This easy Chicken Cordon Bleu casserole recipe is the perfect way to use up leftover ham and chicken! A creamy pasta casserole with ham and chicken, topped with cheese and buttery breadcrumbs.
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Keyword Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole, leftover ham and chicken casserole
Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish; set aside.
In a small bowl, combine melted butter and breadcrumbs. Set aside.
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta according to package instructions for 1 minute less than al dente. Drain.
In a large bowl, whisk together condensed soup, milk, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Fold in cooked pasta, chicken, and ham.
Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared dish. Top with Swiss cheese and sprinkle with the buttered breadcrumbs.
Cover and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove cover and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the dish is heated through.
Notes
Cook the pasta for 1 minute less than al dente (as instructed on the package). The pasta will continue to cook in the oven, and you don't want to end up with mushy, overdone noodles in your casserole. For the penne that I used here, the box instructions suggested 11 minutes for al dente, so I cooked the penne for 10 minutes. You can adjust your cooking time based on your specific pasta size, shape and brand.
I had some leftover Pineapple Glazed Ham in the freezer, so that's what I used here. If you don't have any leftover ham, you can buy a package of cubed ham from the grocery store.
Use the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken, or boil about 1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs for 15-18 minutes. Let the meat cool enough to handle, then shred with two forks or dice into bite-size pieces.
This creamy sauce is very simple and mild. If you'd like to jazz it up with more flavor, whisk in some garlic powder, onion powder, or fresh herbs like parsley, thyme, basil, rosemary, oregano, parsley or chives. Anything goes!
Cooking for a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half and prepare the casserole in an 8-inch square dish. Alternatively, you can prepare the full recipe, but divide the pasta mixture between two 8-inch square pans. Bake one now, and freeze the other for a later meal.