Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

Written by
Leah Maroney
A recipe developer and food photographer, Leah Maroney is an ardent home cook and food blogger who has written over 300 recipes for The Spruce Eats.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Leah Maroney
Updated 01/08/20
Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

The Spruce / Leah Maroney 
Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 45 mins
Servings: 4 servings

Chicken cordon bleu comes from the French word for blue ribbon, which is a term that is applied to food of the highest standard. A traditional version involves a lot of assembly. This pasta tastes just like the stuffed chicken breast, but in a luscious creamy pasta form that takes less work. If you’re looking for an elegant, yet comforting dinner dish that everyone will love, this is the one.

Everyone loves pasta and this recipe requires less technique to make than the original. The addition of pasta makes it a complete meal-in-a-pan.

Even better, you can easily make the chicken ahead of time and just warm it in the oven before you are ready to serve it with the pasta. 

Ingredients

  • For the chicken:
  • 3 chicken breasts (boneless, pound to 1/4-inch thickness)
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • For the pasta:
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 1/2 cups half and half
  • 1/2 cup gruyere cheese (shredded)
  • 1 cup deli ham (chopped)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons parsley (finely chopped)
  • 1 pound fettuccine pasta

Steps to Make It

Note: while there are multiple steps to this recipe, this pasta is broken down into workable categories to help you better plan for preparation and cooking.

Prepare the Chicken

  1. Gather the ingredients for the chicken.

    Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta ingredients
    The Spruce / Leah Maroney 

  2. Brush both sides the chicken with the Dijon mustard. 

    Brush both sides the chicken with the Dijon mustard
    The Spruce / Leah Maroney 

  3. Mix the panko breadcrumbs with the dried thyme, salt, and pepper. Coat the chicken breasts with the panko mixture on both sides. You may need to press the breadcrumbs into the chicken to get all of them to stick. 

    Mix the panko breadcrumbs
    The Spruce / Leah Maroney 

  4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan on high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and turn the heat down to medium. Fry on both sides until golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. 

    Keep the chicken breasts warm in a 200 F oven while you prepare the pasta and sauce. 

    Fry on both sides until golden brown
    The Spruce / Leah Maroney 

Prepare the Pasta

  1. Gather the ingredients for the pasta and sauce.

    Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta ingredients for sauce
    The Spruce / Leah Maroney 

  2. Cook the fettuccine according to the package directions.

    Heat the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds to one minute. 

    cook the fettucine
    The Spruce / Leah Maroney 

  3. Whisk in the flour and turn the heat down to low. Cook for two to three minutes, stirring frequently to cook off some of the flour taste. 

    whisk the flour
    The Spruce / Leah Maroney 

  4. Whisk in the half and half and cook until warmed through, but not boiling. 

    whisk in the half and half
    The Spruce / Leah Maroney 

  5. Whisk in the gruyere cheese, a handful at a time until the sauce is rich and creamy. 

    Whisk in the gruyere cheese
    The Spruce / Leah Maroney 

  6. Add in the ham and the pasta. Cook until the pasta is coated and hot. Top with chopped parsley. 

    Add in the ham and the pasta.
    The Spruce / Leah Maroney 

  7. Place a serving of pasta on each plate and top with some or all of each chicken breast. Serve immediately with more chopped parley. 

    Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta
    The Spruce / Leah Maroney 

Tips

  • Fettuccine pasta works best for this dish as the wide, long noodles hold the sauce nicely and look beautiful beneath the fried chicken breast. However, you can use linguine or spaghetti if you wish. Short pastas can work as well. Just make sure to choose one that will hold a thick sauce well.
  • You don’t have to pound out the chicken breasts if you don’t want to, but it makes them cook faster and provides more crunchy surface area.