Easy Keto Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole (Low Carb)
This Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole is a deliciously hearty keto meal that you will LOVE! Layers of shredded chicken, ham, Swiss cheese smothered in a creamy Dijon sauce, then topped with pork panko. Are you drooling yet? The result is a flavor-packed, low-carb dinner that the entire family will love!
Chicken cordon bleu is a classic dish from France that has been served for years and years. It means “blue ribbon” in French. It is traditionally made by wrapping a pounded chicken cutlet around Swiss cheese and ham. The entire thing is usually dipped in an egg wash and rolled in breadcrumbs. It can be baked or fried and is finished with a drizzle of a creamy Dijon sauce. Sounds decadent, right?
But the problem with the classic version is that the breading around the chicken and the flour in the sauce are not keto-friendly. But the good thing is, you don’t need them to enjoy those same cordon bleu flavors.
This recipe for this Keto Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole is a “deconstructed” version that is low in carbs and super easy to make!
If you love casseroles, you need to check out these 37 Keto & Low Carb Casserole ideas.
I love that this version does not require individually wrapping each chicken breast, which saves time and is also less messy! Instead, all you need to do is layer your ingredients in a casserole dish and bake! I promise you won’t miss the breading either since I use a carb-free pork panko, which adds some much-needed crunch!
Ingredients for Low Carb Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole:
- Shredded Chicken: The best chicken to use is boneless, skinless chicken breasts. See how to make shredded chicken in your slow cooker easily.
- Ham: You can choose different flavors of ham if you want. I use thinly sliced smoked deli ham for this casserole.
- Swiss: Swiss cheese is traditionally used, but you can use provolone, Gouda, cheddar, or Havarti.
- Pork Panko: This replaces those carb-heavy breadcrumbs while allowing us to still get a crunchy texture without the guilt and ZERO carbs!
- Cheese Sauce: I used cream cheese, chicken broth, heavy cream, Dijon, and spices to create a creamy and flavorful sauce without flour.
Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe and instructions along with the printable recipe card.
Steps to make low carb casserole:
With shredded chicken already cooked and shredded, this recipe can be assembled in less than 15 minutes! I suggest making shredded chicken ahead of time to meal prep and save time! Chicken freezes well and can be done months in advance.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9 X 13 casserole dish. You could also use a large 12-inch oven-safe skillet if preferred.
Step 2: Lay shredded chicken in the bottom of the casserole dish.
Step 2: Add the chopped ham on top. I cut it into squares instead of layering slices of ham on top to make it easier to serve the casserole when it’s done.l
Step 3: In a saucepan, melt butter, add softened cream cheese, chicken broth, heavy whipping cream, , Dijon mustard, and spices. Once the ingredients are combined, add the Swiss and Parmesan cheese. Bring to a slow boil, then lower heat and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes so that the sauce can reduce and thicken.
Step 4: Pour the sauce over the chicken/ham mixture.
Step 5: In a bowl, add the crushed pork rinds and butter and combine. Sprinkle the pork rinds mixture on top of the casserole.
Step 6: Bake for 25 minutes and move to the top shelf for the last 5 min of baking. This helps the pork panko to crisp up a bit more.
Step 7: Allow your casserole to cool slightly before serving.
Substitutes for Keto Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole:
This recipe is very versatile. You can swap out a few ingredients or add additional ingredients you enjoy. If you want your sauce to stay thicker and creamier, you want to keep the cream cheese. But you can add fresh herbs to your sauce for added flavor. Herbs that would go well with a cream sauce are parsley, tarragon, thyme, and even rosemary.
Spices you can add to kick it up a notch are paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, or nutmeg.
Ham: You can use prosciutto or even bacon instead of ham if you like. If using bacon, make sure to add it cooked.
Swiss: Some people love it; some hate it. If you prefer, another cheese, provolone, cheddar, or Gouda cheese are great substitutes.
Freezer friendly
Low carb freezer meals are the best. Especially when you’ve had a long day and don’t have any energy to be on your feet or clean up afterward, they can go from your freezer to the fridge right into the oven with minimal effort and little cleanup. Yes!
If you want to freeze this keto chicken cordon bleu casserole recipe, you can layer the dish as the instructions read. Then allow the cheese sauce to come to room temperature before placing it in the freezer. Cover it well with a lid and/or lots of plastic wrap and foil. Please note that cheese sauces can get grainy when defrosted, but the taste should be the same. You may also want to wait until it’s time to bake the casserole and make the cheese sauce fresh then.
Tip* Freezing food that is hot or even warm can increase the chances of freezer burn. For the best results, place your casserole in the fridge for a few hours before freezing it.
Defrosting:
Make sure to defrost your frozen casserole in the fridge before placing it in the oven. It is best to do this overnight, to allow the casserole to defrost in the refrigerator. Then bake 5-10 minutes longer than the instructions since it will be cold.
More keto casseroles:
- Cheesy Mexican Taco Casserole (Low Carb)
- Keto Buffalo Chicken Casserole (w/ Cauliflower)
- Keto Broccoli Casserole with Ham & Cheese
- Cheesy Asparagus Casserole Keto Recipe
- Keto Pizza Casserole {Keto / Low Carb}
- Italian Meatball Casserole {Keto/Low Carb}
- Keto Sink Casserole
Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu (Keto/Low Carb)
Ingredients
- 3½ cups shredded chicken 1.75 lbs
- ⅓ lb of deli smoked black ham chopped
- 5 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
Cheese Sauce:
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ¼ cup cheddar cheese
Topping
- 1 cup pork panko crushed pork rinds
- 2 tbsp melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease a 9 X 13 casserole dish.
- Lay shredded chicken in the bottom of the casserole dish.
- Add the chopped ham on top.
- In a saucepan, melt butter, add softened cream cheese, chicken broth, heavy whipping cream, dijon mustard and spices. Once the ingredients are combined add the Swiss, cheddar, and Parmesan cheese.
- Bring to a very slow boil, then lower heat and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes so that the sauce can reduce and thicken. After it starts boiling make sure to lower the heat to simmer because you can cause the cheese sauce to curdle.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken/ham mixture.
- In a bowl, add the crushed pork rinds and butter and combine. Sprinkle the pork rinds mixture on top of the casserole.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
- Move to top shelf last 5 min of baking. Serve hot!
Is the pork panko a must? I don’t like pork rinds at all LOL. If they are (sigh) – did you just buy a bag and crush them yourself?
I did buy a bag and crush them myself but you could omit although I haven’t tested it that way.
I’m going to try parmesan crisp topping. Crush parmesan crisps
Your sauce mentions softened cream cheese and 1/2 c cheese. What kind of cheese?
If you scroll to the bottom of the post to the recipe card you’ll see the full list of ingredients and instructions.
The recipe card includes 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese, but the instructions never mention the cheddar cheese. Is it included with the swiss and parmesan in the cheese sauce, or does it go on top?
It has been updated to include the cheddar cheese in the sauce with the other cheeses.
I made this exactly as presented…way too liquid-y and watery. Any thoughts on how to bind this?
It sounds like you didn’t allow the sauce to reduce enough. The recipe calls for reducing 5 min or so because each stove cooks differently. If it hasn’t thickened enough at 5 min keep simmering. It will thicken right up for you.
Michael, I was concerned with this too. Keep it on the stove, stir frequently. You want it a little thick and creamy like gravy. Try this again. It’s actually a wonderful dinner!! I made a salad and garlic toast for the kids.
Made it tonight and loved it. I precooked some Portobello mushrooms and stuffed them with the Chicken Cordon Bleu. Put them back in the oven for about 10 minutes. They were delish.
Great! So glad you enjoyed it.
Made it a couple of weeks back. The pork rind butter mix didn’t really crisp up in the oven. It was almost liquidy, had to put it on broil to get it to crisp up. And all the melted butter from the bread crumbs sorta melted into the recipe… Definitely still good though!
You are becoming my go-to recipe girl!
Second time making this delicious casserole.
Making your ground beef/green bean one tomorrow!
Thank you!
Fantastic. So glad you have enjoyed the recipes. I’d greatly appreciate it if you’d use the star rating on the recipe card to rate the recipes you’ve made. Thanks so much for commenting.
No mention of cheddar cheese on recipe.
On the recipe card at the bottom of the post is the full ingredient list and instructions. You will find cheddar cheese in the ingredeint list and in step 5 of the instructions. Thanks!
What is a serving size ? these recipes like never say is it a cup ?
The recipe card has the number of servings at the top. I use that number and divide the recipe evenly. I don’t measure.
Loved the flavor of this. Clearly I didn’t reduce it enough (even though it simmered for almost 10 minutes)…it was more like soup than it was a casserole. We still enjoyed it. ☺️
Glad you enjoyed it. Next time just keep simmering and it will reduce perfectly. All stoves have differing temps so it’s hard to say exactly.
Delicious!! Have made it a couple of times and I love it. Thanks for sharing!
Abut how many lbs chicken equals 3.5 cups shredded?
LIttle over a pound.
I made this for dinner tonight and the cheese sauce knocked my socks off. So good! I made pasta to go with it, for the non-keto family members, and it was a hit. Thank you for another great recipe. Your recipes for mushroom gravy chicken and the garlic parmesan pork chops are already part of my regular rotation. This will be the 3rd KT recipe I regularly make!
Fantastic!I am so glad you are enjoying my recipes.
Okay, I had to come back because this recipe is absolutely delicious! My family of 8 devoured it and asked me to make it again tomorrow. I used farmland ham cubes, and a little more chicken. I also subbed Whisps for the topping and it was yummy! I simmered the sauce for 12 minutes and it was just right. Thank you Kasey for another delicious recipe! I will be making this for the rest of my life.
Fantastic, Amy! I’m so glad you all enjoyed it. If you have a moment, I’d love it if you’d click the stars on the recipe card to rate the recipe. I appreciate you taking the time to comment.
Could u sub the Swiss for provolone or mozzarella allergy to swiss
I haven’t tried it but I can’t imagine it would be a problem.
I made this last night and it was very good. The cheese sauce came together quickly and thickened wonderfully. I added about twice as much dijon and a bit of cayenne. The family loved it.
Awesome! So glad you all loved it!