Classic chicken cordon bleu flavors combine with creamy pasta in this easy one pot meal. Perfect for a weeknight, it’s sure to be a family favorite!
Chicken cordon bleu is a great, flavorful dish, but not one that I feel like fussing with on a busy weeknight. This one pot pasta version hits all those familiar flavor notes, in a family-friendly 30 minute meal where the pasta cooks right in the same pot!
I hope you guys are ready for the latest recipe in my one pot collection! What’s not to love about a one pot meal?! I’m all for any meal that involves LESS dishes!
Let’s talk about this chicken cordon bleu pasta… simply put, it’s phenomenal! Well, we think so at least. It’s so deliciously creamy, and full of those great classic flavors like onion, seared chicken, savory ham and gooey cheese.
There’s double the cheese in this dish, as there’s some in the creamy sauce, and definitely some melted cheesiness on top too.
My personal favorites are Swiss and Gruyere, to stick to a semblance of the chicken cordon bleu recipe, but if you’re a die hard cheddar fan… go for it!
Here’s a few takeaways for this recipe:
- Use good quality ham… my personal preference is either leftover glazed ham, or thick sliced ham from the grocery store’s deli. The super thin lunchmeat can break down too much. This is a great recipe for after the holidays when you’re struggling to use up ALL the leftover ham!
- As with all one pot pasta meals, you need to stir fairly often, especially towards the end of the cooking time. If you don’t, the pasta can get stuck to the bottom of your pan.
- Pay attention to the pasta cooking time on the package; the cook time will generally be around that. Cooking pastas in a dish with other things is different than a regular pot of boiling water, but I’ve found if you take the package cooking time and add about 2 minutes, it’s usually pretty close.
- This dish is creamy, so there will still be liquid in the pot when the pasta is finished cooking. That’s totally normal and good! That liquid is starchy from the cooked pasta, and it mixes really well with the cream and cheese to create a glorious sauce!
CRAVING MORE ONE POT MEALS?
- One Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta
- One Pot Cheesesteak Pasta
- One Pot Chicken and Dirty Rice
- One Pot Chicken and Biscuits
HELPFUL TOOLS:
- Dutch Oven – great for soups, frying, and these one pot meals!
- Le Creuset Dutch Oven – if you want one like in the photographs, and your budget is open, I have several of these and LOVE them!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup ham, diced into 1/2 inch pieces (I used thick cut slices from the deli)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried minced onion
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dijon mustard (whole grain is my favorite)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 3 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 3 cups short cut pasta (I used campanelle here)
- 3 Tbsp heavy cream
- 2 cups shredded Swiss or Gruyere cheese, divided
- minced fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a dutch oven or large heavy bottomed pot over MED heat and add butter and oil. Add diced chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown. Chicken may not be cooked all the way through, and that's okay. Remove chicken to a plate.
- Add diced onion and ham to the pot and cook about 3 minutes. Return chicken to pot and add garlic powder, minced onion, dried parsley, dijon mustard, salt and pepper, stirring to combine.
- Add chicken stock and stir. Turn heat up to HIGH and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add pasta, reduce heat to LOW, cover, and simmer 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid is absorbed and pasta is cooked.
- Stir in heavy cream and 1 cup of shredded cheese. Sprinkle the top of the dish with remaining cheese and broil on HIGH for 1-2 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve garnished with parsley if desired.
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Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
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Aurora Deshauteurs says
Came together very easily. Family loved it.
Thanks!