Chicken Cordon Bleu is one of those go-to chicken recipes that you will keep going back to. It's a great casserole for company and a chicken dinner that everyone will love. It has a creamy Dijon sauce that takes it over the top.
3large, thick boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half length-wise (to make two thinner chicken breast cutlets; you will have 6 total thin chicken breasts)
6slicesgood quality deli ham
6 slicesSwiss cheese
1cupPanko bread crumbs, (regular breadcrumbs can be substituted)
Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Lay the cut chicken breasts in a single layer in the 9X13-inch dish. Layer each chicken breast with a slice of ham and a slice of Swiss cheese, making sure the entire chicken breast is covered with ham and cheese.
In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top.
Bake the chicken for 30-35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through completely, the cheese is bubbling and the bread crumbs are golden.
When the chicken is almost done, in a medium saucepan, melt the 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in the flour, whisking constantly. Cook the flour/butter mixture for 1-2 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking quickly. Stir in the chicken base and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk mixture constantly over medium heat until the mixture begins to simmer and thicken, about 3-5 minutes.
Once the sauce has bubbled and thickened, remove from heat and stir in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce and Parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted. Keep the sauce warm until the chicken is finished baking. If your sauce is too thick, whisk in some more milk. If it's too thin, simmer longer.
Serve each chicken cordon bleu portion with warm sauce.
Notes
Mel saves the heels of her bread and stores them in the freezer until she needs them then grinds them up quickly in a blender or food processor.Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe