Add the mustard, Parmesan, salt and black pepper. Whisk until combined and serve over the baked chicken cordon bleu.
What if I Don't Have Toothpicks?
Not a problem. As you're rolling up the chicken, keep it inside the plastic wrap. Squeeze the log gently to seal and twist both ends tight to form a nice log.
Leave in the fridge for 30 minutes so it sets. Then you can remove the plastic wrap and it should stay in place. Watch how Tasty does it in their video.
Can I Pan Fry Instead?
Yes. Heat 2 inches of vegetable or canola oil to 325°F. Cook the chicken for 5 minutes per side and then place in an oven at 325°F and cook until the the temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.
Side Dish Options
A starch like rice, mashed potatoes or pasta pairs great with chicken cordon bleu. As far as veggies, I usually go with roasted broccoli, green beans or Brussels sprouts.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- If you want more traditional cordon bleu, replace the prosciutto with ham and Gruyère with Swiss cheese.
- Buy blocks of Gruyère cheese and Parmesan cheese and shred it yourself. Pre-shredded cheese just doesn’t taste the same. Plus pre-shredded Parmesan cheese has wood pulp in it!
- You know the chicken is cooked when it reaches 165°F with an instant-read thermometer or if you cut into the chicken and the juices run clear and there is no pink. Honestly, I always just cut the chicken to see when it is done. If it isn’t just cook slightly longer.
Other Chicken Recipes
- Chicken Rollatini
- Crispy Baked Chicken Tenders
- Apple Cider Chicken
- Chicken Schnitzel
- Baked Chicken Nuggets
If you’ve tried this baked chicken cordon bleu or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu
Ingredients
Chicken Cordon Bleu
- 4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts
- 8 slices prosciutto
- ½ lb Gruyère cheese, shredded
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Parmesan Cream Sauce
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Place parchment paper on baking sheet and set aside. Prep your dredging bowls. Add flour, salt and pepper in medium shallow bowl. Beat eggs in another medium shallow bowl. In final shallow bowl, add breadcrumbs, thyme, garlic powder, melted butter and a little salt and pepper for more seasoning.
- Lay 1 chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound the chicken until it's ¼" thick. Remove the plastic and lay 2 slices of prosciutto on top of chicken breasts. Add ¼ of the cheese over the prosciutto. Tuck the sides and roll up the chicken breasts, keeping together with a few toothpicks.
- Lightly dust the chicken with the flour, then dip in the egg mixture and finally in the breadcrumbs. Place on the parchment lined baking sheet and repeat the process with the remaining chicken.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
Parmesan Cream Sauce
- While chicken is baking prepare the sauce. Melt butter and garlic over medium heat in medium saucepan. Once butter is melted, add flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually add milk and cook until the mixture is smooth and bubbly, about 10 minutes. You'll want to stir constantly.
- Add the mustard, Parmesan, salt and black pepper. Whisk until combined and serve over chicken.
Notes
- If you want more traditional cordon bleu, replace the prosciutto with ham and Gruyère with Swiss cheese.
- Buy blocks of Gruyère cheese and Parmesan cheese and shred it yourself. Pre-shredded cheese just doesn’t taste the same. Plus pre-shredded Parmesan cheese has wood pulp in it!
- You know the chicken is cooked when it reaches 165°F with an instant-read thermometer or if you cut into the chicken and the juices run clear and there is no pink. Honestly, I always just cut the chicken to see when it is done. If it isn’t just cook slightly longer.
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