Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta
Say hello to a fun new pasta bake! This Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta features a delicious combination of chicken, ham, cheese and pasta. Bake it up for dinner tonight!
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Have you ever noticed that first prize ribbons are often blue? That didn’t happen just because the ribbon company randomly picked blue. Nope, we actually can thank King Henri III of France for the blue ribbon. Back then, they didn’t award ribbons for “Best Strawberry Jam” or “Best Homemade Wine” like you might find at county fairs these days. Instead, the blue ribbon of King Henri’s time was associated with the Order of the Holy Spirit.
The Order of the Holy Spirit was a society of knights created by King Henri III in 1578. Membership was only open to princes and nobility, and members wore a Maltese Cross decorated with several fleurs-de-lis as well as a dove. This symbol hung from a blue ribbon, and thus the knights became known as Les Cordons Bleus, or The Blue Ribbons. Since membership in Les Cordons Bleus was reserved for the elite, this term gradually began being used to represent the elite in other areas, too. And that’s why the first place ribbon is blue.
Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta
Chicken Cordon Bleu PastaSo how do Les Cordons Bleus relate to this Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta? Well, the cordon bleu term is often used to describe food prepared to a very high standard. Chicken Cordon Bleu does sound pretty fancy, right? Chicken Cordon Bleu also happens to be a delicious combination of cheese, chicken and ham. Talk about some serious comfort food flavors! This Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta takes those same flavors and transforms ’em into a delicious baked pasta casserole. If you’re looking for a tasty (and impressive!) meal, this pasta bake definitely needs to be in the running!
This Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta features ziti mixed with two types of shredded cheese as well as cubed chicken and ham. However, the real flavor booster here is the cream sauce that is poured over the entire mixture before it goes into the oven. This cream sauce is an easy combination of butter, milk and flour along with several spices and seasonings. As the Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta bakes, the sauce gets absorbed into the pasta and creates a creamy, delicious combination of flavors. Chicken Cordon Bleu is typically fried, so I sprinkled some panko bread crumbs on top to mimic the crunchy texture of the pan-fried chicken. All together, this pasta is delicious, and I would certainly award it a blue ribbon! I hope you enjoy this pasta as much as we did. Cheers!
Did you make this Chicken Cordon Bleu at home? Leave a comment. Or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog)!
Looking for more delicious pasta recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
Creamy Chicken Mushroom Pasta
Spaghetti with White Wine Pasta Sauce
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
Spicy Chipotle Chicken Pasta Bake
Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta
Ingredients
For the Pasta
- 16 oz. penne pasta
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 16 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 8 oz. deli-sliced ham see note
- ½ cup shredded Swiss cheese
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup Italian-style panko bread crumbs
For the Sauce
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups milk
- 1½ cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup shredded Swiss cheese
- ½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
For the Pasta
- Cook pasta for 3 minutes less than package instructions. (Note: The pasta will continue cooking in the oven.) Drain pasta and set aside.
- While pasta is cooking, add olive oil to a large skillet and cook the chicken breasts for 16-18 minutes, flipping once, or until fully cooked. Let chicken cool and then chop into cubes.
- Using a medium mixing bowl, add Swiss and Monterey Jack cheeses; toss until well combined.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Spray a 9”x13” baking dish with nonstick baking spray.
- Layer ¼ of the cooked pasta, ⅓ of the cooked chicken, ⅓ of the ham and ¼ of the cheeses into the bottom of the pan. Repeat process 2 more times and then finish by spreading remaining pasta and cheese on top of the pan.
- Using a small mixing bowl, combine the melted butter and panko bread crumbs; set mixture aside.
For the Sauce
- Using a large skillet, add butter and place over medium heat. Once butter has melted, add flour gradually and stir until smooth. Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
- Add milk, chicken broth, Dijon mustard, salt, smoked paprika and pepper; stir and increase heat to medium-high. Continue cooking for 5-7 minutes, stirring often, or until mixture has begun to boil.
- Remove sauce from heat and stir in cheeses.
- Pour sauce evenly over pasta.
- Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture evenly on top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until top of casserole has browned.
- Top with fresh parsley before serving.
Notes
Thanks for the historical info, David. It was news to me. I always assumed that this dish was named for the famed cooking school, or James Cordon, and I had no idea that the term means “blue ribbon.” The 16th century was a long time ago, though, so I guess it should come as no suprise that my memory of those days is fuzzy. But my thoughts about Chicken Cordon Bleu are not fuzzy – love it! Putting it in pasta form just makes me crave it even harder.
I’m right there with ya, Jeff. I can thank the internet and it’s famous rabbit holes for this one! But now you know that Chicken Cordon Bleu really means Chicken Blue Ribbon. #FunFactsToKnowandShare
Now this sounds like such a winning combination of flavours! Such a super tasty dish, David!
Thanks so much, Alex! This is seriously one of my favorite pasta bakes. There is SO much flavor going on here. 🙂
Why are baked pasta dishes so fabulous?!! This one certainly is. I love all of the components of it, and it’s so much easier to prepare. Brilliant my young man.
Why thank you so much, Mimi! You are too kind. I’m with ya on the baked pasta dishes. They are seriously one of our favorites around here. The chicken cordon bleu spin on this one? Over the top delicious! Definitely worth putting this on the menu soon! 🙂
Panko to mimic the fried chicken, huh? Brilliant! Well, this whole dish is! I can never say no to pasta and loving this two-worlds-collide recipe of a couple of favourites. Can’t wait to give this one a go with some vino. Also, never thought about the blue ribbon thing before!! You always know such neat factoids 😉
Well, the panko isn’t a perfect replacement for fried chicken. But then again, what is?? However, it does bring the necessary crunch! And I second your thought about serving this with some vino. In fact, that sounds like a fun plan for this weekend! 🙂
I had no idea about the origin of blue ribbons. I always learn something when I pop over to your blog, David!
Loving this riff on classic Chicken Cordon Bleu. So hearty and comforting for the cold weather we’ve been having!
Hehe…I like random factoids, Marissa. And I like sharing those random factoids on the blog. They may not always relate to the recipe, but that’s ok! 🙂
In other news, this chicken cordon bleu pasta bake is SO good. Like put it on the menu ASAP kinda good!
Always such cool trivia here! I didn’t know any of it. Your recipe is packed with SO much deliciousness. So perfect for this time of year, and so comforting, to boot! 🙂 ~Valentina
Oh man, there is SO much deliciousness packed into this pasta bake, Valentina. It’s seriously one of my all-time favorites now. In fact, I’m about ready to make another batch this weekend. Perfect comfort food for cold weather! 🙂
David, when your email slide into my box and I read your “Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta” title, I thought what’s he up to now. Then I saw pasta bake and bingo it hit me as to the direction of this totally yummo looking dish of comfort.
I love the panko addition, it works for me from a taste and crunch tastepoint. Also, how can one have a decent Chicken Cordon Bleu without nice crunchy crust.
Haha! You never know with me, Ron. Heck, sometimes I never know myself. I head into the kitchen with one idea in mind, and I come out a couple hours later with something entirely different. 🙂 This one is seriously delicious, and I highly recommend putting it on the menu soon! The crunch from the panko helps mimic the fried chicken. It’s not a perfect replacement, but it does the job. Thanks so much, my friend!
David, I just wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed this dish last night. Followed your recipe with two exceptions. First, I used Gruyere cheese instead of Monterey jack as we don’t have that here. Also, I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs that I grilled on the Weber instead of frying them stovetop. It was a pure comfort dish indeed.
Oh my goodness! Adding in grilled flavor to this dish sounds like such an awesome idea. I am so honored that you made this recipe, Ron, and it really did bring a smile to my face seeing your version on Instagram. Cheers, my friend, and I hope you have a great weekend!
That was a great little history lesson! It always amazes me where things originate from. I think this pasta bake deserves a blue ribbon! All that creamy goodness – pure comfort food.
I’m with ya, Kathy. I love history, and I love random trivia (as I’m sure you can tell from my blog posts). 🙂 I also love this pasta bake. It’s seriously one of my favorite meals!
You know, I never really gave it much of a thought before but now I’m thinking of all the blue ribbons I’ve seen! I love a good history fact! Now, we’ve had such a cold snap here recently that I can’t help by look at your dish and want to tuck in. Ca a l’air delicieux!
Yes! High-five to random trivia, right? 🙂 Also, we’ve had a similar cold snap here, and this pasta bake is exactly what’s needed! So much comfort food flavor going on here. Thanks, Matt!!
This Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta is one of the best examples of comfort food. The combination of chicken, ham, cheese, and pasta is just unbeatable. And while I don’t really like panko crumbs in my food (I always prefer some extra cheese on top that turns into a crust!), I don’t mind it in this recipe. Delicious!
You’re telling me, Ben! It’s downright cold here (way too early in the season for these temperatures), so we’ve been craving serious comfort food…and this pasta bake is perfect for that. Thanks so much, my friend!
Well, David, this is comfort food at its finest! So cozy and comforting with all those amazing flavors and melty cheese. Such a brilliant idea to turn chicken cordon bleu into a pasta bake!
I’m always sure to learn something new when I come over to your site. Fascinating read about the origin of Cordon Bleu!
I’m all about pasta bakes! For starters, pasta itself is one of our favorite comfort foods…but add in cheese, ham and chicken? Done! 🙂 Thanks so much, Kelly!
This one looks like a lot of fun, with all the flavors I love. I mean who doesn’t like chicken, ham and cheese in a creamy sauce, not to mention pasta? The only thing I might do differently is use chicken thighs, as I’m partial to dark meat, but that’s me.
Ah, you make a good point about chicken thighs, Frank. Those would be totally acceptable here for sure. The flavors in this pasta bake are perfect for cold weather. Definitely put this one on the menu! 🙂
This looks like the perfect comfort food! Love the chicken cordon bleu made into a casserole.
Exactly! We love pasta bakes around here, and this one is packed with so many delicious comfort food flavors. Thanks, Dawn!
I love the combination of flavours here David! Chicken, cheese and ham. Lovely! Plus pasta casseroles are one of my most favourite comforting dinners. I’m definitely putting this recipe in my “must make” list!
Yes! This pasta bake definitely belongs on your must make list, Neil! There are so many good comfort food flavors going on here. Perfect for cold weather nights!
Tastes awesome! This recipe is definitely not a participant ribbon.
Thanks, Isaac! Glad you enjoyed this one. And bonus – now you know the history behind the blue ribbon.