Creamy Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta Casserole

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Challenge Butter. The opinions and text are all mine.

Filled with pasta, chicken, ham, a creamy sauce, and melted Swiss cheese, this Creamy Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta Casserole will be your family's new favorite dish! #challengebutter #elktastic #antlericious #challengecows #challengecreamcheese #goelks

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Apparently, Mother Nature didn't get the memo that we're late into October and almost into November .... it is Fall, right? The weather here in Phoenix has been very warm, even record-breaking for a few days ... and although I'm not a fan of cold weather, I am definitely ready for some cooler weather.

Maybe it's all in my head, but I feel that cooler weather gives me an excuse to bake treats and make all the comfort food that I love! If you're anything like me, you look forward to those creamy casseroles, pots of soup, batches of cookies, and all things comfort food that signal fall because it's finally not too hot to turn on the oven!

Living here in Phoenix, I'm still waiting ..... impatiently.

Last week, I couldn't take it anymore. I really wanted to make this Creamy Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta Casserole and I really didn't care that it was almost 100 degrees still! I've been craving a good casserole dish and let me tell you, this one always hits the spot!

Unlike many casseroles, this one doesn't use any cream of whatever soup - you make the awesome sauce (see what I did there?) from scratch! Let me assure you that it is simple to make and it is worth the few extra minutes to make it from scratch!

As you know, any good recipe starts with great ingredients! I'm a big fan of Challenge Cream Cheese because it's made the right way - the old-fashioned way! Have you ever tried it?! I use it several times a week for my morning bagels and I love adding it to recipes to make them extra creamy and delicious! I also love that Challenge uses no hormones, additives or fillers and it's farm to fridge in just TWO days! I believe it's a quality you can taste!

I will also mention that this recipe is a great way to use up leftover chicken or ham ... and you know with the holidays coming, we'll all be looking for ways to use leftover ham! If you don't have leftover chicken, a rotisserie chicken from the deli works great - or feel free to bake or boil a few chicken breasts to use in this recipe! We served this with a side salad and some crusty bread for a tasty meal the entire family loved!

Creamy Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta Casserole

by Jamie @ Love Bakes Good Cakes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 10-12 servings

Ingredients

For the casserole:

1 bag (16 oz.) wide egg noodles
3 cups cooked chicken, chopped
2 cups cooked ham, chopped
3 cups Swiss cheese, shredded

For the sauce:

½ cup (8 tbsp. or 1 stick) butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
6 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) Challenge Cream Cheese

For garnish:

2-3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

2. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Set aside.

3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly, whisk in milk. Add garlic and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high, whisking often, until the mixture is thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Carefully add the cream cheese and stir until smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside.

4. In a large bowl, combine the cooked noodles, chicken, ham, and half of the Swiss cheese. Pour the sauce over the top and mix until well combined. Transfer the noodle mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top evenly with remaining Swiss cheese.

5. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the casserole is hot throughout and the cheese is melted and beginning to brown.

6. Sprinkle chopped parsley over the casserole before serving, if desired.