Chicken Cordon Bleu with Creamy White Sauce

Chicken tender enough to slice with a fork, salty Black Forest ham, and the mild melting flavors of Havarti or Swiss cheese makes Chicken Cordon Bleu one of our favorite dinners.

Just as appropriate for a family dinner night as it is for a fancier meal to serve company, this recipe will do right by you every time.

This recipe is one of my favorite ways to prepare chicken, and by now you should know that I have a LOT of delicious ways to cook chicken. Still, there’s something about Chicken Cordon Bleu that’s particularly enjoyable to cook, serve and eat that keeps me coming back.

It’s all about the sauce in this recipe. This Cordon Bleu Sauce is a simple creamy wine sauce that is drizzled over tender chicken wrapped around salty ham and melting cheese. It’s a winner of an easy meal.

I’ve made numerous versions of Cordon Bleu in the past, including Green Chile Chicken Cordon Bleu and the Chicken Cordon Bleu Eggrolls I made last month.

However, you choose to make it, you really can’t go wrong choosing any version of Chicken Cordon Bleu for dinner.

However, sometimes only the classic dish can satisfy a cordon bleu craving. Each and every time I make this meal, it’s always a success.

I originally shared this recipe here on the website 7 years ago. As many times as I’ve made it over the years, it’s one of those meals that I always want to dive right into and eat and I’m rarely patient enough to snap new photos first. It was very much in need of new photos, so here it is at last!

If you’re not familiar with Chicken Cordon Bleu, it’s a baked chicken dish with ham cheese rolled inside each piece of chicken. I like to brown my chicken stovetop then finish cooking it in the oven.

In French,  cordon bleu means “blue ribbon.” The name given to this dish was meant to indicate its high quality and superiority. While anything with a French name sounds fancy (to my ears anyway) and the dish certainly tastes impressive, it’s not as complicated as you might think to make Chicken Cordon Bleu at home.

How To Make Chicken Cordon Bleu

After dividing chicken breasts into filets and pounding them thin, you roll each piece with a slice of ham and cheese. I prefer Havarti cheese in this recipe myself but Swiss cheese is also delicious.

Once rolled, each filet gets coated in a light breading of flour, paprika, salt, and pepper and browned in butter on the stovetop. This is an important step for adding flavor and crisping the outside of the chicken.

After each chicken bundle has been browned, all of them go in the oven until they’re cooked through. For me, this usually takes about 10 minutes. It may take slightly longer or slightly less depending on your oven and how thin you pound the chicken.

While the dish is baking, you prepare the white sauce to pour over the finished chicken before serving. (The cordon bleu sauce is my favorite part!)

Each bite of this chicken is crisp on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside, loaded with the savory flavors of ham and cheese. The sauce ladled on top adds moisture and creaminess to the tender chicken.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Sauce

I enjoyed the light cream sauce I served with Chicken Cordon Bleu for years. It tasted good and I never had any complaints. After years of making the same recipe though, I was in the mood for a change.

I wanted to make a new sauce to go with the chicken and after some searching found a simple white wine sauce on allrecipes.com. I’ve adapted it slightly and we really love the combination of the chicken, ham and cheese along with the lightly flavored wine sauce.

Not a fan of cooking with wine? Just sub chicken broth for the wine listed in this recipe. It will work nicely that way as well.

The wine sauce is easy to prepare while the chicken finishes baking in the oven. Cornstarch is whisked with cream then added to a warm base of chicken bouillon and dry white wine to make the whole thing thick and creamy.

Pouring the warm sauce over the top of the chicken just before serving makes the dish look a little fancier, I think. No one will be able to wait to dig in and taste it!

You’re also welcome to make Chicken Cordon Bleu without any sauce at all. Served both with and without the wine sauce, this chicken dish has been enjoyed by every person to whom I’ve ever served it.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Recipe

1. Prep the four chicken breasts by rinsing them, trimming any fat and then slicing lengthwise to create 8 uniform chicken fillets. Place two breasts in a gallon size zip-close bag and use a meat mallet to pound them to a uniform thickness of approximately 1/4″.
2. Place a slice of ham on the chicken and then a slice of cheese over the ham. Roll the chicken to create bundles and then secure with toothpicks or kitchen twine. Mix the flour, paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and then use the flour mixture to coat the chicken bundles on all sides.
3. Preheat the oven to 350. While the oven is heating, heat half the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook four chicken bundles at a time, turning as needed until the chicken is browned on all sides. Remove browned chicken to an oven-proof baking dish and set aside.
4. Add the remaining butter to the skillet. Cook the rest of the chicken and then transfer it to the baking dish. Bake until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Be careful not to overcook it. This took about 10 minutes for me. When the chicken is finished in the oven, tent with foil and set aside until ready to eat.

Cordon Bleu Sauce Recipe

1. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, warm the wine and the chicken base. Whisk to combine. In a small cup, whisk the cornstarch into the cream until smooth.
2. Drizzle the cream into the saucepan very slowly, whisking until combined. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring the mixture until it thickens.
3. Pour the cream sauce over the chicken when ready to serve.

What To Serve With Chicken Cordon Bleu

This meal is fantastic served with a side of Roasted Broccoli, Baby Red Potatoes, or just about any simple side dish. The cordon bleu flavors are prominent enough to stand on their own so there’s no need to get too elaborate with the sides.

Oh! And here’s a tip for some extra deliciousness. You might wind up with more sauce than you “need” for the chicken. It’s delicious drizzled over roasted green beans (or pretty much any other vegetable) or served on the side for some extra dippable goodness.

Are you ready to make one of my favorite chicken recipes? I can’t wait to hear how you like it!

If you’re looking for more ways to enjoy Chicken Cordon Bleu check out these Chicken Cordon Bleu Crescent Rolls or Chicken Cordon Bleu Panini! There’s no way to enjoy Chicken Cordon Bleu that I haven’t loved.

{originally published 4/30/12 – recipe notes and photos updated 3/23/22}