Chicken Cordon Bleu… BUT as a Pasta Bake?! (Crazy Good)

Swiss cheese

🥗Healthier: low-fat cheese

💰Cheaper: mozzarella

Low-fat cheese reduces calories while mozzarella is more accessible.

cream of chicken soup

🥗Healthier: homemade chicken broth

💰Cheaper: canned cream of mushroom soup

Homemade broth is healthier and canned soup is often cheaper.

butter

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Olive oil is healthier and margarine is often less expensive.

bread crumbs

🥗Healthier: whole wheat bread crumbs

💰Cheaper: crushed crackers

Whole wheat adds fiber while crushed crackers can be cheaper.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Set up breading stations with flour seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.

Prepare panko breadcrumbs in a separate station and beat eggs in another.

Coat thin sliced chicken breasts in flour, then egg, and finally panko breadcrumbs.

Heat oil in a pan to 350-375°F for shallow frying.

Cook chicken for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through.

Remove chicken and place on a wire rack or paper towel to drain oil.

Bring 4-6 quarts of water to a boil and salt it.

Add 1 pound of pasta (mix of celentani, rotini, and elbows) to boiling water and cook for 1 minute less than package directions for al dente.

Drain the pasta once cooked.

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a pan for the breadcrumb topping.

Add about 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs to the melted butter and stir until golden brown, then remove from heat.

Dice 1 pound of honey baked ham and chicken into bite-sized pieces.

Grate about 1 pound of Swiss cheese.

In a pan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.

Add 1/4 cup of flour to the melted butter and whisk for 1-2 minutes until raw flour smell is gone.

Slowly whisk in 2 cups of milk until smooth, creating a bashamel sauce.

Season bashamel with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard.

Stir in 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese until melted, then gradually add Swiss cheese until fully melted.

In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta, diced chicken, diced ham, and cheese sauce, gently folding together.

Transfer the mixture to a greased casserole dish.

Spread the toasted breadcrumb mixture on top of the pasta bake.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until bubbling around the edges and golden on top.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens