Hamdi Saidani Pioneer Woman chicken cordon bleu casserole layers cubed chicken, ham, Swiss cheese, and Monterey Jack in a Dijon cream sauce topped with crispy panko breadcrumbs. It bakes at 350F in about one hour total.
This recipe comes from Ree Drummond’s Food Network page, where she calls it “a one-pan wonder” and a go-to make-ahead dish. Her version skips the fussy rolling and breading of traditional cordon bleu and stacks everything in layers like a casserole instead.
Whisk the milk into the roux slowly while the pan is still on the heat so the sauce stays smooth and lump-free. Dump the milk in all at once and the flour clumps into tiny balls that no amount of whisking will fix.
Pioneer Woman Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
Description
Cubed chicken and ham layered with two melted cheeses under a mustard-spiked cream sauce and a golden panko crust. All the flavors of classic cordon bleu without rolling a single chicken breast.
Ingredients
For the layers:
For the sauce:
For the topping:
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven. Set the oven to 350F (180C). - Build the first layer. Spread half the cubed chicken across the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. Scatter half the cubed ham over the chicken, then sprinkle half the Swiss and half the Monterey Jack on top.
- Build the second layer. Repeat with the remaining chicken, ham, Swiss, and Monterey Jack.
- Make the roux. Melt the 6 Tbsp butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture bubbles and turns light golden, about 2 minutes.
- Build the sauce. Pour the milk into the roux in a slow, steady stream, whisking the entire time. Whisk in the chicken broth, Dijon mustard, and cayenne. Continue whisking until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Pour and top. Pour the sauce evenly over the layered casserole. Toss the panko with 1 Tbsp melted butter and sprinkle over the top.
- Bake. Bake until golden brown and bubbling around the edges, about 30 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
FAQs
Why does Ree use both Swiss and Monterey Jack instead of just Swiss?
Traditional cordon bleu uses only Swiss, which melts well but can taste sharp and one-note in a big casserole. Monterey Jack is milder and melts into long, gooey stretches that hold the layers together when you scoop a portion out.
The blend gives you the nutty bite of Swiss in every forkful plus the smooth, stretchy melt of Jack. Using all Swiss makes the casserole taste too sharp once you are eating a full plate of it rather than a single rolled breast.
Why make a roux-based sauce instead of using canned cream soup?
Canned cream soup works in some casseroles, but cordon bleu needs a thinner, sharper sauce that carries the Dijon mustard and cayenne through every layer. Cream soups are too thick and starchy to flow between the cubed chicken and ham.
The roux-based sauce pours like heavy cream when it goes in, then thickens as it bakes. It soaks into the gaps between the cubes so every bite has sauce in it. A thick canned soup sits on top and never reaches the bottom layer.
What happens if you skip the cayenne in the sauce?
The cayenne does not make this casserole spicy. A half teaspoon across six servings adds a faint warmth in the back of your throat that keeps the rich cheese and cream sauce from tasting flat. Without it, the dish tastes heavy after a few bites.
Think of it the way you would a pinch of salt in cookies. You are not trying to make the casserole hot. You are adding just enough heat to wake up the other flavors, especially the Dijon, which needs that spark to cut through the melted cheese.
Can you assemble this casserole the night before and bake it the next day?
Yes, and Ree recommends it as a make-ahead dish. Layer the chicken, ham, and cheese, make the sauce, pour it over, and cover tightly with foil. Refrigerate overnight. Add the panko topping right before baking so it stays dry and crisps up.
Pull the dish from the fridge while the oven preheats so the cold casserole does not hit a hot oven and crack a glass dish. You may need an extra 5 to 10 minutes of bake time since the filling starts cold instead of room temperature.
Why cube the chicken instead of shredding it for this casserole?
Cubed chicken holds its shape in the layers and gives you distinct bites of meat against the ham and cheese. Shredded chicken tangles together and creates a dense, matted layer that blocks the sauce from flowing through.
The cubes also mimic the chunky bite of traditional cordon bleu, where you slice through a whole stuffed breast. Keeping the pieces large enough to identify on a fork is part of what makes this taste like cordon bleu rather than a generic chicken bake.
