Chicken Cordon Bleu Lasagna (Printable)
Tender chicken, ham, and Swiss cheese layered with pasta in creamy béchamel sauce
# What You’ll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 3 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
02 - 8 oz deli ham, thinly sliced
→ Cheeses
03 - 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
04 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
05 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
→ Lasagna and Sauces
06 - 12 lasagna noodles, regular or no-boil
07 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
08 - 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
09 - 3 cups whole milk
10 - 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
11 - ½ teaspoon garlic powder
12 - ½ teaspoon onion powder
13 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper
14 - ½ teaspoon salt
→ Garnish
15 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
# How to Prepare:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.
02 - If using regular lasagna noodles, cook them according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside. No-boil noodles can be used directly from the package.
03 - In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to form a roux.
04 - Gradually whisk in the whole milk, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Continue cooking until the sauce thickens, approximately 5 minutes.
05 - Stir in the Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper until well combined. Remove from heat.
06 - Spread a thin layer of béchamel sauce evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
07 - Arrange a layer of noodles over the sauce. Top with half of the shredded chicken, half of the sliced ham, and one-third of the Swiss cheese. Spoon additional béchamel sauce over the layer.
08 - Repeat the layering with noodles, the remaining chicken, the remaining ham, another third of the Swiss cheese, and more sauce.
09 - Finish with a final layer of noodles, the remaining béchamel sauce, the mozzarella cheese, and the Parmesan cheese.
10 - Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
11 - Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the edges are bubbly.
12 - Let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes before slicing to allow the layers to set. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The creamy Dijon béchamel sauce is the secret weapon that ties every layer together with a subtle tang that people cannot quite identify but always compliment.
- It reheats beautifully the next day, making it worth the effort for leftovers that taste even better than the first night.
02 -
- Do not skip the rest time because slicing too early causes the layers to slide apart into a messy pile that still tastes fine but looks nothing like the neat squares you imagined.
- The béchamel will seem thin when you first make it, but it thickens considerably as the lasagna bakes and the pasta absorbs moisture, so trust the process.
03 -
- Cover the edges with foil if they start browning too fast during that final uncovered bake, because burnt cheese edges are the only flaw this dish can have.
- Shredding your own cheese from a block melts far smoother than pre-shredded bags, which contain anti-caking powders that leave a gritty texture in the sauce.