Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

I love chicken cordon bleu, so when I saw a recipe to make it into a casserole, I was pretty excited. The original recipe we tried is from Six Sisters Stuff, and it tasted almost exactly like my chicken cordon bleu soup recipe... so while good... it was nothing new or exciting. Plus, Chris is not a huge fan of cream soups right now, and so because it was so similar, he wasn't impressed. BUT! I thought, what if we did noodles instead of potatoes?!!! And everyone liked it a lot!

Find the original recipe here: https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/chicken-cordon-bleu-potatoes/#wprm-recipe-container-109529

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Ingredients:

• 12 small golden potatoes or 1/2 pkg pasta
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 cups milk
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 ounces cooked ham diced
• 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken diced or shredded
• 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese divided (could also use mozzarella or Provolone cheese)
• Crushed croutons (opt.)

Instructions:

1. Wash and slice yellow potatoes and boil them for about 7 to 10 minutes or until fork tender. OR boil your pasta just a few minutes less than package directions (pasta will continue to cook in the oven).
2. In a medium sauce pan melt the butter over medium heat. Add onion powder, garlic salt, and salt and pepper to your flour and mix. Then add in the flour mixture to the pan with the melted butter and stir with a whisk until well blended. Then slowly add in milk and continue stirring with a whisk until smooth and creamy.
3. Lightly grease a 9 x 9 inch square baking dish. 
4. If doing potatoes: Cover bottom of pan lightly with about 1/4 cup of the sauce. Spread half of the sliced potatoes in the bottom of the pan. Top with half of the ham and half of the chicken. Pour half of the sauce and then top with about 1/2 cup of cheese. Then repeat layers starting with potatoes, ham, chicken, sauce and the rest of your cheese.
5. If doing pasta: Add your ham, chicken, 1 1/2 cups Swiss, and your cooked pasta to the pan with your sauce (if it will fit, otherwise use a big bowl), and mix all of your casserole ingredients together. Dump into a 9x9 pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray, smooth out and then top with remaining Swiss cheese.
6. Bake in 375 oven for 25 to 30 minutes until heated through. A few minutes before the casserole is done baking, top with crushed croutons, if desired and finish off the bake.