Description
A comforting casserole featuring tender chicken, savory ham, and gooey Swiss cheese in a creamy sauce, topped with crispy Panko breadcrumbs.
Ingredients
Scale
- 5 cups shredded chicken
- 9 ounces sliced deli-style black forest ham, cut into strips
- 8 ounces sliced Swiss cheese
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 ½ cups Panko breadcrumbs
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- Chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Spread the shredded chicken evenly in the baking dish.
- Layer the sliced black forest ham over the chicken.
- Place the Swiss cheese over the ham, overlapping the slices.
- In a saucepan, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat.
- Whisk in Dijon mustard, lemon juice (if using), garlic powder, salt, nutmeg (if using), and cayenne pepper (if using).
- Sprinkle in the flour and whisk until it forms a paste.
- Gradually add the whole milk, whisking after each addition until smooth.
- Simmer the sauce for about 4 minutes, whisking occasionally until thickened.
- Pour the creamy sauce over the cheese layer, spreading it evenly.
- In a bowl, combine Panko breadcrumbs with softened butter and mix well, then spread over the casserole.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes until the sauce bubbles and the topping is golden brown.
- Let the casserole sit for 5 minutes before serving. Optionally, sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Notes
Consider prepping the chicken and sauce a day in advance for convenience. Leftover rotisserie chicken can be used for a quicker assembly.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 120mg
Keywords: casserole, comfort food, chicken, ham, Swiss cheese
