This sandwich recipe is everything wonderful about Chicken Cordon Bleu, but pressed into a crispy panini. Crispy chicken cutlets, ham, and Swiss cheese are pressed together for a next level lunch or dinner!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich - Cut In Half to Show Crispy Chicken Filling on Cutting Board

Chicken Cordon Bleu has always been one of my favorite recipes ever, and it’s all my older brother’s fault.

Andrew made Chicken Cordon Bleu all the time when we were growing up, and who can resist a crispy chicken breast stuffed with ham and cheese? 

You can think of this sandwich as a fun way to enjoy a classic in a different form. 

Cordon Bleu Sandwich - Cut into Halves and Plated on Wooden Board with jar of Mustard

You’ve got crispy chicken milanese, ham, and swiss, sandwiched between your favorite bread and pressed on a panini grill until crispy.

It’s my second favorite sandwich behind a Croque Madame, and it’s such a delicious panini.

Step by Step Overview:

Start by making some pan-fried chicken cutlets. 

I always follow the same process as my Chicken Milanese or Parmesan Crusted Chicken, basically just breading boneless skinless chicken breasts with all purpose flour, egg, and breadcrumbs:

Crispy Chicken Milanese Panko Cutlets Cooking in Olive Oil in Skillet

Fry them for about 4 minutes on each side until crispy and golden brown, and they’re ready to go.

Next, cut four ciabatta rolls in half and butter the tops and bottoms:

Ciabatta Rolls Spread with Butter

Can you use other bread?

I like using ciabatta rolls for my panini recipes, but you can pretty much use whatever bread you’d like.

A traditional sliced loaf of white bread works well too. Sourdough bread is a great choice for flavor. You can also try French bread or Italian bread. Just make sure the slice of bread isn’t too thin since it will be compressed a bit in the panini press.

Spread mustard onto half of the rolls, then layer on ham and swiss cheese:

Ham and Cheese Slices on Ciabatta Rolls

Cut the chicken cutlets to fit each sandwich:

Ham and Swiss Slices on Roll with Chicken Milanese

Put the tops on:

Crispy Chicken Sandwich with Ham and Cheese on Cutting Board

And now the sandwiches are ready to be put inside the panini press:

Chicken Panini Recipe - Being Pressed in Panini Grill with Ham, Swiss, and Mustard

This is the panini maker (affiliate) I use, and I find that it makes nice grill marks without burning the food that I put in it. It’s sort of like a grill pan but with two sides.

Press for about five minutes, until the bread is golden and crispy, and the cheese is melted.

Chicken Panini Sandwiches on Wooden Board with Mustard Jar

Cut in half and enjoy!

This Cheesesteak Sandwich, Eggplant Parmesan Sandwiches, and Italian Club Sandwich are some of my other favorite sandwiches to make. They are anything but ordinary. 

More Sandwich Recipes:

Recipe Variations

There are so many different fillings and toppings to swap out or add. Here are a few of my favorite variations.

Cheese – If you don’t like swiss cheese, you can also try fresh mozzarella, provolone cheese, or a mild cheddar cheese. Sharp cheddar tends not to melt as well.

Greens – Add some baby arugula or baby spinach inside for a contrast in flavor.

Tomato – Add some tomato slices inside for a more juicy sandwich.

Pickles – I love pickles (especially in a Cuban sandwich!), and though it’s not traditional, I will sometimes add a thin slice of dill pickle to the inside.

Mayonnaise – In addition to or in lieu of the mustard, either a regular Mayonnaise, or something more flavorful like a chipotle mayo. You can also blend Dijon mustard into the mayonnaise for a dijonnaise, or add honey mustard.

Did you enjoy the recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. Or, follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich Cut In Half to Show Crispy Chicken Filling on Cutting Board

Chicken Cordon Bleu Panini Sandwich

Servings: 4 sandwiches
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Everything wonderful about Chicken Cordon Bleu but pressed into a crispy panini, this sandwich makes for a great lunch or dinner!
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Ingredients

For the Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwiches:

  • 1 batch chicken milanese *
  • 4 ciabatta rolls or other bread
  • butter for spreading
  • coarse dijon mustard for spreading
  • 1/4 lb thinly sliced swiss cheese
  • 1/4 lb sliced deli ham

Side Dish Ideas for Pairing:

Instructions 

  • Preheat panini press to high.
  • Slice the ciabatta rolls in half lengthwise. Butter the top and bottom of each roll.
  • Spread a little mustard on the bottom half of each roll. Layer on the cheese and ham by placing a slice of cheese on both the bottom and top pieces, and a piece of ham on just the bottom.
  • Place a piece of chicken on the bottom half of each sandwich. Top the sandwiches and move to the panini press.
  • Pressing down on the panini press, grill until the sandwiches are golden brown and the cheese is melted, about five minutes. The sandwiches are now ready to enjoy!

Notes

*I recommend a batch of Chicken Milanese or Parmesan Crusted Chicken here. There are detailed instructions, recipe amounts, and step-by-step photos in both of those posts, so I recommend following those. But if you want a quick summary of what you need, here it is:
  • 1 lb chicken cutlets
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • salt and pepper
  • olive oil
Place the flour, egg, and panko each in a separate dish. Whisk to blend the egg. Take each chicken cutlet, season it with salt and pepper, then coat it in flour, egg, and panko, in that order. Pan-fry in a skillet filled with enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan, for 4 minutes over medium, until golden and crispy.

Nutrition

Calories: 565kcal, Carbohydrates: 50g, Protein: 47g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 157mg, Sodium: 922mg, Potassium: 583mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 330IU, Vitamin C: 1.3mg, Calcium: 264mg, Iron: 2.4mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Author: Joanne Ozug