Inside Out Chicken Cordon Bleu is a simpler version of the classic. Made with breaded chicken cutlets topped with salty ham slices and melty Havarti cheese, this delicious meal packs all the flavor of classic chicken cordon bleu with less fuss. Top it with a delicious dijon cream sauce for a perfect meal.

A white plate with chicken cordon bleu and broccoli. A fork is spearing one slice of cordon bleu, and a dish of dijon sauce is to the side.

Chicken cordon bleu is one of my all-time favorite meals. The crispy breaded chicken, salty ham and melty cheese are a divine combination. This one is a classic for a reason! The traditional version of chicken cordon bleu involves rolling the chicken around the ham and cheese filling and securing everything with toothpicks. This simplified deconstructed version packs all the same flavor but without so much work.

The only thing better about this meal than chicken cordon bleu itself is this delicious dijon mustard cream sauce that I insist you put on top! Made with just a handful of pantry staple ingredients, this dijon sauce is so yummy! It takes only a few minutes to throw together, and I promise is SO worth your time.

Serve this chicken cordon bleu with creamy kitchenaid mashed potatoes and sautéed broccoletti for a delicious meal that is sure to become a family favorite, or choose any of the amazing options in this list of the best side dishes for chicken cordon bleu.

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This deconstructed chicken cordon bleu recipe is simple enough for a weeknight, and tasty enough for a special occasion.
This easy recipe is a great option for meal prep. Make a big batch of breaded chicken cutlets at the beginning of the week. On the night you want chicken cordon bleu, top them with the ham and cheese and warm them back up in the oven. Use the rest of the cutlets to top salads or pasta throughout the week.

Ingredients

For inside-out chicken cordon bleu, you will need the following ingredients (exact measurements are in the recipe card below):

Boneless chicken breasts or chicken cutlets: You need a thin chicken breast for this recipe. Chicken cutlets are basically a chicken breast that has been cut in half horizontally to make two thin pieces. You can buy boneless skinless chicken breasts and cut each piece of chicken into two cutlets, or you can buy pre-cut cutlets if they have them at your local grocery store.
Egg
Milk
Panko breadcrumbs: I like plain panko bread crumbs for this recipe.
Spices, including garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and kosher salt
Olive oil spray
Slices of ham: You can use any deli ham for this recipe. I used a combination of honey ham and black forest ham, and it was great!
Slices of havarti cheese: I like to buy the pre-sliced cheese for simplicity. You could substitute swiss cheese or gruyere cheese.

And, of course, you will need the dijon cream sauce! This simple sauce is made with only a handful of ingredients, including butter, garlic, chicken broth, cream, and dijon mustard.

Instructions

Step One: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Slice your chicken breasts into cutlets, if necessary. Place each chicken breast flat on a cutting board. Use the palm of your non-cutting hand to gently press the chicken breast flat down onto the cutting board. With a sharp knife, carefully slice the chicken breast in half horizontally. Your knife should be parallel to the cutting board while you are making the slice. You should now have two chicken cutlets from each chicken breast. If your chicken breast was very thick, you may need to flatten it out further using a meat mallet. Just place each chicken cutlet between two sheets of plastic wrap, and use a meat mallet (or a heavy skillet) to pound the meat out to an even thickness. Here is a great video showing how to cut a chicken cutlet.

Step Two: Bread each chicken cutlet. In a small bowl, mix together the beaten egg with the milk until well combined to make an egg wash. In a separate bowl, combine the panko bread crumbs and spices to make the breading. Put the egg mixture and the breading mixture into separate shallow bowls or rimmed plates. One at a time, dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture. Allow any excess egg to drip off of the cutlet. Then move the cutlet to the breadcrumb mixture and dredge until both sides are well coated.

two white plates on a marble background. One is holding eggwash; the other breading with a breaded chicken cutlet on it.

Step Three: Line a baking sheet or large casserole dish with parchment paper. Place chicken on the parchment-lined dish and spray both sides of each cutlet with olive oil spray. Put the dish in the oven and bake for approximately 15 minutes, until the breadcrumb coating has a nice golden brown color.

a white casserole dish on a grey background. The dish has four breaded but not yet cooked chicken cutlets.

a white casserole dish on a grey background. The dish has four chicken cutlets with golden brown breading.

Step Four: Remove the chicken from the oven. Flip each chicken breast over. Place a slice of ham and a slice of cheese on top of each breast. Return the chicken to the oven and bake an additional 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Check for doneness with an instant-read thermometer. The chicken should be at a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

a white casserole dish on a grey background. The dish has four servings of chicken cordon bleu showing the ham layer placed.

a white casserole dish on a grey background. The dish has four servings of chicken cordon bleu showing the cheese layer placed but not yet melted.

a white casserole dish on a grey background. The dish has four servings of chicken cordon bleu showing the melted cheese.

Drizzle dijon cream sauce over the chicken, and serve immediately!