Recipe: Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Mike loves chicken Cordon Bleu. So, when I came across this recipe on SkinnyMom I knew I had to try it out. I've always tried to replicate his mom's chicken Cordon Bleu but hers is clearly always better. The recipe didn't look too hard and the ingredients are all pretty much things that you should have on hand anyway. I knew I had to have a couple sides to go with it though because it didn't seem like something I could have on its own. So we threw in some Rice-A-Roni and green beans and called it a night.

Mike didn't actually like it as much as I thought he would, surprise surprise, however it was good enough for him to get seconds, so that's a small win. I really think his problem was with the consistency because the breadcrumbs mixed with the sauce made parts of it seem a little mushy and he hates mushy.I personally thought it was pretty good and super easy for a weeknight meal. Perfect for a family with kids that are ready to eat, because it makes a ton.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. chicken, cooked and shredded

about 10 slices of ham

about 10 slices of swiss

1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

for the sauce:

4 Tbsp butter

4 Tbsp flour

3 cups skim milk

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1½ Tbsp Dijon mustard

½ tsp paprika

¼ tsp black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350º and coat 9x13 baking pan with non stick spray. Line bottom of dish with cooked and shredded chicken. Layer ham on top. Layer cheese on top of that.

Make sauce: melt butter over medium heat and whisk in the flour until smooth. Add milk and continue to whisk until it thickens. This will take about 10 minutes of continuous whisking. Add lemon juice, dijon, paprika, and pepper. Continue whisking while bringing sauce to low simmer until it reaches desired thickness. Pour mixture evenly onto casserole. (It might not need the whole thing.)

Top with breadcrumbs and lightly spray the top of the casserole with a little nonstick spray. Bake for about 35 minutes or until bubbly.

Enjoy!!

Let me know what you think!