Unstuffed chicken cordon bleu is far less intimidating to make than the stuffed variety, but the results are just as delicious!

*Disclaimer - This recipe was originally published in 2012. I'm working hard to update all my older recipes with recipe cards, new photos, and additional recipe information. But, getting to all of them will take time. Please bear with me. In the meantime let me assure you that this recipe is still a winner and one I'm sure you'll be well pleased with when you make it at home.
I'd been craving the flavors of chicken cordon bleu for a while, but didn't want to deal with the labor-intensive pounding, stuffing, and rolling of the traditional kind I remember from years ago.
I opted instead to make unstuffed chicken cordon bleu where instead of stuffing the chicken breasts, I piled the ingredients on top before popping them into the oven.
I think the results were as flavorful as traditional chicken cordon bleu and far easier to make for any given weeknight dinner.
I also used a very non-traditional coating for the chicken that I just happen to have in the back of the pantry. It was a half-eaten box of cheesy crackers that I knew nobody was ever going to finish (and surprisingly, they weren't stale) so into the recipe they went.
UN-STUFFED CHICKEN CORDON BLEU {PRINT THIS RECIPE}
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
½ box cheesy crackers (I used Cheese-Its), crunched
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
¾ cup half and half
½ cup white wine
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon honey
8 slices of deli ham
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
-In a large, flat dish, crunch up all the cheesy crackers.
-One at a time, coat the chicken breasts with the crunched crackers making sure to press the crackers onto the chicken.
-Season with salt and pepper.
-In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the coated chicken in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until nicely browned on both sides (approximately 3-4 minutes each side)
- Remove the chicken to a casserole dish and wipe out the remaining cracker crumbs from the skillet to prepare for making the sauce.
-In the skillet over low heat, add 1 tablespoon butter, white wine, half and half, honey, and tarragon.
-Simmer slightly to reduce the sauce by one-third.
-Meanwhile, top each chicken breast with 2 slices of ham and grate your cheese.
-When the sauce has reduced, pour the sauce carefully over the topped chicken breasts and top with the shredded cheese.
-Bake for 20-25 minutes uncovered and then cover the pan with foil and continue baking for an additional 10-15 minutes so the chicken can cook all the way through and is no longer pink in the middle.
I served mine with some steamed broccoli and a nice side salad to finish.
Ding, ding, ding. Dinner time! Come and get it!!!
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Stephanie Parker says
Looks delicious!