Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole

 I love a good casserole.

They are easy to prepare, can be frozen for future meals and most importantly they are always satisfying, comfort food. I can honestly say that most of the meals I make now are some sort of spin of a casserole. I am always on the go working so a good meal in the refrigerator is usually on hand. The most recent casserole winner is definitely this version of my childhood favorite: Chicken Cordon Blue.

• 1 whole Cooked Chicken, Meat Diced Or Shredded (Should Be 5-6 Cups of Chicken)
• ½ pounds Very Thinly Sliced Deli-style Honey Ham, Chopped
• ¼ pounds Thin Sliced Baby Swiss Cheese

FOR THE SAUCE:

• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 4 Tablespoons Flour
• 3-¼ cups Milk (I Used Whole Milk)
• 1/2 cup White Wine
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
• 1-½ teaspoon Salt
• ½ teaspoons Smoked Paprika
• ¼ teaspoons Pepper

FOR THE TOPPING:

• 6 Tablespoons Butter
• 1-½ cup Panko Bread Crumbs
• ¾ teaspoons Seasoning Salt

 Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9- x 13-inch baking dish. Set aside

For the sauce:

• Melt the butter in a large sauce pot over medium heat. When butter is melted, quickly stir in the flour to form a smooth roux. Do not brown! Once the roux is smooth and bubbly, slowly pour in the cold milk while stirring briskly to make a smooth sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Stir in the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, wine, salt, smoked paprika and pepper. Bring sauce just back to a low boil and turn off heat. Pour sauce evenly over the casserole, being certain to get some of the sauce around the edges of the pan.

For the topping:

• Melt the butter in the microwave in a medium sized microwaveable bowl. Heat it for 30 seconds at a time and stop once it’s melted. Take the bowl out of the microwave and stir in the panko bread crumbs, seasoning salt and crushed dried parsley. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.

Bake casserole uncovered for 45 minutes until hot and bubbly throughout and topping has turned a light golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes prior to serving.