Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu Rice Bake

To me, any stuffed chicken dish sounds a little intimidating, and chicken cordon bleu in particular seems too fancy to be easy. But I’ve come up with recipe that proves my own worries wrong: a simplified version of cordon bleu that anyone can prepare. It still has all of the flavors of the traditional recipe—chicken, ham and Swiss cheese—as well as creamy rice and a crunchy breadcrumb topping that turns it into a cozy casserole. Here’s how to make it!

First, gather your ingredients: rotisserie chicken, sliced ham, cooked rice (feel free to use leftovers, if you have some), Progresso chicken stock, milk, breadcrumbs, butter, onion and a bit of flour and olive oil. See exact measurements in the recipe at the end of this post!

Heat the oven to 400°F and lightly grease a 10-inch round baking dish with olive oil and set aside. In a 10-inch skillet, heat some olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook the onion until it’s tender and translucent. Add the flour and stir to make a roux (Beginner cooks: roux is used to thicken sauces, and is simply equal parts flour and oil or butter). Cook for one or two minutes or until the roux is lightly golden. Gradually beat in the stock with a whisk, followed by the milk and simmer until the mixture has slightly thickened into gravy.

In a large bowl, mix the chicken, ham, rice and a cup of cheese with the gravy mixture.

Spread into the baking dish. Mix bread crumbs, butter and remaining cheese together in another bowl, and then sprinkle it on top of the casserole.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the top is crisp and golden and the casserole is bubbling. Let it stand for a few minutes before serving, then dig in!