Can't find the photo. THIS WILL BE MY LAST POST AT THIS BLOG ADDRESS. E-mail me for the future blog address and I'll put you on my list, but only if I know who you are. Don't know when this will happen. People that I despise have been able to access this wee blog.
I had one small package of Christmas ham and shredded Swiss cheese in the freezer that badly needed a home. And a local supermarket had split chicken breasts for $1/lb. A chicken cordon bleu sounded good, but I really didn't want to the trouble of rolling traditional rolls. A quick search of a chicken cordon bleu casserole turned up a slew of recipes. I opted for the one from Food Network.
I had one small package of Christmas ham and shredded Swiss cheese in the freezer that badly needed a home. And a local supermarket had split chicken breasts for $1/lb. A chicken cordon bleu sounded good, but I really didn't want to the trouble of rolling traditional rolls. A quick search of a chicken cordon bleu casserole turned up a slew of recipes. I opted for the one from Food Network.
It was really easy to assemble. I always have some cooked chicken breasts on hand (or use a rotisserie chicken) and then I just chopped the ham and made the sauce. I served this with the Cauliflower Gratin Bake and some sautéed zucchini. For a dish in one, you could add some parcooked broccoli. No side dishes needed in that case.
CHICKEN CORDON BLEU CASSEROLE (
2-3 Tbsp butter
1 cup small-cubed ham
heaping 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
heaping 1/2 cup shredded Jack cheese
2 cups cooked chicken breasts, cubed
1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
smidgen cayenne powder, or to taste
S&P to taste
Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare an 8x8 baking dish.
Put ham on a paper towel-lined dish and microwave for 3 minutes to reduce moisture content (that sounded like a long time to me......I put mine in a paper towel and squeezed out any excess moisture). Mix Swiss and Jack cheeses in a small bowl and set aside.
Put about a 1/3 of the chicken in the bottom of the baking dish. Top with half of the ham. Sprinkle 2-3 Tbsp of cheese. Repeat one more time and top with the remaining chicken.
Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Put the Panko in a small bowl and pour half of the melted butter and mix. Set aside.
Add the flour to the remaining melted butter and cook for 2-3 minutes, whisking out any lumps. Whisk in milk, broth, Dijon, and cayenne and let it cook until it begins to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese until melted. Season with S&P.
Pour the sauce over the casserole. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and the Panko mix. Bake until the top is browned and the casserole is bubbly, about 25-30 minutes.