Chicken Cordon Bleu with a Creamy Dijon Sauce - Chef Colin Roche's Blog (2024)

Crispy Chicken Cordon Bleu with a Creamy Dijon Sauce

This "Wicked Easy" Chicken Cordon Bleu includes rolled up layers of sliced ham and Swiss cheese with a crunchy, crispy coating, topped with a Dijon cream sauce!

Chicken Cordon Bleu is a classic dish made with boneless, skinless chicken breast which have been seasoned and stuffed with sliced ham and Swiss cheese.

The first step is to trim up the boneless, skinless chicken breasts of any excess fat, gristle, or cartilage.

Place the trimmed chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap, or inside a plastic zip-lock bag that is not closed, and pound with a meat mallet, rolling pin, or heavy pan until each breast is about a 1/2 inch thick all around.

Place the pounded chicken breasts onto a sheet of plastic wrap and season with the salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Top each seasoned chicken breast with the sliced ham and Swiss cheese, alternating layers.

The most popular and traditional cheese to use when making Chicken Cordon Bleu is Swiss cheese because of its flavor and that it melts but still holds its shape quite well. However, feel free to substitute any other cheese that you want.

Start to roll up the stuffed chicken breasts, tucking in the ends if possible.

Try to roll up the stuffed chicken breasts as evenly as possible, tucking in and overlapping as needed to make sure there is no large seam.

Then use the plastic wrap the chicken breast is sitting on to wrap it tightly and secure the shape. Twist the excess plastic on the sides to firm up the roll and then knot it to keep it from coming loose.

Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts and then chill in the refrigerator or freezer for at least 30 minutes to set the shape.

You can store the rolled chicken breasts this way in the refrigerator for up to a day or two, or for up to 3 months in the freezer for those that want to make them ahead of time!

Meanwhile, gather the Dijon cream sauce ingredients so you can prepare this traditional Chicken Cordon Bleu sauce. If you are pressed for time, a really simple sauce substitute that is uncooked and served cold can be made by mixing 1 cup of mayonnaise with 1 to 2 teaspoons of yellow mustard.

In a 1.5-quart saucepan, add the butter and garlic and cook over medium heat for a few minutes until the butter has melted, and the garlic has softened.

Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute until combined.

Cook the flour and butter mixture (roux) while mixing until it turns slightly blond in color and has a nutty aroma.

Slowly pour in the milk while constantly whisking. Whisk until the milk is fully combined with the roux and no lumps remain.

Continue whisking until the mixture comes to a simmer and has thickened. Then add the Dijon mustard, salt and pepper; whisk to combine. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the Parmesan cheese. Hold warm until needed.

This sauce also goes great with numerous other dishes and stores well in the refrigerator or freezer!

Gather the chicken cordon bleu breading ingredients. I prefer Panko breadcrumbs because they are slightly larger and provide more crunch, however you can use regular breadcrumbs, cornflakes, crushed Ritz crackers, etc.

To bread the chicken, prepare three separate wide dishes or bowls. The flour goes in one, the beaten eggs in another, and the breadcrumbs in the last bowl.

Meanwhile, preheat a large sauté pan that has been filled a quarter of the way up with vegetable oil to about 325 *F.

Unwrap the plastic wrap from the chilled chicken roll ups and then dredge in the flour. This dries the surface and provides something for the beaten eggs to adhere to.

Then put the flour dredged stuffed chicken breasts into the beaten eggs which provides the glue that the breadcrumbs can stick to.

The egg wash dipped stuffed chicken breasts are then rolled in the breadcrumbs. This protects the chicken from the hot oil and provides a delicious crispy, crunchy outside coating to the Chicken Cordon Bleu!

These breading steps are called the Standard Breading Procedure and can be used when breading any item for deep or shallow frying. To help prevent your hands from becoming battered, it is best to either use tongs or use one hand for the dry ingredients (flour and breadcrumbs) and your other hand for the wet ingredients (the chicken breasts and the egg wash).

Place the breaded Chicken Cordon Bleu into the preheated oil and cook for about 5 minutes per side, or until the outside is an even golden brown.

Once the chicken breasts have achieved a good color, place them on a baking sheet and finish in a 350*F oven until cooked through. Oven cooking times will vary based on the size of the chicken breasts and if they were chilled or frozen before cooking. A temperature of 165*F in the chicken’s center is a sure way to know they are done!

When done, remove the Chicken Cordon Bleu from the oven and cut the roll into slices.

Serve the Chicken Cordon Bleu slices with the Dijon Cream Sauce and your choice of vegetables and starch.