I thawed chicken. I had Swiss cheese.Chicken, Swiss cheese, that’s two-thirds of the way to chicken cordon bleu.Then there’s all that asparagus I have still in the refrigerator that I promised (threatened) to use in post after post until it is gone. The thought of asparagus macaroni and cheese entered my mind. The chicken cordon bleu was still rolling around in there too…then they crashed into each other and chicken cordon bleu mac n’ cheese with asparagus was born.Once I embraced the idea, I kind of fell in love with it. Life happens when I don’t have time for it to happen, so I kept procrastinating. It took me two days to make it. But today was the day.
Ingredients
Swiss Cheese Sauce:
- 2 tbsp . butter
- 2 tbsp . flour
- Black pepper; to taste
- 1 tsp . Dijon mustard
- 13/4 cup milk
- 10 oz . Swiss cheese; grated or cubed
The Rest
- 2 chicken breast (about 14 oz) cubed
- 11/2 oz . deli ham; diced
- 11/2 cups asparagus; sliced
- 10 oz penne; cooked and drained
- 1/2 cup panko or breadcrumbs
- Salt/black pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp . granulated garlic
- 1/2 tsp . dried sage
Instructions
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In a saucepan on medium heat, add the butter.
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Once the butter has melted, add the flour and whisk until it is smooth, in a paste-like consistency. If there are any lumps, it will give your cheese sauce a grainy texture.
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Add the black pepper and Dijon mustard. Mix well.
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Add the milk and stir. Then slowly add the cheese.
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Stir frequently, helping the cheese to melt and incorporate into the milk.
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Once the cheese is melted, the sauce should be smooth. Set aside.
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Cook the penne, but stop cooking and drain two minutes shy of al dente package directions.
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While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet, adding olive oil if needed and quickly sear off the cubed chicken.
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It does not need to be cooked through, but it does needs to be seared on all sides. This will take no more than 3 minutes.
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Add the panko (or breadcrumbs), salt, pepper, garlic, and sage to a small bowl and blend them together, making sure the seasonings are evenly distributed.
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In a large bowl mix the penne, chicken, diced ham, and sliced asparagus.
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Add black pepper to taste and any salt, if desired.
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Pour about half of the Swiss cheese sauce into the bowl with the pasta and chicken. Stir it well making sure all the ingredients are coated in the sauce.
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Transfer to a 9x13 or similar baking dish.
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Pour the remaining sauce over the entire dish.
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Sprinkle the seasoned panko over the top of the dish.
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Cover with foil and bake in a pre-heated 350° degree oven for 20 minutes.
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After the 20 minutes, remove the foil and cook uncovered for 5 more minutes or until the topping has browned.
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Allow to sit for a few minutes once it is removed from the oven, and then serve as desired.
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22 Comments
Dorothy Boucher
June 13, 2014 at 8:53 am@tisonlyme143
this recipe looks so yummy and tastey, I love the fact that their in individual bowls, thanks for share
Michelle
June 13, 2014 at 9:53 amThank you Dorothy. I love them portioned out like that too. It helps me with portion control. To make this recipe with just ramekins, you’d need about a dozen. More dishes that way, but it is nice to serve it that way. 🙂
Brigid OHara Koshko
June 13, 2014 at 10:19 amCombining three of my favorite things! My kids are going to love this. I am going to try this very soon.
Michelle
June 13, 2014 at 10:43 amBrigid, Oh I hope they love it…you too. It was a hit over here. My 4-year old ate the asparagus of her own accord, so for me, this dish was a major success. 🙂
Jessica Cyr
June 13, 2014 at 11:13 amThis looks really tasty!
Michelle
June 13, 2014 at 1:21 pmThank you Jessica, it really was good. It was one of those I was happy it tasted as good on the plate as it did in my head. 🙂
Emily
June 13, 2014 at 5:14 pmI’m drooling. This looks SO good.
Michelle
June 13, 2014 at 8:54 pmEmily, It was drool-worthy, thank you!
Terri S
June 13, 2014 at 6:10 pmOhhh…boy!!! This looks so incredibly good!! Thank you for sharing,
Michelle
June 13, 2014 at 8:56 pmThank you Terri, if you get the chance to make it, let me know what you think.
Maram
June 14, 2014 at 5:58 amYummy .. thanks for sharing
Maram
June 14, 2014 at 11:18 amMaram, Thank you for stopping by. I appreciate it.
RoseMarie S.
June 14, 2014 at 6:27 amI was hesitant to continue reading after I saw the title, it seemed a little fancy and complicated for my simple life with my 5 year old. But I’m glad I kept reading because this looks absolutely delicious and I can’t want to try it.
Michelle
June 14, 2014 at 11:23 amRoseMarie,
I like to try to make fancy foods easier. Sometimes I can, other times, I make them more complicated. 🙂 My 4 year old loved this dish. Hope your 5 year old does too.
Shannon
June 14, 2014 at 2:39 pmWhat lovely recipes you have. I think my husband would love this.
Michelle
June 14, 2014 at 5:08 pmShannon, Thank you so much. I hope he loves it…hope you do too.
Claire D
June 16, 2014 at 7:20 amThis looks amazing. So many yummy ingredients in one place. I can’t imagine it not being good!
Michelle
June 16, 2014 at 12:34 pmClaire, Thank you, it was really yummy. I love Chicken cordon bleu, but it’s work to make, this was easier, dump everything today in a mac n’ cheese. Perfection!
Allyssa
June 19, 2014 at 4:13 pmOh man this looks amazing. Definitely trying this ASAP. Pinned it! Thank you!
Michelle
June 20, 2014 at 4:35 pmAllyssa, I hope you love it as much as we did. Thank you for stopping by and pinning!
Betsy @ Desserts Required
November 23, 2014 at 7:25 pmLOVE how your mind thinks…and this delicious recipe, too!
Michelle
November 23, 2014 at 8:36 pmThank you for that Betsy! I needed a smile and a chuckle.