Chicken Cordon Bleu Crêpes are a variation on the traditional Chicken Cordon Bleu. The traditional Chicken Cordon Bleu features chicken stuffed with ham and Swiss cheese, and topped with a sauce. With this variation, I stuffed crêpes with a cheesy mixture of chicken, ham and mushrooms. As a finishing touch, I topped the crêpes with additional creamy sauce and Parmesan cheese.
The Chicken Cordon Bleu Crêpes are simple to make, and can be put together ahead of time. In addition, the leftovers, if any can be reheated. They’re perfect for an elegant dinner party or an every-day dinner!
Ingredients for Chicken Cordon Bleu Crêpes:
I used the following ingredients for the delicious filling for the crêpes: Unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, low sodium chicken broth, salt, freshly ground black pepper, milk, chicken, baking soda, water, Creole seasoning, shallots, garlic, mushrooms, dry sherry, dried thyme, Gruyère cheese, and Parmesan cheese. You could use Swiss cheese in place of the Gruyère cheese. However, I think that the Gruyère cheese adds a depth of flavor that is potentially missing in regular Swiss cheese.
Making the Crêpes:
I started by making the crêpe batter that took minutes to put together. First, I added the milk, egg, flour, oil, salt, and sugar to a 2-cup measuring cup. Then, I whisked all of this together a half hour or so before it was time to cook. This gave the batter time to rest.
Now was the time that the Master Taste Tester took over. He started by heating a small amount of butter in an 8-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. When the pan was hot, he added about 3 tablespoons of the batter, and swirled the pan to evenly distribute the batter. As the batter cooked, the Master Taste Tester flipped the crêpes to ensure that they were perfectly cooked on both sides.
I always marvel at the Master Taste Tester’s skill in flipping the crêpes high into the air as they are cooking – a trick that he learned when he was a little boy when his mother was out of the kitchen! Watch him make the crêpes in this short video!
Making the Cheesy Sauce for the Chicken Cordon Bleu Crêpes:
With the crêpes made, I turned my attention to making a cheesy white sauce to both bind the filling, and pour on top of the crêpes. First, I whisked together flour and melted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Then, I slowly added hot chicken broth, and continued whisking until the sauce had thickened. Next, I added the salt and pepper, and whisked to combine. Finally, I added the milk.
Once the sauce had thickened, I added the shredded Gruyère cheese. I whisked the sauce until the cheese had melted.
Making the Filling for the Chicken Cordon Bleu Crêpes:
I started by soaking the chicken in a mixture of baking soda and water for about 15 minutes. The reason for doing this was to ensure that the chicken was tender. After 15 minutes, I drained the chicken, rinsed it well, and patted it dry with paper towels.
Then, I added the chicken and Creole seasoning to melted butter in a large skillet. I cooked the chicken over medium heat until it was cooked through. This took about 4 minutes. After removing the chicken from the pan, I added the shallots and garlic. I cooked them for a minute or so, and then added the mushrooms. I cooked the mixture for several minutes until the moisture from the mushrooms had evaporated. Next, I added the ham, and stirred to combine everything. After that, I added the dry sherry and dried thyme, and cooked the mixture until the sherry had evaporated. I returned the chicken to the pan, and cooked the mixture for another minute or so. Finally, I added about ¾ cup of the cheesy white sauce to bind the filling ingredients.
Finishing the Chicken Cordon Bleu Crêpes:
I added about ¼ cup of the creamy filling to the individual crêpes, rolled them up, and place them seam side down in a baking dish. When all of the crêpes had been rolled, I spooned the remaining cheese sauce over the top. I finished the crêpes off with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
I popped the crêpes into a preheated 400° F oven for about 25 minutes until the mixture was bubbly, and the top golden brown. I hope that you’ll agree that these Chicken Cordon Bleu Crêpes are amazing. Yum!
Chicken Cordon Bleu Crêpes:
Ingredients
Crêpes:
- 1 large egg
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon cooking oil
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ cup milk
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter (for cooking the crêpes)
Creamy Chicken Cordon Bleu Filling:
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth (hot)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 chicken breast skinned, boned and cut into ½-inch cubes
- ¼ teaspoon Creole seasoning (See Note 1)
- ¼ cup finely chopped shallots
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 4 ounces fresh mushrooms wiped clean and roughly chopped
- ½ cup (2 ounces) deli ham, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons dry sherry (See Note 2)
- ⅛ teaspoon dried tarragon
- ½ cup shredded Gruyère cheese (See Note 3)
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 Tablespoons snipped fresh chives for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Crêpes:
- Whisk egg, salt, oil, and sugar in a mixing bowl until well blended. Add flour and milk alternately, whisking until smooth. Let sit for 30 minutes.
- When ready to make crêpes, heat an 8-inch non-stick skillet with 1 teaspoon of butter over medium heat. Pour 3 Tablespoons batter into pan; quickly tilt to make a thin layer. Brown lightly on both sides. Let cool on paper towel. Repeat with remaining butter and batter. Yield: 5 to 6 crêpes.
Creamy Chicken Filling:
- In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened into a pale blond roux, about 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken broth in a steady stream, whisking to incorporate. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently with a whisk or heavy wooden spoon until thick. Add salt and pepper, and stir to incorporate. Slowly whisk in the milk and simmer, stirring, until well incorporated and thickened. Add the Gruyere cheese; stir until melted. Remove from the heat and very lightly film the top with the milk to prevent a skin from forming.
- In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the diced chicken, season lightly with Creole seasoning, and cook, stirring, until lightly browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon. Add the shallots and garlic to the fat and juices in the pan, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, and cook, stirring, until they have given off their liquid and are starting to color, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ham and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the sherry and bring to a boil, stirring to deglaze the pan. Add the tarragon and return the chicken to the pan. Stir well to blend and cook until the sherry has evaporated. Reduce the heat to low and stir in enough of the creamy white sauce to bind and thicken, about ¾ cup. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
Making the Chicken Cordon Bleu Crêpes:
- Preheat oven to 400° F. Spray a 7 x 7-inch baking dish with non-stick spray; set aside.
- Place the crêpes on a work surface. One at a time, spoon the filling along the bottom third of each crêpe, about 3 to 4 tablespoons per crêpe, and roll into a cylinder to enclose the filling. Place, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with the remaining crêpes.
- Spoon the remaining cheesy white sauce evenly over the crêpes and top with grated Parmesan cheese. (See Note 1)
- Bake at 400° F until warmed through and the top starts to become bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven; if desired, garnish with minced chives. Serve hot, 1 to 2 crepes per person. Yield: 4 servings.
Chula's Expert Tips
- For Creole seasoning, I use Emeril's Essence.
- For the Dry Sherry, I use either Tio Pepe or Dry Sack.
- May use Swiss cheese in place of Gruyere cheese.
- The crêpes can be tightly covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for 1 day or frozen for 3 days at this point. Bring to room temperature before baking
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