Unstuffed Chicken Cordon Bleu

Unstuffed Chicken Cordon Bleu is a simpler version of the classic. Made with breaded chicken cutlets topped with salty ham slices and melty Provolone cheese, this delicious meal packs all the flavor of classic chicken cordon bleu with less fuss. Top it with a delicious dijon cream sauce for a perfect meal.

Chicken cordon bleu is one of my all-time favorite meals. The crispy breaded chicken, salty ham and melty cheese are a divine combination. This one is a classic for a reason! The traditional version of chicken cordon bleu involves rolling the chicken around the ham and cheese filling and securing everything with toothpicks. This simplified deconstructed version packs all the same flavor but without so much work. Use that extra couple minutes to make a simple dijon cream sauce for an unforgettable dish!

Serve this chicken cordon bleu with lemon garlic orzo and sautéed broccoletti for a delicious meal that is sure to become a family favorite.

You Will Love This

• This deconstructed chicken cordon bleu recipe is simple enough for a weeknight, and tasty enough for a special occasion.
• This easy recipe is a great option for meal prep. Make a big batch of breaded chicken cutlets at the beginning of the week. On the night you want chicken cordon bleu, top them with the ham and cheese and warm them back up in the oven. Use the rest of the cutlets to top salads or pasta throughout the week.
• This recipe packs all the flavor of traditional chicken cordon bleu, but with half the work!

Ingredients

To make this open-faced chicken cordon bleu, you will need the following ingredients (exact measurements are in the recipe card below).

Ingredient Notes

• Boneless chicken breasts or chicken cutlets: You need a thin chicken breast for this recipe. Chicken cutlets are basically a chicken breast that has been cut in half horizontally to make two thin pieces. You can buy boneless skinless chicken breasts and cut each piece of chicken into two cutlets, or you can buy pre-cut cutlets if they have them at your local grocery store. Follow this tutorial to make a chicken breast into cutlets.
• Panko breadcrumbs: Choose plain panko bread crumbs for this recipe instead of Italian seasoned.
• Olive oil spray: Olive oil spray keeps the recipe easy. If you don’t have it on hand, you can toss the panko with about a tablespoon of olive oil prior to breading the chicken.
• Slices of ham: You can use any fully-cooked deli ham for this recipe.
• Provolone cheese: I used freshly shredded provolone cheese. You could substitute sliced provolone, havarti or swiss.

Instructions

Step One: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Slice your chicken breasts into cutlets, if necessary.

How to cut a chicken cutlet: Place each chicken breast flat on a cutting board. Use the palm of your non-cutting hand to gently press the chicken breast down onto the cutting board. With a sharp knife, carefully slice the chicken breast in half horizontally. Your knife should be parallel to the cutting board between between your hand and the board while you are making the slice. You should now have two chicken cutlets from each chicken breast. Here is a great video showing how to cut a chicken cutlet.

Step Two: Season the chicken cutlets with the salt, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika. Dredge the seasoned chicken in flour.

Step Three: In a small bowl or rimmed plate, mix together the beaten egg with the milk until well combined to make an egg wash. Put the panko breadcrumbs on a separate plate. One at a time, dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture, coating both sides. Allow any excess egg to drip off of the cutlet. Then move the cutlet to the breadcrumb mixture and dredge until both sides are well coated.

Step Four: Line a baking sheet with a baking grid if you have one. Place the chicken on the grid and spray both sides with olive oil spray. Put the chicken in the oven and bake for approximately 15 minutes, until the breadcrumb coating has a nice golden brown color.

Top Tip: A baking grid (or oven-safe cooling rack) is a great tool for baking breaded chicken. It allows the air to circulate underneath the chicken so that all the sides get nice and crispy. If you don’t have one, you can still make this dish! Just line your baking sheet with parchment paper so it doesn’t stick.

Step Five: Remove the chicken from the oven. Place a slice of ham and about 1/4 cup of shredded cheese on top of each breast. Return the chicken to the oven and bake an additional 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Check for doneness with an instant-read thermometer. The chicken should be at a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

Optional (But Completely Delicious!) Cream Sauce

If you have the time, I highly recommend making a simple dijon cream sauce to drizzle over your chicken. It takes this dish to the next level. Simply bring 1 cup of heavy cream to a simmer on the stove top, and stir in 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard. Whisk for about a minute or two while the sauce thickens and add a pinch of kosher salt to taste.

Storage

Chicken cordon bleu is a dish that is best the first day, while the breadcrumb coating is nice and crispy. If you do have leftovers, allow the chicken to cool and place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. It would reheat best in the oven at 350 degrees until heated through. You could also try to reheat it in the air fryer to keep the coating crispy!