There’s so much to love about Chicken Cordon Bleu Quesadillas! They have all the same irresistible flavors of traditional, and time consuming Chicken Cordon Bleu in this super EASY quesadilla! There’s layers of gooey cheese, crispy bread crumbs, savory ham and chicken and of course killer Parmesan Dijon cream sauce that you could eat with a spoon! It’s a winner!
A huge thanks to my friends at Dairy West for sponsoring todays post! They love dairy products and the dairy industry as much as I do! #DairyWest #UndeniablyDairy
If you are a cheese lover like me you are in luck because Chicken Cordon Bleu Quesadillas are loaded with yummy cheese and is if that wasn’t good enough there’s this amazing creamy Parmesan Dijon Sauce to dip them in!
A few months ago Justin was invited to tour a cheese plant! I remember touring a cheese plant when I was a little girl but really don’t remember much about it other than that I loved the cheese curds we ate afterwards so much that my parents actually gave me a bag of cheese curds for Christmas!
Of course I invited myself to tag along for the cheese plant tour. Justin had told the cheesemaker that I wanted to come, and that because I’m a food blogger I’m really into that sort of thing. As soon as the cheesemaker saw me he said, “You don’t look anything like a food blogger!” I responded with, “What were you expecting?” He pretty much told me he thought I’d be hefty! Um, I guess he thought food bloggers cook and eat all day long!
Anyway, we got to help make the cheese from start to finish! It was fascinating to see the milk come straight from the farm, into a vat, stirred and whatever else he did to it, through the cheddaring process, made into curds, and then pressed into blocks.
I wish I would have taken pictures of the each part of the process. I have to admit by time we got to the point that we had cheese curds I was pretty much stuffing my face from then on!
And when he started flavoring the cheese (tomato basil, dill pickle, and spicy sausage) my mind was going crazy dreaming up a million fun flavors of cheese. Since I don’t own a cheese plant I might have to turn all those ideas into flavored grilled cheese sandwiches! Be prepared they’re probably coming your way!
Here’s a fun fact for you: It takes 10 lbs (1.2 gallons) of milk to make 1 lb of cheese and the average dairy cow produces about 70 lbs (8 gallons) of milk per day.
The cows from our farm produce about 70,000 pounds of milk per day, that’s about 7,000 pounds of cheese every single day…Christmas, Thanksgiving, Sunday, and every other day of the year!
A semi truck comes and picks our milk up every morning. That’s the routine!
Now that we are all caught up on our cheese talk (which happens to be very important around here) let’s get back to Chicken Cordon Bleu Quesadillas!
I should admit that I’ve never made homemade chicken cordon bleu before because it looks time consuming, and tricky, and takes a little more effort than I’m willing to put forth most days.
But…Chicken Cordon Bleu Quesadillas are a whole other story. They are so quick and easy to throw together and hardly take any effort at all and are out of this world delicious!
I love quesadillas so much I’ve made Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas, Philly Cheesesteak Quesadillas, Ham and Cheese Breakfast Quesadillas, Turkey and Cranberry Quesadillas, Steak Fajita Quesadillas, and Alice Springs Quesadillas! I love them all!
Quesadillas are a go to lunch for me because it’s easy to add leftover meat, cheese, and whatever else is hanging out in the fridge. Just like that a new quesadilla flavor is born! It’s such a no fuss lunch!
You guys I am obviously a serious cheese addict and I can’t imagine my life without it. When people tell me they are lactose intolerant I want to cry for them! But…did you know that even those with lactose intolerances can still enjoy dairy products in the form of cheese? Awe! What relief!
Lactose intolerance is when your body has a hard time digesting sugars that are naturally found in milk. Cheese is low in these sugars, or in other words lactose.
Sometimes being lactose intolerant is confused with having milk allergies. A milk allergy is when your body actually has an allergic reaction to proteins in milk. People with milk allergies must avoid dairy.
But here’s the good news, people who are lactose intolerant can still enjoy some dairy foods! If you want to learn more or have questions you can ask a Dietician at www.dairywest.com or discover more at www.nationaldairycouncil.org.
Are you hungry yet? Grab a a handful of ingredients and whip up Chicken Cordon Bleu Quesadillas at your earliest convenience! Trust me you’ll be happy you did!
Chicken Cordon Bleu Quesadillas
Ingredients
- QUESADILLAS:
- 1 8-10 inch flour tortillas
- ¼ c. grilled chicken breast sliced
- 2-3 slices deli ham
- 4 slices of Swiss or Provolone cheese
- 2 T. toasted breadcrumbs
- 2 T. melted butter
- PARMESAN DIJON SAUCE
- 2 T. butter
- 1 T. flour 1 cup milk
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Dash hot sauce optional
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- To make the sauce melt butter in a medium sized saucepan. Whisk in flour and add chicken bouillon and cook for 1-2 minutes. Slowly add milk while whisking. Add mustard and hot sauce. Continue cooking and whisking for about 5 minutes or until it’s thickened. Remove from heat and add parmesan cheese and stir. Keep warm over low heat.
- To make the quesadilla.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add one tortilla shell to skillet.
- Add one layer of sliced cheese.
- Add a layer of ham.
- Sprinkle with breadcrumbs
- Add another layer of cheese.
- Add a layer of sliced chicken.
- Drizzle with a couple spoonfuls of sauce.
- Sprinkle with more breadcrumbs.
- Add a layer of cheese.
- Top with another tortilla shell.
- Cook until the bottom tortilla is golden brown. Flip and continue cook until the other side is brown.
- Cut into slices and serve with remaining sauce.
- NOTES:
- Be sure to cook your quesadilla over medium heat. If your heat is too hot the quesadilla will be golden brown before the cheese is melted and the fillings are warmed through.
- Store bought breaded chicken may be used instead of adding breadcrumbs.
- Grated cheese may be used instead of sliced cheese.
- Exact amount of ingredients may vary depending on how much you add to your quesadilla!
- This recipe enough sauce for several quesadillas. It’s easy to make as many quesadillas as you want!
- You can make your own breadcrumbs by putting bread heels in a food processor and processing them until they are in crumbs. Bake them at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes.
Jeff B says
I modified this a bit to bake as a casserole and my wife and her friend both agree it’s going to be on the menu again for sure. As a vegetarian, I used Tofurky brand smoked ham and Morningstar Farms chik’n strips as substitutes.The rest was followed from the recipe and it was just as I had imagined. It really was delicious!
Amy Engberson says
This recipe is so much easier than making traditional Chicken Cordon Bleu, yet it’s every bit as tasty!
Sheena says
Holy Crap!!! I can’t believe it. I used slice deli ham and turkey but otherwise kept the recipe the same. Also put them in oven to help finish cooking and keep warm. My super picky 9yo said we should have them a lot more often.
Woohoo!
Amy Engberson says
Anytime you get your picky child to eat it’s a win! Besides that quick and easy meals are the best!