Traditional Chicken Cordon Bleu is a dish made by flattening chicken breast, spreading it with Dijon mustard and laying slices of ham and cheese and then rolling up the chicken, breading it and frying it. It’s usually served with a Dijon cream sauce and it’s absolutely delicious. Although, I do have to say that I think it’s a dish from a different time and dare I even say, slightly outdated. BUT I still love it and so with that being said, I’ve been wanting to reinvent it and breathe some new life to it for quite some time now. That’s where this Chicken Cordon Bleu Wellington comes in. It’s a golden and flaky puff pastry pocket filled with all of those traditional Cordon Bleu ingredients and served with a Dijon cream sauce. I can’t recommend it enough.
Set a large skillet over moderate heat with the olive oil. Season both sides of the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Once hot, carefully lay the chicken in the skillet in a single layer. Cook until browned on both sides, about 2 to 4 minutes per side. Remove from heat, transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool.
**Note: Don’t worry about having the chicken be cooked all the way through as they’ll continue to cook in the oven. If you were to cook them all the way here and then continue to cook in the oven, they’ll be overcooked and dry!**
Unwrap the thawed puff pastry sheet and roll out slightly to make it larger and/or remove any creases. Brush one side (work lengthwise, so you want the longer side) with Dijon mustard.
**Note: You want a large puff pastry sheet for this to be able to fold over onto the chicken. Mine was about the size (maybe slightly smaller) of a baking sheet. You can divide this by two or make them into individual wellingtons depending on what kind of puff pastry you find at the store!**
Lay the cheese slices on top of the mustard side, down the line. Then top with the ham slices. You want to make sure you lay them in a single layer with a slight overlap. But make sure to leave a bit of a border on all sides.
Place the cooled chicken cutlets on top. Brush the edge of the puff pastry with egg wash and then fold over to cover the chicken. Crimp all the edges and then make a few slits on top with a sharp knife to release the steam.
Brush the whole thing with egg wash and then sprinkle with black pepper. Bake in a preheated 425°F oven until deep golden brown and flaky, about 25 to 30 minutes. Turn the baking sheet around halfway through to ensure even browning.
Meanwhile, set the skillet you used to brown the chicken over moderate heat with the butter. Once melted, whisk in the flour and cook for about 30 seconds or so. Slowly whisk in the milk and then add the Dijon mustard. Cook over low heat until slightly thickened. Stir in the Parmesan and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Once the Wellington is done, carefully remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before slicing and serving with the cream sauce.
Allowing the Wellington to cool slightly will make it easier to slice and will give the chicken’s juices a chance to settle and ensure that they all won’t just run out, creating a soggy crust. That wouldn’t be good.
I love to serve it with a simple salad of baby arugula that I toss around with a bit of olive oil, lemon juice (or vinegar), salt, pepper and a bit of parmesan. It’s simple but oh so good with the Wellington!
If you’re anything like me and love a good Wellington, then I highly recommend this one. I think it’s easier than a traditional beef Wellington but just as tasty. Give it a try and let me know what you think below. Thank you so much for reading and following along!
Chicken Cordon Bleu Wellington
Equipment
- skillet
- Baking Sheet
- whisk
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 thin-sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Kosher salt and coarse black pepper
- 1 large sheet frozen puff pastry thawed
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 6 slices Swiss cheese
- 6 to 8 slices deli ham
- 1 large egg whisked with a splash of water
Cream Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt and coarse black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Set a large skillet over moderate heat with the olive oil. Season both sides of the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Once hot, carefully lay the chicken in the skillet in a single layer. Cook until browned on both sides, about 2 to 4 minutes per side, but don't worry about having them be cooked all the way. They'll continue to cook in the oven. Remove from heat, transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool.
- Unwrap the thawed puff pastry sheet and roll out slightly to make it larger and/or remove any creases. Brush one side (work lengthwise, so you want the longer side) with Dijon mustard. Lay the cheese slices on top down the line. Then top with the ham slices. Place the cooled chicken cutlets on top. Brush the edge of the puff pastry with egg wash and then fold over to cover the chicken. Crimp all the edges and then make a few slits on top with a sharp knife to release the steam. Brush the whole thing with egg wash and then sprinkle with black pepper. Bake until deep golden brown and flaky, about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, set the skillet you used to brown the chicken over moderate heat with the butter. Once melted, whisk in the flour and cook for about 30 seconds or so. Slowly whisk in the milk and then add the Dijon mustard. Cook over low heat until slightly thickened. Stir in the Parmesan and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Once the Wellington is done, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before slicing and serving with the cream sauce. Enjoy!
This looks great and easier than traditional cordon bleu. I will so be trying this out as soon as I get to the store for puff pastry
whoa, very elevated cordon bleu, I like it too as dated as it is as you point out and this is nicely over the top inside a big blanket of puff pastry!