I didn't get a good photo of the final casserole, but this one gives you an idea of the yummy layers involved. I love chicken cordon bleu but have never made an "authentic" recipe. This isn't an authentic presentation but rather a rift on the idea with layers of chicken, ham, and swiss, topped with buttered panko breadcrumbs. While my husband and I loved it, the girls weren't so sure . . . in general, casseroles are a hard sell. They like to see all the parts of what they're eating, probably so they can complain about each aspect of the meal individually. I know I sound cynical, but the picky eating is driving me crazy lately. Let me know if the picky eaters in your family will eat this!
Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole (serves 4)
from Full Fork Ahead
3 cups cooked shredded chicken
1/4 lb very thinly sliced deli style ham (chopped)
4-6 thin slices of deli swiss cheese
Sauce:
2 T butter
2 T flour
1.5 c. milk
1 T lemon juice
1 T dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
Topping:
3 T unsalted butter, melted
3/4 c. panko bread crumbs
1 tsp. dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x9 pan. Put the cooked shredded chicken on the bottom of the pan. Roughly chop the ham and scatter it over the chicken. Lay swiss cheese on top of the ham.
To make the sauce, melt the butter in a small sauce pan. Quickly whisk in the flour to form a roux - do not brown.When the roux is smooth and bubbly, slowly pour in the cold milk, whisking briskly so lumps don't form. Once smooth, cook over medium heat until it thickens. Stir in the lemon juice, dijon mustard, and season with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to barely a boil, turn it off the heat, and pour over the swiss cheese. Make sure to pour it evenly, getting some sauce around the edges.
To make the topping, mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.
Bake the casserole uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until the casserole hot and bubbly throughout and the topping has turned a light golden brown. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
When I made it a couple of weeks ago (cutting the fat content from the original sauce down a whole lot--good grief!!), my kids loved it. Mom made it for them when Doug and I were on our 10th anniversary trip to Cancun last week and they didn't as much. My kids aren't casserole eaters, either, so I'm not sure what it was that attracted them. I wasn't sure they'd like the Swiss cheese but they didn't seem to notice. The one thing Chloe commented on that she didn't like was the lemon in the sauce. I plan to make it again some time but to use a more traditional wine sauce and we'll see how it goes. I also will make a half recipe--that was enough for our family and they didn't like the leftovers as much.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your 10th :). Cancun sounds like a blast. I thought too that a traditional white / bechamel sauce would work fine.
ReplyDelete