National Cordon Bleu Day

04 April
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We continue our celebration of April “food holidays” with National Cordon Bleu Day.  This classic combination of breaded meat, ham and cheese can take on many creative forms.  The recipe today is “Chicken Cordon Blue Macaroni and Cheese!”

Cordon Bleu Day

Today I am happy to welcome Andria Gaskins from Queen City Kitchen as our guest blogger.  Her blog is described as “homecooking served up with some laughs and a little sass.”  How fun is that!  Be sure to check out her Facebook fan page as well.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Mac and Cheese

By the way, Andria is not only a fab food blogger, she is also an accomplished contester!  Before we see her recipe, take a gander at some of her recent wins:

2008 Winner Bundts Across America
2010 Winner Food Network Ultimate Recipe Showdown
2010 Winner Beringer Great Steak Challenge Southeast Region
2011 3rd Place Martha White Cornbread Cook-off
2011 2nd Place al Fresco Dinner Made Easy
2012 Winner The Perfect 3 (Chocolate)

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“I love food holidays. Typically, most people think food holidays are limited to the big three: Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. Actually, food is celebrated every day of the year. Some of my favorites include: National Mint Julep Day (May 30); National Cheeseburger Day (September 18) and National Drink Beer Day (September 28). Last year for National Bologna Day (October 24) I made a Fried Bologna Bistro Sandwich in honor my favorite childhood meat.

So, when I got the e-mail from Cooking Contest Central asking guest bloggers to contribute stories about food holidays for the month of April, I jumped at the chance to participate. I chose Chicken Cordon Bleu Day (April 4).

When I was a kid my mom wrapped and stuffed chicken with anything and everything. Chicken cordon bleu was one of her specialties—chicken breast packed with ham and cheese, and fried to golden perfection—and whenever she made it my sister and I felt like queens.

I initially thought I would prepare the old-school classic just like my mom used to, but since I have a gold medal in procrastination I ran out of time and couldn’t re-create her magical version of chicken cordon bleu. Fortunately, I also have a black belt in macaroni and cheese, so all was not lost. I used the ingredients I had on hand to make a kick-butt version of Chicken Cordon Bleu Mac and Cheese.

The entire dish came together in no time and it was fantastic, in my humble opinion. My youngest son, the Ambassador of plain ol’ buttered noodles and crackers, even liked it. After eating his second serving he declared, “This is the gweatest macawoni and cheese evah!”

Even though I didn’t prepare classic chicken cordon bleu, I’m glad I had the opportunity to do something different that worked out better than my first intention. And best of all, my baby, Mr. I Don’t Like Change, tried something new and liked it.”

5.0 from 1 reviews
Cordon Bleu Macaroni and Cheese
Author: 
Serves: 8
 
Instead of baking the casserole with breadcrumbs on top, I like to sprinkle each serving with toasted breadcrumbs—the crumbs stay crispy longer.
Ingredients
  • Vegetable oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Coarse ground black pepper
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1-1¼ pounds)
  • 1 (16-ounce) box cavatappi or fusilli pasta
  • 3 cups half and half
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 chicken bouillon cube, crushed
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 8 ounces white American cheese, shredded
  • 4 ounces Havarti cheese, shredded
  • 4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
  • 4 ounces Mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat in a medium skillet. Generously season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the pan and cook until golden brown on one side, about 7 minutes. Use tongs to flip the chicken. Place the pan in the oven and roast the chicken an additional 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and set aside.
  3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook about 8 minutes. (The pasta will be undercooked. It will finish in the oven.) Reserve ½ pasta water. Drain well and set aside.
  4. Meanwhile, heat the half-and-half , chicken broth and chicken bouillon in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt the butter in the same large pot and whisk in the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. While whisking, add the hot liquid and cook until thickened and smooth, about 2 minutes. Stir in the Dijon, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.
  5. Off the heat, add the cheese, cooked pasta and pasta water, and stir well. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper, if necessary. Spray a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish. Pour the pasta into the dish and bake until the sauce is bubbly, about 20 to 25 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile prepare the breadcrumbs. Heat 1 tablespoons vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the panko and cook until golden brown and crisp, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes. Season with salt. Transfer to a small bowl and toss with parsley.
  7. Let the macaroni sit for 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle each serving with toasted breadcrumbs.

 

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3 Responses to “National Cordon Bleu Day”

  1. Andria April 4, 2013 at 5:54 am #

    Thanks for the awesome intro, Kristina!

    I neglected to include the ham in the recipe. My brain is on Spring Break with my kids.

    I used 1/2 pound ham off the bone from the deli counter, sliced thin but not shaved. Just cut the ham into strips before adding it to the pasta with the cheese.

    I hope you enjoy the recipe. 🙂

  2. Avatar photo
    shannonimlay April 4, 2013 at 1:48 pm #

    Wow, I have to try this recipe, a lot of my favorite things, thank you 🙂

  3. Jenn April 4, 2013 at 4:31 pm #

    Yum! My little girl fortunately isn’t a picky eater, but I know she’d pick away at this entire dish until it was finished!

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