Is there a more well-loved comfort food than macaroni and cheese? As a kid, the Kraft spirals (the regular just did not taste the same!) was a side dish I always looked forward to. Now that I have a love of cooking from scratch for my own household, I have discovered how versatile this seemingly plain, simple dish can be! 

Chicken cordon bleu is another favorite of mine – melding the chicken with ham and Swiss cheese is so satisfying and delicious! In this dish, I took my love of both cordon bleu and macaroni and cheese to make a delicious one pot meal for my family that was also quick and easy. 

What You Need for the Recipe 

This recipe came together quickly as I had leftover chicken and ham from previous meals. Use any type of cooked and shredded or diced chicken, about two cups worth. I used about two cups of diced ham; you could substitute deli ham in a pinch if you wanted to. Choose your favorite type of noodles to cook – I went with penne pasta for this recipe. You will need about four cups of milk (any kind will work, but whole milk makes the sauce extra creamy), salt, paprika, garlic, one cup of shredded cheddar cheese, and one cup of shredded Swiss cheese. You can also add in any cooked vegetables of choice: broccoli, peas, onions, carrots – customize it to your tastes! This recipe provides an opportunity to clean out some leftovers. 

If you have some breadcrumbs in your pantry, I recommend sprinkling them on top of the finished dish and broiling the entire thing in the oven for a couple of minutes. This is an unnecessary step, but so delicious! 

Prepare Macaroni and Cheese 

This recipe comes together quickly due to using leftover chicken and ham, plus cooking the noodles in the milk and adding the other ingredients right to them. Start with a medium to large sized saucepan. Add in the pasta, milk, salt, garlic, and paprika to the pan, and turn the heat to medium. Stir constantly until the milk begins to simmer – you do not want it to boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes, then turn the heat to low and stir constantly until the noodles are tender. Add additional milk if the noodles absorb all of the liquid before becoming tender. You do want a small amount of milk left in the pan to make the cheese sauce. 

Turn off the heat and add half of the shredded cheese. Stir until melted and smooth. Add the remaining cheese and stir until smooth. Add in the chicken and ham; mix well. Add in any cooked vegetables you would like and mix well. The dish is ready to serve, but you can also go on to one more step and sprinkle the whole thing with breadcrumbs, add some chunks of butter or spray with olive oil, then broil in the oven (make sure your pan is oven safe!) for a couple of minutes until the crumbs are browned.  

Let the dish cool for about five minutes before serving. This recipe will feed 4-6 people. 

Simple and Delicious Recipe 

This meal was gobbled up quickly at mealtime, which says a lot since I have a household of picky eaters! I really love meals that use up items I have in the fridge, especially from previous meals. This is a quick recipe that gets a delicious and nutritious meal on the table for your family. Everyone who loves chicken cordon bleu will love it! 

Chicken Cordon Bleu Macaroni and Cheese 

Preparation Time: 30 minutes or less / Serves 4-6 people 

Ingredients 

• 2 cups Chicken (cooked, diced or shredded) 
• 2 cups Ham (cooked, diced) 
• 12 oz. Pasta of choice 
• 4-5 cups Milk (any fat content) 
• 2 tsp Salt 
• 2 tsp Garlic 
• 2 tsp Paprika 
• 1 cup Cheddar cheese (shredded) 
• 1 cup Swiss cheese (shredded) 
• Cooked vegetables of choice (optional) 
• 1 cup Breadcrumbs (optional) 
• Butter or olive oil (optional) 

Directions 

1. In a medium to large sized saucepan, add the pasta, four cups of milk, salt, garlic, and paprika. 

2. Turn to medium heat. Stir constantly and slowly until milk begins to simmer (not boil). Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes.  

3. Turn heat to low and allow noodles to simmer until soft and tender. Add more milk if noodles absorb the liquid before done. 

4. Turn off heat. Add in one cup of shredded cheese; stir until smooth. Add remaining cheese and stir until smooth again. 

5. Stir in the cooked chicken and ham. 

6. Stir in any cooked vegetables you wish to add. 

7. Optional step: Sprinkle the dish with breadcrumbs. Spray entire top of dish with olive oil or cut up about 4 TBSP of butter and place on top of the dish. Broil for 4-5 minutes until the breadcrumbs are browned. (Be sure your pan is oven and broiler safe!) 

8. Remove from oven. Let cool for about five minutes, then serve and enjoy!