Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Step 1

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat.

Step 2

Add the flour to the pan and mix it with the butter to make a roux. Allow the roux to cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Don't let it burn!

Step 3

Whisk the milk into the roux until smooth. Turn the heat up to medium. It will begin to thicken.

Step 4

Add the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper to the sauce, whisking until well blended. Let the mixture simmer for 3-5 minutes. Keep whisking the sauce and turn the heat down to medium-low.

Step 5

Add the shredded Swiss cheese and grated romano (or parmesan cheese) to the sauce and whisk until well blended.

Step 6

Add the chicken stock to the mixture. The sauce should now resemble a cream soup. The sauce will thicken more as it bakes, so don't be afraid to add a little more milk or chicken broth if it looks too thick.

Step 7

Add the panko bread crumbs to a bowl and drizzle the melted butter over the bread crumbs.

Step 8

Use a fork to mix the butter into the bread crumbs. Set aside until needed,.

Step 9

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Step 10

Use cooking spray to coat a 9x13 casserole dish.

Step 11

Layer the pulled chicken on the bottom of the baking dish.

Step 12

Add the cubed ham on top of the chicken and sprinkle the chopped Italian parsley over the meats.

Step 13

Pour the sauce over the meats in the casserole dish, making sure to cover all the meats completely. Do not stir it together.

Step 14

Sprinkle the buttered panko bread crumbs over the top of the finished casserole.

Step 15

Place the finished casserole on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the bread crumbs have browned.

Step 16

Allow the casserole to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Step 17

Sprinkle the top of the casserole with chopped parsley and serve over egg noodles or rice.