Chicken Cordon Bleu

Layered flavors with a clean finish, where chicken meets ham for serious flavor. Rest a few minutes before slicing so the juices stay in.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Retro classic with that wow-factor cheese pull.
• Surprisingly approachable when broken into steps.
• Baked, not fried — less mess.
• Pairs beautifully with mashed potatoes or a simple green salad.
• Restaurant-style dinner at home.

Ingredient Notes

• Thin-sliced deli ham rolls best; thick slices make the roll bulky and harder to seal.
• Real Swiss cheese (or Gruyère) melts into the classic creamy filling. Pre-shredded won't melt as evenly.
• Panko gives a much crispier crust than standard bread crumbs.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Prosciutto for a more refined version.
• Gruyère or Emmental in place of Swiss.
• Air fryer at 380°F for 16–18 minutes if you have one.

Equipment Needed

• Meat mallet or heavy skillet
• Plastic wrap
• Toothpicks
• Three shallow bowls for dredging
• Sheet pan with wire rack
• Small saucepan for sauce

Prep Tips

• Refrigerate the assembled rolls 15 minutes before breading — cold rolls hold their shape better.
• Use one hand for wet ingredients and one for dry to keep breading from clumping.

Instructions

1. 1

   Gather and prep: 1 lb chicken, 1 ham, 1 cup shredded cheese, 1 cup flour, 1 large egg, 1 bread crumbs, 2 tbsp butter, 1 tsp salt. shred the cheese before you start cooking.

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 400°F and set a wire rack on a sheet pan.

3. 3

   Place each chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap. Pound with a mallet until evenly ¼ inch thick. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

4. 4

   Lay 2 slices of ham then 2 slices of Swiss across each pounded breast, leaving a ½-inch border. Tightly roll the chicken from a short end like a jellyroll, tucking the sides in as you go. Secure with 2 toothpicks per roll.

5. 5

   Set up dredging stations: flour in one shallow bowl, beaten egg in the second, panko whisked with Parmesan and melted butter in the third. Roll each chicken bundle in flour, then egg, then press firmly into the panko mixture to fully coat. Place seam-down on the wire rack.

6. 6

   Bake 25–28 minutes until deeply golden and the center reads 165°F on a thermometer. Rest 5 minutes. Meanwhile make the sauce: melt butter, whisk in flour, cook 1 minute, slowly whisk in milk until thickened (3–4 minutes), then off heat stir in Dijon and Parmesan. Remove toothpicks, slice each roll into rounds, and drizzle with sauce.

Artsi Pro Tips

• Pound the chicken to a true ¼ inch — uneven thickness means uneven cooking and leaking cheese.
• Place rolls seam-down on the rack and don't move them while baking; the seam needs time to seal.
• The wire rack lets air circulate so the bottom stays crisp too.

Common Mistakes

• Uneven pounding, leading to leaky cheese.
• Skipping toothpicks — the rolls unfurl.
• Overbaking. Pull at 165°F internal; the carryover will finish it.

Recipe Tags