These Baked Cordon Bleu Roll Ups are stuffed with melty cheese and smoked ham and oven-fried until crispy using my tried-and-true oven-frying technique for better-than-KFC crispiness!
With step-by-step instructions, a Marinara Dip sauce recipe for extra deliciousness, and substitutions, these Cordon Bleu Roll Ups are easy to make and so satisfying! Perfect for making-ahead.
Baked Cordon Bleu Roll Ups
What I love about these Baked Cordon Bleu Roll Ups is that they’re extra crispy and cheesy but there’s no need to fry them to get that to that. My very much tested and loved oven-frying technique will give you a KFC-worthy crispy coating!
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Extremely crispy. These Cordon Bleu Roll Ups use my oven-fried technique that I used in many recipes before (and that you guys loved) which relies on a thick coating of crushed cornflakes, a drizzle of olive oil and a high oven temperature for better-than-KFC crispiness. Not kidding.
- Cheesy. The best part of a Cordon Bleu, right?
- Marinara dip. This recipe comes with a delicious marinara dip recipe for extra deliciousness!
- Customizable. The recipe card down below comes with all the substitutions you might need!
- Make-Ahead. Did you know that Cordon Bleu Roll Ups are the perfect make-ahead dishes for busy weeknights?
Ingredients for Cordon Bleu Roll Ups
Chicken breasts or turkey breasts. This is the base of your Cordon Bleu, so what will hold in together the ham and cheese, basically. Make sure you get skinless and boneless and keep in mind that you’ll have to pound them until thin (so if you can find the ones that are already sliced thin, get those and you won’t have to pound it).
Ham or turkey ham if you can’t use or don’t have ham. In any case, make sure it has a nice smokey flavor so you can still taste it once it’ll be inside the cordon bleu.
Cheese. I like Cheddar cheese but most people stick to Swiss cheese. Just make sure it’s a cheese that will melt and that will make sense flavor-wise. Mozzarella, Asiago, Provolone, Gouda, or Scamorza (smoky) will all work.
Egg for rolling the cordon bleu before sticking it into the coating mixture.
Cornflakes. Now, here’s what makes these special. For my oven-frying technique, I always use crushed cornflakes because they give you a much crispier (and delicious) coating then regular crumbs. I’m talking KFC-crisp. Also, they’re Gluten-Free making this recipe GF as well!
Olive oil for drizzling the cordon bleu (important step when oven-frying) and for the marinara sauce.
For the Marinara Dip: tomato sauce, garlic, oregano, basil, and cayenne pepper.
How Do You Make Cordon Bleu From Scratch?
STEP ONE: Flatten the chicken. Skip this step if your chicken breasts are already 1/4-inch (1/2 cm) thick. To flatten the chicken breast, lay each breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap then use a meat mallet or a rolling pin to pound the meat to 1/4-inch (1/2 cm) thick. Discard the top player of plastic wrap but keep the chicken on the bottom layer of plastic wrap.
STEP TWO: Assemble the cordon bleu. Place 1 slice of ham and 1 slice of cheese on a chicken breast then roll the chicken breast up into a log and pinch the edges of the meat to seal. Wrap the log in plastic wrap and twist the edges of the plastic wrap to secure. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.
STEP THREE: Chill. Place the prepared cordon bleu roll-ups in the refrigerator to set for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
STEP FOUR: Preheat the oven to 375F (190C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
STEP FIVE: Make the crispy coating. Meanwhile, add the cornflakes to a food processor and pulse until the cornflakes are reduced to small crumbs with a few bigger pieces (texture should not be completely finely ground). Transfer the crushed cornflakes to a large shallow bowl and mix in salt and pepper.
STEP SIX: Coat the cordon bleu. Remove the cordon bleu from the refrigerator and make sure you have a good working station featuring the cordon bleu, the prepared coating, the bowl with the beaten egg, and the lined baking sheets. Unwrap one of the cordon bleu, roll it into the beaten egg, season it with salt and pepper, roll into the cornflakes, and place it on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining cordon bleu.
STEP SEVEN: Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the coating is golden and crispy and the internal temperature reaches 165F (75C). Meanwhile, make the Marinara dip (optional).
STEP EIGHT: Make the Marinara dip: In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil until hot, then add in the garlic and saute until fragrant (about 1-2 minutes), then lower the heat to medium-low and add in the tomato sauce, oregano, basil, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5-10 minute, taste, and adjust seasonings if needed. Serve with your Cordon Bleu Roll Ups.
What to eat with Cordon Bleu Roll Ups?
I usually enjoy some fresh veggies with these, like this delicious Avocado Salad or a nice Simple Green Salad that you can make with any of your favorite spring greens, or even just a classic Creamy Coleslaw.
I also like these Healthy Oven Roasted Vegetables that you can make with any veggies you have on hand or these Garlic Butter Green Beans.
Make-Ahead, Storing And Reheating
Make-Ahead Instructions: follow the recipe through step 3, chill overnight, and follow step 4 the next.
Storing Instructions: store any leftovers covered or in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. I don’t recommend storing longer than that as this is one of those dishes that’s actually best eaten as it’s made.
Reheating Instructions: preheat the oven to 325F (160C), place the Cordon Bleu Roll Ups on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and reheat for 5-10 minutes or until fully heated through.
Alternatively, you can reheat these on the stovetop by adding them to a greased skillet over medium heat and reheating them for 5-10 minutes or until heated through. Do not microwave, they will turn soggy.
HAPPY COOKING!! I hope you'll love this Baked Cordon Bleu Roll Ups Recipe as much as I do!
PS: Please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ if you make it! Your comments make my day!! You can also tag me on Instagram @itsdamnspicy 🌈💘
More chicken recipes you’ll love:
- Crispy Hot Honey Chicken
- Baked Honey Dijon Chicken
- Viral Peanut Butter Chicken
- Crispy Cajun Chicken with Chipotle Mayo
Baked Cordon Bleu Roll Ups
Ingredients
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (or turkey breasts)
- 4 slices ham (or smoked turkey ham)
- 4 slices Swiss cheese (or any melty cheese such as deli Cheddar, Gouda, Mozzarella, Asiago, Provolone, Scamorza)
- 1 large egg (beaten)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups (60 g) cornflakes
For The Spicy Marinara Sauce (Optional)
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 15-oz can (425 g) high-quality tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste, or omit if you don't want the marinara dip to be spicy)
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Flatten the chicken. Skip this step if your chicken breasts are already 1/4-inch (1/2 cm) thick. To flatten the chicken breast, lay each breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap then use a meat mallet or a rolling pin to pound the meat to 1/4-inch (1/2 cm) thick. Discard the top player of plastic wrap but keep the chicken on the bottom layer of plastic wrap.
- Assemble the cordon bleu. Place 1 slice of ham and 1 slice of cheese on a chicken breast then roll the chicken breast up into a log and pinch the edges of the meat to seal. Wrap the log in plastic wrap and twist the edges of the plastic wrap to secure. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.
- Chill. Place the prepared cordon bleu roll-ups in the refrigerator to set for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 375F (190C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the crispy coating. Meanwhile, add the cornflakes to a food processor and pulse until the cornflakes are reduced to small crumbs with a few bigger pieces (texture should not be completely finely ground). Transfer the crushed cornflakes to a large shallow bowl and mix in salt and pepper.
- Coat the cordon bleu. Remove the cordon bleu from the refrigerator and make sure you have a good working station featuring the cordon bleu, the prepared coating, the bowl with the beaten egg, and the lined baking sheets. Unwrap one of the cordon bleu, roll it into the beaten egg, season it with salt and pepper, roll into the cornflakes, and place it on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining cordon bleu.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the coating is golden and crispy and the internal temperature reaches 165F (75C). Meanwhile, make the Marinara dip (optional).
- Make the Marinara dip. In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil until hot, then add in the garlic and saute until fragrant (about 1-2 minutes), then lower the heat to medium-low and add in the tomato sauce, oregano, basil, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5-10 minute, taste, and adjust seasonings if needed. Serve with your baked Cordon Bleu Roll Ups.
Leave a Reply