Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu with Parmesan Cream Sauce

All right! I asked if you wanted the recipe and I was met with a resounding YES. So here it is folks: Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu.

If you are in the same boat I am this week and have so much leftover ham from Easter dinner, then this is the recipe for you. I am a Cordon Bleu fan through and through. But I am ashamed to say I used to just buy the pre-made stuff because I thought it would be hard to make. But it really isn't hard at all!

This recipe took me about ten minutes to prep and 40-ish minutes to cook. If anything, the Parmesan Cheese Sauce was the most labor intensive, and that was only because of the need to constantly stir.

I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2-3 chicken breasts
• Swiss cheese slices
• Leftover ham or sliced deli ham
• Italian flavored panic bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• Pepper to taste
• Parmesan Sauce:
• 2 tbs butter
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 cup of milk (I used 1%, but I'm sure whole would make it creamier)
• 2 tbs flour
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp mustard (it is supposed to be dijon, but I was out so I used honey mustard--it was amazing)
• Splash of Worcestershire sauce 
• 1 chicken bouillon cube smashed up

Directions for Chicken:

1. Preheat over to 350˚F.
2. Butterfly your chicken breast and use a meat tenderizer to flatten out until about a 1/2 inch thick.
3. Laying the chicken open faced, sprinkle with pepper, then layer with swiss cheese and ham.
4. Close the chicken breast. If you have to, pin together with a couple of toothpicks.
5. Beat egg and dip each breast in the egg coat.
6. Cover in panic bread crumbs then transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
7. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Directions for Sauce:

1. Over medium heat melt butter in a medium saucepan.
2. Whisk in flour and stir for about 1 minute.
3. Slowly add milk, garlic powder, and bullion cube.
4. Simmer and continuously stir for 5 minutes or until thick.
5. Remove from heat and add cheese, Worcestershire, and mustard.
6. Drizzle over baked chicken.