About
Ah, the Layered Cordon Bleu Bake! Don't let its fancy-ish sounding name fool you... it's really not too complicated! And as a result of your brave venturing out, you'll be rewarded with a big bake that all starts with a layer of melty cheese sauce, then some juicy chicken cutlets, a bit more of the savory cheese sauce, a layer of salty ham, a sprinkle of yummy cheeses, and a nice, crunchy panko topping to really seal the deal. See? There's nothing too intimidating about this Layered Cordon Bleu Bake. It's simply delicious!
Ingredients
- For the bake:
- 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons butter, cold, divided, plus more, to taste, softened, for greasing the dish
- 8 chicken breast cutlets, boneless and skinless
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
- 1/2 cup ham, cook and diced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 cup Swiss cheese, grated, divided
- 1 cup low-moisture mozzarella cheese, grated, divided
- For the panko topping:
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped, plus more, to taste, for garnish
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
Directions
Step 1 -Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 2 -Use the extra softened butter to grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Step 3 -Evenly season the chicken cutlets with 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper.
Step 4 -In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 teaspoon of the cold butter and 4 of the seasoned chicken cutlets and cook until they are browned, about 2-3 minutes per side. The meat will not be cooked through.
Step 5 -Transfer the browned cutlets to a clean plate and repeat the cooking process with 1 teaspoon of the cold butter and the remaining chicken. Avoid wiping the skillet clean unless the butter or browned bits in it have turned dark brown.
Step 6 -In the same skillet, add the ham pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
Step 7 -Transfer the ham to a clean plate and set it aside.
Step 8 -In the same skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of the cold butter.
Step 9 -Gradually whisk the flour into the melted butter and cook, while stirring, for 1 minute.
Step 10 -Gradually whisk the milk, the chicken broth, and the cayenne into the flour mixture and bring to a simmer.
Step 11 -Cook the sauce mixture, stirring often, until it has thickened, about 3 minutes.
Step 12 -Transfer the skillet from the heat and add the Dijon mustard, and 1/2 cup of the Swiss cheese and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese to the sauce mixture and stir until the cheeses melt.
Step 13 -Season the sauce mixture with the remaining the salt and the remaining pepper.
Step 14 -In a small bowl, combine the panko, 1 tablespoon of the parsley, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of the melted butter and mix until it is well-combined.
Step 15 -Add 1 1/2 cups of the cheese sauce to the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Step 16 -Arrange the browned cutlets, overlapping them slightly, over the cheese sauce.
Step 17 -Evenly spread the remaining cheese sauce over the browned cutlets, then top with the cooked ham pieces.
Step 18 -Top the ham layer with the remaining Swiss cheese and with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
Step 19 -Evenly sprinkle the panko mixture over the cheese layer.
Step 20 -Bake the cordon bleu bake until the chicken cutlets reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F and the casserole is golden-brown and bubbly, about 25-30 minutes.
Step 21 -Transfer the cordon bleu bake from the oven and allow it to cool, about 10 minutes.
Step 22 -Serve the cordon bleu bake garnished with the extra parsley.
