chicken Cordon Bleu in lasagna

 A simple and fast chicken Cordon Bleu in lasagna form—creamy, delicious, and satisfying.

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package lasagna noodles

• ½ cup unsalted butter

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon onion powder

• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 ¾ cups milk, warmed

• 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese, divided

• 2 ½ cups cooked chicken, chopped

• 8 ounces deli ham, chopped

• ½ cup bread crumbs

• 1 pinch Italian seasoning, or to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain.

3. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; stir in cream cheese until it begins to melt, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, onion powder, and black pepper. Gradually whisk warm milk into cream cheese until smooth; stir in 1 1/2 cups Swiss cheese. Bring sauce to a simmer, stirring constantly, until cheese has melted and sauce has thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. Spread 3/4 cup cheese sauce into bottom of a 9x9-inch baking dish. Arrange 1/3 lasagna noodles over sauce; spread 1/2 cooked chicken and 1/2 ham over noodles. Pour 1 cup sauce over top. Repeat layers starting with 1/2 remaining lasagna noodles, remaining 1/2 chicken, remaining 1/2 ham, and 1 cup cheese sauce. Layer remaining lasagna noodles, remaining sauce, remaining 1/2 cup Swiss cheese, and bread crumbs; sprinkle top with Italian seasoning. Cover dish with aluminum foil.

5. Bake in the preheated oven until bubbling, about 25 minutes. Remove foil; continue baking until bread crumbs are browned, about 10 minutes more. Let casserole stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.