Chicken cordon bleu: an easy baked recipe, sauce, casserole and 10 variations

The short answer: chicken cordon bleu is a chicken breast pounded thin, rolled around ham and Swiss cheese, breaded and baked at 400°F for 25 to 30 minutes, until the center reads 165°F. The recipe below serves 4.

• Key numbers: 400°F · 25 to 30 minutes · 165°F internal temperature · Dijon cream sauce in about 8 minutes
• Top moves: pound the chicken to an even ¼ inch, roll it tight and bake it seam side down, chill the breaded rolls 30 minutes so they hold, or skip the rolling with the casserole (350°F, 25 to 30 minutes, serves 6 to 8)
• Free and paid next step: get the free recipe book starter pages (we email it to you), or add the ingredients to the Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99) from our Printables.

Temperatures and times were checked November 3, 2026. The sections below cover the baked chicken cordon bleu recipe, the sauce, cooking methods, the casserole, variations and make-ahead tips.

Baked chicken cordon bleu recipe

This baked version gets a crisp crust without frying. It serves 4.

Ingredients

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with foil and set a wire rack on it, or grease the pan.
2. Pound the chicken. Put each breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound it to an even ¼-inch thickness with a meat mallet or heavy pan. Even thickness means even cooking. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
3. Fill and roll. Lay 2 slices of ham and 2 slices of cheese on each breast, leaving a ½-inch border. Fold in the sides, roll it up tightly from the short end and secure it with toothpicks.
4. Set up three bowls. Season the flour with garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Beat the eggs in a second bowl. Mix the panko, melted butter and Parmesan in a third.
5. Bread each roll. Dredge in flour, dip in egg and press firmly into the buttered panko on all sides. Wash your hands after handling the raw chicken, and keep it away from salad ingredients.
6. Bake. Arrange seam side down on the rack and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until the crust is golden and the thickest part of the chicken reads 165°F.
7. Rest and serve. Rest 5 minutes so the cheese settles, remove the toothpicks and slice into rounds or serve whole with sauce.

Dijon cream sauce for chicken cordon bleu

The sauce takes about 8 minutes and can be made while the chicken bakes.

1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in 2 tablespoons flour and cook 1 minute.
2. Slowly whisk in 1 cup milk and ½ cup chicken broth. Simmer, whisking, until thick enough to coat a spoon, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat. Stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard and ½ cup shredded Swiss or ¼ cup grated Parmesan until smooth.
4. Season with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon. Thin with a little broth if it gets too thick.

Want it richer? Use heavy cream instead of milk. Want a shortcut? Warm a jar of Alfredo sauce with a spoonful of Dijon. Our chicken Alfredo uses a similar homemade cream sauce.

Cooking methods and times

All times are for rolled, breaded breasts about 2 inches thick. Thermometer readings matter more than the clock: FoodSafety.gov lists 165°F as the safe minimum internal temperature for all poultry.

Easy chicken cordon bleu casserole

The casserole has all the flavor with none of the rolling, and it's a smart way to use cooked chicken or leftover ham. It serves 6 to 8.

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
2. Spread 4 cups of chopped cooked chicken in the dish. Top with 2 cups of diced ham and 8 slices of Swiss cheese.
3. Pour a double batch of the Dijon cream sauce over the top.
4. Toss 1½ cups panko or crushed buttery crackers with 4 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle it over the sauce.
5. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until bubbly at the edges and golden on top.

Variations: Stir 8 ounces of cooked penne or egg noodles into the sauce for a pasta bake, or top it with prepared stuffing mix instead of crumbs. Using up a holiday ham? See our leftover ham recipes for more.

10 chicken cordon bleu variations

1. Chicken cordon bleu bites. Cut breasts into 1½-inch cubes, wrap each in a strip of ham and cheese, bread and bake 15 to 18 minutes at 400°F. Great as a party appetizer with sauce for dipping.
2. Cordon bleu roll-ups without breading. Skip the breading, brush with Dijon and bake. It's lighter and faster.
3. Chicken thigh cordon bleu. Use boneless thighs, pounded thin. They stay juicier and are more forgiving than breasts.
4. Bacon cordon bleu. Wrap each roll in a slice of bacon instead of breading, and bake on a rack until the bacon is crisp.
5. Prosciutto and Gruyère. A dinner-party version with thinner, saltier ham and a nuttier cheese.
6. Low-carb cordon bleu. Replace the flour and panko with almond flour and crushed pork rinds.
7. Chicken cordon bleu sandwich. Top a breaded chicken cutlet with ham and Swiss and serve it on a toasted bun with honey mustard.
8. Cordon bleu sliders. Layer sliced cooked chicken, ham and Swiss on slider rolls, brush with butter and poppy seeds and bake until melted.
9. Crockpot cordon bleu. Layer chicken, ham, Swiss and cream sauce in a slow cooker and cook on low until the chicken reaches 165°F, then top with toasted crumbs. Our crockpot chicken recipes have cook times by cut.
10. Cordon bleu pasta. Toss cooked pasta with diced chicken, ham and the cheese sauce for a one-pot weeknight dinner. More ideas are in our pasta recipes.

How to make chicken cordon bleu safely

Stuffed, breaded chicken looks done on the outside long before the center is cooked, so a thermometer is the only reliable test.

• Check the center at 165°F. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken, not into the melted cheese, which runs hotter.
• Treat store-bought frozen cordon bleu as raw. The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service warned in a public health alert on frozen raw breaded stuffed chicken that these products may look ready to eat but are raw. Follow the package's cooking instructions and confirm 165°F with a thermometer.
• Don't rinse raw chicken. The CDC says washing raw chicken can spread germs around your sink and counters. Use a separate cutting board for raw poultry.
• Wash up after breading. Wash your hands, the mallet and the breading bowls in hot, soapy water before touching anything else.

Make-ahead and freezer chicken cordon bleu

Cordon bleu is one of the best make-ahead dinners because the work happens before cooking.

• Refrigerate up to 24 hours. Roll and bread the chicken, set it on a lined tray, cover tightly and refrigerate. Bake straight from the fridge, adding a few minutes.
• Freeze up to 3 months for best quality. Freeze breaded rolls on a tray until solid, then move them to a freezer bag. The USDA notes that raw poultry can be cooked from the frozen state but takes about one and a half times as long, and that cream sauce doesn't freeze well, so freeze the rolls without sauce and make it fresh. Bake frozen rolls in the oven, not the microwave, until the center reaches 165°F.
• Leftovers. Refrigerate cooked cordon bleu within 2 hours and use within 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven or air fryer to keep the crust crisp.

More prep-ahead ideas are in our freezer meals list.

Starter version: weeknight cordon bleu in 30 minutes

No time for pounding and rolling? Use thin-sliced chicken cutlets and fold them instead of rolling.

Make the Dijon cream sauce while it bakes, and dinner is on the table in about half an hour.

What to serve with chicken cordon bleu

Rich, cheesy chicken needs something fresh or simple beside it. Good sides include mashed potatoes, rice pilaf, buttered egg noodles, roasted Brussels sprouts, steamed green beans or asparagus, a green salad with vinaigrette, and dinner rolls. For a holiday table, add a green bean casserole.

Chicken cordon bleu for dinner parties and holidays

Because it can be assembled a day ahead and baked all at once, cordon bleu is an easy main for guests. Plan one roll per adult, or 1½ for big eaters, and keep the sauce warm on the stove. It also fits nicely on a Christmas Eve dinner or New Year's Eve dinner menu, and our dinner party ideas and chicken dinner ideas have more options.

Plan your cordon bleu dinner

As the oldest of three, I learned that a plan makes a busy week feel easier. The Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99) has a weekly meal planner, a dinner plan and prep page, an aisle-sorted grocery list and pantry and freezer inventories, so you know which freezer rolls to bake tonight. Save your family's favorite version in the Family Recipe Binder ($6.99), which has recipe cards, an index and section dividers.

Hosting this season? The Holiday Season Bundle is $15.99 ($25.94 bought separately). It includes six holiday organizers, among them a holiday edition of the Meal Planner & Grocery List and a cleaning schedule for before guests arrive. You'll find it with our other Bundles. You can also grab our free Holiday Budget Starter Kit, 3 printable US Letter pages emailed to you after you join our list.