Chicken Cordon Bleu

Level up a special dinner with Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu. We call it elevated comfort food — it feels fancy, yet it’s easy to make at home. Tender chicken breasts are stuffed with honey-sliced ham and melty Swiss cheese, then rolled, seared and baked to golden perfection. It’s an impressive yet approachable recipe perfect for a cozy dinner or a special occasion. It’s easier than you think and can be ready in less than an hour.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings servings

Calories 375kcal

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts (about 6-8 oz. each)
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
4 slices honey ham (about ½ lb.)
6-8 slices swiss cheese (depending on how thick they are)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

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Instructions

Prepare the Chicken Cordon Bleu

Flatted the chicken breasts. Place a chicken breast into a gallon-sized plastic bag, and seal, removing as much air as you can from the bag.
Use a kitchen mallet to pound the chicken until it is about ½” thin.
Remove the chicken from the plastic bag. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Stack on a plate. Do this for each piece of chicken individually before proceeding.
On another plate, arrange the Swiss cheese slices and the sliced ham. Place the toothpicks on or around the same plate, too. (This step makes this process SO MUCH EASIER, and it makes it to where you don’t have to dig in packaging while you have raw chicken fingers.)
Stuff the chicken. Transfer the first chicken breast onto a flat surface, like a cutting board that can go in the dishwasher or another large plate. The chicken needs to lie flat for this to work. Make sure the widest part of the breast is closest to you.
Place a slice of honey ham on top of the chicken. (If the ham is thicker, you'll only need one slice. If it is thinner, you might need two to three. This is also a personal preference thing.)
Place one and a half slices of the Swiss cheese on top of the ham. (If the cheese is thick, you might want to use less. If it's very thinly sliced, you might want to add more.)
Starting at the side closest to you, roll the chicken and its filling slowly until it the chicken overlaps itself. It is important to start rolling at the widest end of the chicken so that less fill peeks out of it. Try not to let too much of the cheese peek out here, or it’ll ooze before it really cooks through. Use 3-4 toothpicks to secure the chicken and its filling. Set aside on a clean plate.
Repeat this process until all the chicken breasts are rolled.

Sear and Bake the Chicken Cordon Bleu

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, and set aside.
Melt the unsalted butter in a large nonstick skillet.
When the butter is melted, place the chicken in the skillet, the unsealed side down.
Rotate the chicken to brown all sides. This should take around 2-3 minutes per side.
When the chicken is completely browned, transfer to the prepared baking dish. Transfer into the oven uncovered.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken breast reads 165℉.
When the timer goes off, remove the baking dish from the oven. Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then remove all the toothpicks. (These are unpleasant to bite into!)
Serve warm, and enjoy with your favorite side dishes.

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