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Slow-Cooker Unstuffed Chicken Cordon Bleu

By Stephanie Pixley

Published on October 16, 2019

Time

1 to 2 hours on low

Yield

Serves 4

Slow cooker size

4 to 7 quarts

Slow-Cooker Unstuffed Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients

½ cup chicken broth 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon instant tapioca 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon driedSalt and pepper 4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed8 thin slices deli ham (8 ounces)4 thin slices deli Swiss cheese (4 ounces)¼ cup heavy cream

Before You Begin

You will need an oval slow cooker for this recipe. Check the chicken's temperature after 1 hour of cooking and continue to monitor until it registers 160 degrees.

Instructions

  1. 1. Combine broth, mustard, tapioca, garlic, thyme, and ½ teaspoon pepper in slow cooker. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Working with 1 breast at a time, shingle 2 slices of ham on counter, overlapping edges slightly, and lay chicken in center of slices. Fold ham around chicken and arrange in even layer in slow cooker. Cover and cook until chicken registers 160 degrees, 1 to 2 hours on low.
  2. Top each breast with 1 slice Swiss cheese. Cover and cook on high until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.
  3. Transfer chicken to serving dish. Whisk cream into cooking liquid until smooth, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve.
Slow-Cooker Unstuffed Chicken Cordon Bleu
Photography by Keller + Keller. Styling by Catrine Kelty.

Slow-Cooker Unstuffed Chicken Cordon Bleu

Save

Time

1 to 2 hours on low

Yield

Serves 4

Slow cooker size

4 to 7 quarts

Ingredients

½ cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon instant tapioca
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried
Salt and pepper
4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
8 thin slices deli ham (8 ounces)
4 thin slices deli Swiss cheese (4 ounces)
¼ cup heavy cream

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

½ cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon instant tapioca
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried
Salt and pepper
4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
8 thin slices deli ham (8 ounces)
4 thin slices deli Swiss cheese (4 ounces)
¼ cup heavy cream

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

½ cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon instant tapioca
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried
Salt and pepper
4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
8 thin slices deli ham (8 ounces)
4 thin slices deli Swiss cheese (4 ounces)
¼ cup heavy cream

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

Traditional recipes for chicken cordon bleu require carefully stuffing bone-in breasts, but we wanted an easier approach. To streamline the method and adapt it to the slow cooker, we wrapped boneless chicken breasts in thin slices of deli ham, nestled them in the slow cooker, and then topped them with Swiss cheese for a no-fuss approach that kept prep work to a minimum. Poaching the breasts in a flavorful mixture of broth, mustard, and aromatics seasoned the chicken and allowed it to cook more gently. Once the chicken was cooked through, we whisked some cream into the cooking liquid to make an easy mustard cream sauce. Our slow-cooker version had all the classic flavors of chicken cordon bleu—the only thing we lost was the fussy technique. 

Before You Begin

You will need an oval slow cooker for this recipe. Check the chicken's temperature after 1 hour of cooking and continue to monitor until it registers 160 degrees.

Instructions

  1. 1. Combine broth, mustard, tapioca, garlic, thyme, and ½ teaspoon pepper in slow cooker. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Working with 1 breast at a time, shingle 2 slices of ham on counter, overlapping edges slightly, and lay chicken in center of slices. Fold ham around chicken and arrange in even layer in slow cooker. Cover and cook until chicken registers 160 degrees, 1 to 2 hours on low.
  2. Top each breast with 1 slice Swiss cheese. Cover and cook on high until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.
  3. Transfer chicken to serving dish. Whisk cream into cooking liquid until smooth, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve.

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