Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta Bake

Pasta – Rotini is my favorite to use because it really grips the cheese sauce. You can always swap it with another short pasta like fusilli or farfalle if that’s what you have on hand.

Chicken Breasts – Sometimes, I’ll make a big batch of Baked Chicken Breasts at the start of the week so I can use them just for recipes like this one.

Cheeses – You’ll need both mozzarella and Monterrey Jack cheeses. For the very best consistency, grate both cheeses right off the block yourself.

Chicken Stock – I love using Homemade Chicken Stock whenever I can.

Ham – When I have leftover Baked Ham from the holidays, this is the recipe I love to use it in.

Ranch Dressing – I highly recommend making Homemade Ranch Dressing if you have an extra

See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.

Cook the pasta. Cook the pasta, drain it, and place it in a large mixing bowl.

Add meats and pasta to a bowl. Dice cooked chicken breast (you can just cook it in a pan with some salt and pepper while cooking pasta (1)) and add it to the bowl with pasta. Dice ham and add it to pasta as well (2). Mix until evenly combined. Set aside.

Make the cheese sauce. In a small sauce pot, melt the butter and add chicken stock and heavy cream. Stir well and heat through. Grate Monterrey Jack cheese into the sauce pot and slowly stir until melted (3). Season with some salt and pepper.

Mix it all. Pour the cheesy sauce into the bowl with pasta (4) and mix thoroughly.

Bake. Transfer the mixture into prepared casserole dish and spread evenly. Spread mozzarella cheese evenly over the top (5). Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes.

Add ranch. Let casserole cool for a few minutes and drizzle with some ranch dressing (6).

Tips for the Best Pasta Bake

• Cook your pasta al dente. Since you will be cooking the pasta twice, you want it to have a little under-cooked bite right in the center. It will finish cooking in the oven with the sauce. 
• You can use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken to make the process even easier. That’ll also cut down on cook time.
• Feel free to use leftover ham from the holidays or get ham from your deli. If you’re getting ham from the deli, ask them to slice it in a dinner cut. That way, you can easily cut it into cubes at home.
• For the best melted cheese consistency, you should grate the cheese off the block yourself. You don’t want any separators or additives affecting the texture.
• Feel free to add veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, onions or green beans. Make sure to cut them into smaller bites. If you prefer softer vegetables, sear them for a few minutes first before adding.

Storing and Reheating

It’s very important to let the pasta bake cool down completely to room temperature before you store it. You can store this pasta bake in the very same dish it was baked in! Be sure to cover it airtight with plastic wrap, foil, or a fitted lid. It’ll stay good in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days.

You can reheat individual portions in the microwave until heated through. Or, you can reheat the entire casserole in the oven at 350°F. Make sure you cover the casserole dish with foil when reheating in the oven so it doesn’t dry out. Note that you may need to add a little milk to reinvigorate the pasta if it’s dried out.

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.