Description
This Chicken Cordon Bleu Quesadillas recipe combines tender grilled chicken, savory ham, and melted Swiss cheese layered inside golden, buttery tortillas, all complemented by a creamy Parmesan Dijon sauce. Ready in just 25 minutes, it’s a delicious twist on traditional quesadillas that brings the classic flavors of chicken cordon bleu into a convenient, flavorful handheld meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Quesadillas:
- 1 8-10 inch flour tortilla
- ¼ cup grilled chicken breast, sliced
- 2–3 slices deli ham
- 4 slices Swiss or Provolone cheese
- 2 tablespoons toasted breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Parmesan Dijon Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Dash of hot sauce (optional)
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the Parmesan Dijon Sauce: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan. Whisk in 1 tablespoon flour and add the chicken bouillon cube; cook for 1-2 minutes. Slowly pour in 1 cup milk while whisking continuously. Add 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard and a dash of hot sauce if desired. Continue cooking and whisking for about 5 minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat, stir in ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, season with salt and pepper to taste, and keep warm over low heat.
- Heat the skillet: Melt 2 tablespoons melted butter in a large skillet over medium heat to prepare for cooking the quesadilla.
- Assemble the quesadilla base: Place one flour tortilla in the skillet.
- Add the first cheese layer: Lay one layer of sliced Swiss or Provolone cheese over the tortilla.
- Layer the ham: Add 2-3 slices of deli ham evenly on top of the cheese.
- Sprinkle breadcrumbs: Scatter 2 tablespoons of toasted breadcrumbs over the ham.
- Add the second cheese layer: Add another layer of cheese slices on top of the breadcrumbs.
- Layer the chicken: Add ¼ cup of sliced grilled chicken breast evenly over the cheese.
- Drizzle sauce: Spoon a couple of spoonfuls of the warm Parmesan Dijon sauce over the chicken.
- Sprinkle more breadcrumbs: Sprinkle additional breadcrumbs over the sauce layer.
- Add final cheese layer: Place a final layer of cheese slices on top of the breadcrumbs.
- Top with second tortilla: Cover the assembled layers with another flour tortilla.
- Cook the quesadilla: Cook the quesadilla in the skillet until the bottom tortilla is golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Carefully flip and cook the other side until it is also golden brown and the cheese has melted, another 3-4 minutes.
- Serve: Remove from skillet, cut into slices, and serve warm with the remaining Parmesan Dijon sauce on the side.
- Tips for cooking: Maintain medium heat while cooking to ensure the quesadilla crisps evenly and the fillings melt thoroughly without burning.
Notes
- Cook quesadilla over medium heat to prevent burning before the cheese melts and fillings warm through.
- You can use store-bought breaded chicken instead of adding breadcrumbs.
- Grated cheese can be substituted for sliced cheese if preferred.
- Ingredient quantities can be adjusted based on your quesadilla size and desired filling amount.
- The sauce recipe yields enough for multiple quesadillas; easily scale up to make more servings.
- Homemade breadcrumbs are simple to make by processing bread heels in a food processor and toasting them at 350°F for about 5 minutes.
