This Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta is a skillet dinner that is ready in about 30 minutes! The name sounds fancy, but it’s a super easy weeknight meal.
Don’t you think the name Chicken Cordon Bleu is a little fancy? I know it’s a classic, but as a plain old home cook, I feel silly saying it out loud. Should I say Cordon “bloo” like a normal American or “bluh” like a weirdo? (If you say, “bluh,” you are totally not a weirdo. Don’t even feel bad.)
I looked up where the name came from, and the origin story is as pretentious as the name sounds. Apparently cordon bleu was the name for a blue sash worn by the highest knights once upon a time, and later it translated to food that was prepared with the highest standards by the finest chefs.
Um, this is a skillet pasta dish, and I am not an actual chef. This recipe is named Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta mainly because it has ham and swiss cheese. I may not be fancy, but I know ham, cheese, chicken, and pasta add up to something delicious!
For me, the standout flavors of Chicken Cordon Bleu are the swiss cheese and ham, so that’s what I included in this skillet pasta dish. If you also want the flavor and texture of the breading of the traditional dish, it’s easy to adapt the recipe to add browned breadcrumbs on top. I made a note of how to so that in the recipe below.
How do you feel about swiss cheese? I do not like it at all cold, but somehow it turns delicious when it melts. I can’t think of any other cheese that I think tastes like flavorless rubber cold but is wonderful hot. I love swiss on burgers with sauteed mushrooms or in a grilled cheese sandwich. I used pre-sliced swiss in this recipe and still have a few slices left, so mushroom swiss burgers might be in my near future. Or, I’ll just make this Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta again. I hope you want it to be a frequent meal at you house too!
This 30-minute pasta dish is loaded with chicken, ham, and swiss cheese.
Total Time:30 minutes
Yield:41x
Ingredients
UnitsScale
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
8ounces baby bella mushrooms sliced
1/2 small yellow, white, or sweet onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced or crushed
12ounces bite-sized pasta uncooked
2cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2cups water
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
4ounces thinly sliced ham chopped
4ounces swiss cheese shredded or finely chopped
Instructions
In a deep 12″ skillet or wide dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, mushroom, and onion. Stir fry until chicken is mostly cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, and cook one minute longer.
Add pasta to the pot, and pour in chicken broth. Stir mustard into the water, and pour that into the pot.
Stir everything together, trying to make sure all pasta is covered with liquid. Bring to a boil. Continue boiling, stirring frequently, for the recommended cooking time on the pasta directions.
Reduce heat to low. Stir in ham and cheese, and continue cooking, stirring almost constantly, until cheese is melted (approximately 3 minutes). Serve immediately.
Notes
If you would like breadcrumbs on top of this pasta dish, stir together 1/2 cup breadcrumbs and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle buttery breadcrumbs over the top of the pasta in the skillet. Place pan under hot broiler for 3-5 minutes to brown breadcrumbs. Keep a close eye on the dish while broiling to avoid burning the top. (This step requires an oven-proof skillet!)
When reheating leftovers, add 1-2 tablespoons of water or milk per serving to loosen up the sauce.
Author:Andi
Prep Time:5
Cook Time:25
More skillet pasta dinners just for you:
Andi Gleeson
3 comments
Becky | The Cookie Rookie
8 years ago
What a great dinner idea. I have to try this asap.
MoinIdaho
8 years ago
Another winner, Andi! Just made this tonight. Only things I did differently were to add chopped cooked rotiss. chicken to the dish along with the ham and cheese after the pasta cooked, and a few twists of black pepper. Thanks for the tip about adding breadcrumbs and broiling, which I did! This is a keeper, and you’re right– it’s easy!
Andi - The Weary Chef
8 years ago
So happy you enjoyed it, Mo! I love rotisserie chicken, and it sounds like a great addition :)
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3 comments
What a great dinner idea. I have to try this asap.
Another winner, Andi! Just made this tonight. Only things I did differently were to add chopped cooked rotiss. chicken to the dish along with the ham and cheese after the pasta cooked, and a few twists of black pepper. Thanks for the tip about adding breadcrumbs and broiling, which I did! This is a keeper, and you’re right– it’s easy!
So happy you enjoyed it, Mo! I love rotisserie chicken, and it sounds like a great addition :)