Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta Casserole

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta Casserole is a delicious pasta variation of the classic dish Chicken Cordon Bleu. This casserole has cubed chicken and ham with curly pasta tossed in a cheesy French sauce Mornay and topped with toasted Panko for a crunch. It’s so DELICIOUS and will please even the pickiest of eaters! Easily halve the recipe if needed.

If you have a big hungry family to feed, then this is a perfect crowd pleasing casserole and this recipe can also easily be made in half for smaller crowds. My kids love my Ham and Cream Pasta recipe that I’ve been making for 17 years and I wanted to come up with a variation. I had some roast chicken in refrigerator and thought why not make a Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta. Better yet, why not bake it! So I put together a Mornay Sauce and combined it with chopped ham, chicken, and cooked pasta. To make it even better, I toasted Panko breadcrumbs for a fabulous crunch on top. It was so DELICIOUS and I’m so happy to share this recipe with you!!! I didn’t want it to be overly creamy but if you like extra creamy pasta then, I suggest to use less cooked pasta. I noted to boil 4-5 cups uncooked pasta instead of the 6 cups uncooked pasta that I used in the recipe. Shredded Swiss or Gruyère and Parmesan is added in the middle to add extra creaminess. I hope you enjoy this as much as my family does! Let me know in the comments below what you think!

INGREDIENTS TO MAKE CHICKEN CORDON BLEU PASTA CASSEROLE

  • Fusilli Giganti uncooked pasta (Fusilloni) or similar shaped uncooked pasta
  • Cooked chicken
  • Ham steak
  • Butter
  • All-purpose flour
  • Whole milk
  • Dijon mustard
  • Lemon juice
  • Garlic powder
  • Salt
  • White pepper
  • Ground Nutmeg
  • Swiss cheese, shredded and divided
  • Parmesan cheese, shredded and divided
  • Panko bread crumbs
  • Dried parsley or fresh parsley

WHICH PASTA SHOULD I USE?

For a casserole I like to use a slightly larger noodle than the regular fusilli pasta, so I chose Fusilli Giganti (also called Fusilloni). They are larger and a little fuller with perfect twists to hold the Mornay sauce.

DOES IT MATTER WHAT PASTA SHAPE I USE?

Your kitchen is your domain, so technically you can use whatever shape you desire. BUT from my experience living in Bologna, Italy for many years, the Italians take their pasta seriously and there is a specific type of sauce for each type of shape. The sauce will cling a different way to each shape and it’s textures with a different mouthfeel. Here’s a brief list of pasta shapes with sauce pairings:

  • Long and thin type pasta: light, cream, oil based, or seafood sauces.
  • Long Ribbon type pasta: rich, meaty beef or pork sauces.
  • Shell type pasta: heavy cream, meaty sauces, or stuffed with cheese.
  • Twist type pasta: light, smooth sauces that cling to the twists.
  • Tube type pasta: hearty vegetable sauces, ragu, or baked cheese dishes.
  • Mini shape type pasta: add to soups, stews, or pasta salads.
  • Filled type pasta: serve with a light butter or oil based sauce.

STEPS TO REMEMBER WHEN COOKING PASTA

  • Use a large pot to make sure the pasta has enough room to move around and not stick together.
  • Salt your pasta water with a good amount of salt. I usually use at least about 1- 2 tablespoons.
  • DO NOT RINSE THE COOKED PASTA. The starch is needed for the sauce to cling to it.
  • Combine the pasta with the sauce. I’ve seen some people just put the sauce on the top but it’s not a topping it’s a sauce, so mix it together before serving.
  • Save a little pasta water before draining the pasta. If your pasta is dry or the sauce won’t stick, just add a little pasta water to add some starch.

WHAT IS MORNAY SAUCE?

Classical French cuisine has influenced the way many countries cook around the world. In the 19th century, French Chef Auguste Escoffier developed five French mother sauces that serve to compliment a wide variety of countless dishes, including pastas, vegetables, meat, and fish. The five French mother sauces are Béchamel, Velouté, Espangnole, Holllandaise, and Tomato Sauce. These sauces serve as a foundation to many secondary sauce variations. Each mother sauce is categorized according to its unique base and thickening agent.

One example of a secondary sauce is the sauce we will be using in this casserole. It’s called a Mornay sauce and it derives from the Béchamel mother sauce. Béchamel, also known as White Sauce, is a simple milk-based sauce made from butter, flour, and whole milk. Mornay sauce (secondary sauce) is a Béchamel (primary “mother” sauce) with the addition of onion, shredded cheese, and a pinch of ground nutmeg or whole cloves. The classic cheese used in Mornay Sauce is Gruyère but any shredded melting cheeses can be added, such as Gouda, Emmental, or White Cheddar and sometimes Parmesan. If you’ve ever made, the American classic, Macaroni and Cheese you might recognize the Mornay Sauce. That is because Mornay Sauce is the sauce used in Macaroni and Cheese. For this recipe, I made a slight variation of the classic sauce Mornay by using garlic powder, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard. But if you want to try the classic recipe then make the recipe below but remember to double it for the casserole.

To make a classic Mornay Sauce: Cut an onion in half, placing a bay leaf on top, and piercing the bay leaf with 2 whole cloves. In a small saucepan, simmer 1 1/4 cups milk with the onion half uncovered for 15 minutes. Discard the onion, bay leaf, and cloves. In a separate medium saucepan, melt 2 Tbsps unsalted butter. Stir in 2 Tbsps flour and continue to stir for 3 minutes with a wooden spoon. Slowly whisk in the warm milk, bring to a simmer, whisking constantly. Turn heat to low, simmer for 8 minutes without letting it boil until thickened. Add 2 Tbsps Gruyère and 2 Tbsps Parmesan, stir until melted. Add 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp white pepper, and a pinch of ground nutmeg. Remove from heat and add to a casserole, pasta dish, use as a sauce, or dip for vegetables, meat, or fish.

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN CORDON BLEU PASTA CASSEROLE

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or coat with butter; set aside.
  • Cook the pasta according to the package instructions; drain and set aside.
  • Make the Panko Topping: In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, Panko breadcrumbs, and dried parsley.
  • Spread on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 7-8 minutes.
  • Make the Mornay Sauce: In a saucepan melt the butter over medium heat.
  • Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes.
  • Add the milk and whisk until incorporated.
  • Add the Dijon, lemon juice. garlic powder, salt, and white pepper.
  • Simmer for 3-5 minutes, whisking constantly until the mixture begins to thicken.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Stir in the half of the Swiss cheese or Gruyère and half of the Parmesan; taste for seasoning.
  • Combine the pasta, chicken, ham, and Mornay Sauce.
  • Pour half of the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish.
  • Sprinkle with the remaining Swiss cheese or Gruyère and Parmesan for the middle layer, then top with the remaining pasta mixture.
  • Sprinkle the Panko topping evenly over the pasta.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes or until breadcrumbs are golden brown.

NOTES

  • For Extra Creamy Pasta: Use 4-5 cups uncooked pasta, instead of 6 cups (1 lb./16 oz)uncooked pasta.
  • If you like this recipe, then try my recipe for Ham and Cream Pasta.
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta Casserole

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta Casserole is a delicious pasta variation of the classic dish Chicken Cordon Bleu. This casserole has cubed chicken and ham with curly pasta tossed in a cheesy French sauce Mornay and topped with toasted Panko for a crunch. It's so DELICIOUS and will please even the pickiest of eaters! Easily halve the recipe if needed.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Cooking Pasta, about:12 minutes
Total Time52 minutes
Course: Chicken, Main Dish, Pasta
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cordon bleu, pasta
Servings: 12
Author: Louise Rio

Ingredients

  • 1 lb (6 cups) Fusilli Giganti uncooked pasta (Fusilloni) or similar shaped uncooked pasta
  • 2 cups cooked chicken, cut into ½-inch cubes
  • 1 cup ham steak, cut into ½-inch cubes

Mornay Sauce

  • 5 Tbsps butter
  • cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 2 Tbsps Dijon mustard
  • 2 Tbsps lemon juice
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground white pepper or ground black pepper
  • Pinch of ground nutmeg
  • 2 cups (198g) Swiss cheese or Gruyère, shredded and divided
  • 1 cup (50g) Parmesan cheese, shredded and divided

Panko Topping

  • 1 ½ cups Panko bread crumbs
  • 3 Tbsps butter, melted
  • 1 ½ tsps dried parsley or 2 Tbsps chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or coat with butter; set aside. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions; drain and set aside.
  • Make the Panko Topping: In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, Panko breadcrumbs, and dried parsley. Spread on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 7-8 minutes.
  • Make the Mornay Sauce: In a saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Add the milk and whisk until incorporated. Add the Dijon, lemon juice. garlic powder, salt, and white pepper. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, whisking constantly until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in the half of the Swiss cheese or Gruyère and half of the Parmesan; taste for seasoning.
  • Combine the pasta, chicken, ham, and Mornay Sauce. Pour half of the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining Swiss cheese or Gruyère and Parmesan for the middle layer, then top with the remaining pasta mixture.
  • Sprinkle the Panko topping evenly over the pasta. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until breadcrumbs are golden brown.

Notes

  • For Extra Creamy Pasta: Use 4-5 cups uncooked pasta, instead of 6 cups (1 lb./16 oz) uncooked pasta.
  • If you like this recipe, then try my recipe for Ham and Cream Pasta.

1 thought on “Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta Casserole”

  1. 5 stars
    I made this today and it was really quite delicious! I had fun making it! Made a mess in my kitchen…but it was worth every bite! Thank you!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Scroll to Top