Chicken Cordon Bleu Mac and Cheese

This chicken cordon bleu mac and cheese recipe is easy to make and is a great way to use up leftover ham. In this recipe, I’m using my leftover ham from Easter dinner. I had chopped up some of the leftovers into bite size pieces and froze them for various uses like soup and fried rice which made this dish even quicker and easier to make. Please make sure to enjoy the video at the bottom of this page before getting started :)

Ingredients
12 ounces elbow macaroni
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt (or to your taste)
2 cups milk
8 ounces Swiss cheese
12 ounces ham (I’m using leftover ham from Easter)
1 pound chicken tenders (tendons removed)

Instructions for Chicken Cordon Bleu Mac and Cheese

1. Start off by bringing a pot of well salted water to a boil. I use about 1/4 cup of iodized salt for 7 quarts of water. I also used 1 bay leaf in the water for extra flavor. Once the water comes to a boil, cook your noodles according to package instructions. I cooked mine for 8 minutes and then drained them.
2. In a separate large pot, melt the butter then add the flour (and Kosher salt) and combine them with a whisk. Cook for about 2 minutes until your mixture has a golden color and a slightly nutty scent.
3. Add you milk a little at a time whisking as you go so you don’t get lumps. Once all of your milk is added, bring the mixture to a boil stirring often with a rubber spatula making sure to scrape the bottom as you go so nothing is sticking or burning. Your sauce should thicken once it hits a boil.
4. Lower the heat to medium – low and add in the Swiss cheese. Stir until it is melted in.
5. Add the ham and stir until combined.
6. Set up your “breading area”. To do this I combine 1 1/2 – 2 cups of flour, 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt into a gallon bag. Next, I crack about 3 eggs into a container large enough to dip my chicken strips into. Then I put 1 1/2 cups of bread crumbs in a second gallon baggie.
7. In a separate pan or deep fryer, heat canola oil. Dip your chicken into the flour mixture followed by the eggs and then the bread crumbs. Fry you chicken on both sides until it’s golden brown.
8. Serve your beautiful cordon bleu mac and cheese with some of the fried chicken and a garnish of spicy mustard and green onions if desired. Please make sure to enjoy the video below before getting started.

Please enjoy this video tutorial!