Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken breast, shredded, boneless, skinless
• 13 slices fat-free lean ham slices (about 10 oz)
• 10 thinly sliced swiss cheese
• 4 tablespoons light butter
• 4 tablespoons whole wheat flour
• 3 1/4 cups skim milk
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup light butter
• 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh parsley, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350°f lightly coat a 9" x 13" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
• 2 line the bottom of the baking dish with shredded chicken. next, layer ham slices. lay the swiss cheese on top of the ham.
• 3 for the sauce: over medium heat, melt the butter in a large sauce pan. whisk in the flour until smooth. continue to whisk mixture while slowly adding milk — stir until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes, whisk continuously.
• 4 time saving tip: to make the thickening process go faster, heat milk in the microwave until it boils (about 2-3 minutes). then slowly add to sauce pan, whisking as you pour.
• 5 add lemon juice, dijon mustard, paprika and pepper. bring sauce to a low simmer again, whisk continuously. once it has reached desired thickness, remove from heat and pour sauce evenly over the casserole.
• 6 for the topping: in a small sauce pan, melt the butter and stir in panko breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley and pepper. sprinkle topping mixture over the top of the casserole. lightly mist top of casserole with nonstick cooking spray. bake for 35 minutes until topping is golden brown.