This Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole is made with creamy rice, diced or shredded chicken, ham, and melted Swiss cheese with breadcrumbs! It’s easy to make ahead of time and leftovers make a great freezer meal!

Be sure to try my Ham Soup and Ham Casserole recipes next!

A white plate with a fork scooping up Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole with ham, chicken, and rice.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

This recipe is the ultimate comfort food, and has all of the essentials when it comes to easy dinner ideas:

  • It’s easy to make it ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze to bake another day.
  • Leftovers freeze well for easy lunches or dinners.
  • It’s a great way to use up leftover chicken or ham.
  • The flavors blend together so well, your family will love this recipe!

Let’s go into what you need, how to make it, and PRO Tips for this recipe.

 

How to Make It

**See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Saute onions, garlic, and seasonings in butter. Add olive oil, chicken broth, and rice.

A dutch oven with sauteed onions and chicken broth with seasonings.

Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Cover tightly and steam for 15 minutes, don’t stir.

Remove from heat and let it sit with the lid on for 10 minutes. This allows any rice on the bottom of the pot to release.

A dutch oven with white rice before and after being cooked in a pot.

Add cream of chicken soup, sour cream, milk, Dijon mustard, cheddar + Parmesan cheese, and cooked chicken/ham. Stir to combine.

Transfer to a lightly greased casserole dish.

Filling for Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole in a dutch oven and a casserole dish.

Top with Swiss cheese, cover, and bake at 375° for 15 minutes.

Combine breadcrumbs/melted butter and sprinkle over the casserole, bake uncovered for 10 more minutes.

Let sit 5 minutes prior to serving.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole topped with Swiss Cheese and Breadcrumbs.

PRO Tips For Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

How to Prevent Rice from Sticking to the Pot:

  • Place the rice in a strainer and rinse in cool water for 1 minute to remove excess starch, which will help to keep it from sticking.
  • Adding 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the chicken broth prior to adding the rice.
  • Don’t mix the rice while it cooks as this releases starch and makes it stickier.
  • Make sure the lid is on tightly to prevent steam from escaping.
  • Let the rice sit for 10 minutes after steaming to allow any rice on the bottom to release.
  • Don’t use minute rice. Stick to long grain white rice, it’s creamier and less sticky. If you prefer to use brown rice or any other variety, refer to the package for the required amount of liquid and cooking time.

Other Tips:

  • To add broccoli, add 2 cups of fresh florets to the rice halfway through steaming and replace the lid.
  • This is the brand of cheddar that I prefer to use as it melts really well. Refrain from using extra sharp or aged cheddar as it won’t be nearly as creamy or melt as well.
  • Shred the cheese from a block, avoid using bagged shredded cheese as it contains cellulose which prevents it from melting as well.
  • Sodium: Consider using unsalted butter and reduced sodium chicken broth to control the salt in this recipe.

Make-Ahead Method

  • This casserole can be assembled ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 2 days prior to baking.
  • You can also freeze the unbaked casserole for another day. To reheat, let it defrost in the fridge overnight.

To Bake:

  • Let it sit out for 30 minutes prior to baking. Cover and bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes.

Storage

  • Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Frozen leftovers can be microwaved for a quick lunch.

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A wooden spoon scooping Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole from a casserole dish.

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A fork scooping up Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole with Rice.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
4.96 from 24 ratings
Servings: 6
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This Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole is made with creamy rice, diced or shredded chicken, ham, and melted Swiss cheese with breadcrumbs. It’s easy to make ahead of time and leftovers make a great freezer meal!

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons Butter
  • ½ cup Yellow Onion, diced
  • 3 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
  • ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 2 ½ cups Chicken Broth
  • 1 ¼ cups White Long Grain rice, uncooked
  • 10.75 oz. Cream of Chicken Soup
  • ½ cup Sour Cream
  • 1 cup Milk
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
  • 1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
  • 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 cup cooked chicken
  • 8 oz. ham steak, or 1 cup diced ham
  • 9 slices Swiss Cheese

Topping

  • 1/3 Cup Seasoned Breadcrumbs
  • 1 Tablespoon Melted Butter

Instructions

  • Note: This recipe is designed to allow you to prepare all of the casserole ingredients in one pot. Before you begin, refer to your rice package for the amount of liquid (we'll use chicken broth) and cooking time. If preferred, cook the rice separately and skip the broth ingredient. You'll need 3 +3/4 cups of cooked rice to combine with the other casserole ingredients. I use white long grain rice and the cooking times below work perfectly.

Prep Work

  • Place the rice in a strainer and run it under cool water for 1 minute. This rids it of excess starch which will help to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot when cooked.
  • Shred the cheese and set aside, it will melt better if it’s not cold when added. Avoid packaged shredded cheese as it contains cellulose which prevents it from melting well. This is the brand I prefer for cheddar. Avoid using extra sharp or aged cheddar.
  • If using uncooked chicken, diced it and season with salt and pepper. Sauté in butter until golden and cooked through. Set aside.
  • Measure out remaining ingredients prior to cooking.

Cooking Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Melt 2 Tablespoons butter and add the diced onions. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the garlic, garlic powder, and thyme. Cook for one more minute.
  • Add olive oil, chicken broth, and rice. Stir to combine.
  • Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover tightly and cook for 15 minutes. Do not stir.
  • Turn off heat, leave the lid on and let it sit for 10 minutes, do not stir. Any rice stuck on the bottom will release during this time.
  • Add the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, milk, Dijon mustard, cheddar + Parmesan cheese, and cooked chicken/ham. Stir to combine.
  • Transfer to a lightly greased 9 x 13 casserole dish. Top with Swiss cheese. Cover and bake for 15 minutes.
  • Combine the melted butter and breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole and bake for 10 more minutes, uncovered.
  • Let it stand for 5 minutes prior to serving.

Notes

Make-Ahead Method

  • This casserole can be assembled ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 2 days prior to baking.
  • You can also freeze the unbaked casserole for another day. To reheat, let it defrost in the fridge overnight.
  • To Bake: Let it sit out for 30 minutes prior to baking. Cover and bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes.

Storage

  • Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
  • Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
  • Frozen leftovers can be microwaved for a quick lunch.
  • You can defrost in the fridge overnight, cover and bake in a 350° oven until heated through, the amount of time depends on portion size.
To add broccoli, add 2 cups of fresh florets to the rice halfway through steaming and replace the lid.

Nutrition

Calories: 567kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 35g, Saturated Fat: 18g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 115mg, Sodium: 1659mg, Potassium: 471mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 929IU, Vitamin C: 21mg, Calcium: 517mg, Iron: 2mg
Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Author: Stephanie