Ingredients
— The Meat & Cheese Layer —
4 cups cooked chicken breasts, cubed or shredded (rotisserie chicken works great)
2 cups cooked ham, diced
6 slices Swiss cheese (or 1 ½ cups shredded Swiss)
— The Creamy Sauce —
1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk (or ½ cup milk + ½ cup sour cream for extra richness)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
— The Crispy Topping —
1 ½ cups Panko breadcrumbs (or crushed Ritz crackers)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon dried parsley (optional, for color)
Instructions
1. **Preheat:** Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray or butter.
2. **Layer Base:** Spread the cubed cooked chicken evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top the chicken with the diced ham.
3. **Add Cheese:** Layer the Swiss cheese slices over the meat (or sprinkle evenly if using shredded cheese).
4. **Make Sauce:** In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the cream of chicken soup, milk (and sour cream if using), Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper until smooth.
5. **Pour:** Pour the sauce mixture evenly over the chicken, ham, and cheese layers. Use a spatula to spread it out to the edges if necessary.
6. **Prepare Topping:** In a small bowl, combine the Panko breadcrumbs (or crushed crackers), melted butter, and dried parsley. Toss with a fork until the crumbs are evenly moistened.
7. **Top & Bake:** Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture generously over the top of the casserole. Bake uncovered for 30–35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the topping is golden brown.
8. **Serve:** Remove from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes before serving to allow the sauce to thicken slightly.
Notes
**Chicken Prep:** This is an excellent recipe for using up leftover roasted chicken. If you need to cook chicken from scratch, quickly pan-fry or poach 2 large breasts before cubing them.
**Mustard Matters:** Don’t skip the Dijon mustard! It provides the signature ‘Cordon Bleu’ tang that cuts through the rich, creamy sauce. Regular yellow mustard is not recommended.
**Vegetable Addition:** To make this a more complete one-dish meal, you can add a layer of steamed broccoli florets between the chicken and the ham.
**Make Ahead:** You can assemble the casserole (without the breadcrumb topping) up to a day in advance. Store covered in the fridge. Add the topping just before baking and add 5-10 minutes to the cook time.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 35
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: French-American