minniet's Recipe

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Category: Main Dish

1 lb cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, shredded
13 slices fat-free lean ham slices (about 10 oz)
10 thinly sliced Swiss cheese
4 Tbsp light butter
4 Tbsp whole wheat flour
3¼ cups skim milk
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1½ Tbsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ cup light butter
1½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
1½ tsp garlic powder
1½ tsp fresh parsley, minced
¼ tsp black pepper

(1) Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly coat a 9" x 13" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

(2) Line the bottom of the baking dish with shredded chicken. Next, layer ham slices. Lay the Swiss cheese on top of the ham.

(3) For the sauce: Over medium heat, melt the butter in a large sauce pan. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Continue to whisk mixture while slowly adding milk — stir until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes, whisk continuously.

(4) Time Saving Tip: To make the thickening process go faster, heat milk in the microwave until it boils (about 2-3 minutes). Then slowly add to sauce pan, whisking as you pour.

(5) Add lemon juice, Dijon mustard, paprika and pepper. Bring sauce to a low simmer again, whisk continuously. Once it has reached desired thickness, remove from heat and pour sauce evenly over the casserole.

(6) For the topping: In a small sauce pan, melt the butter and stir in Panko breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley and pepper. Sprinkle topping mixture over the top of the casserole. Lightly mist top of casserole with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 35 minutes until topping is golden brown.