Creamy Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

This no-fuss version of classic chicken cordon bleu tosses diced chicken and ham with pasta and cream-cheese sauce, then layers it with Swiss cheese and bakes it under a blanket of buttery breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Yum! 6 Tbs. butter, + more for baking dish

2 1/2 cups uncooked penne or ziti pasta

1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

4 oz. cream cheese, cut into cubes, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups half-and-half Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 9" square baking dish. Bring large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Transfer pasta to bowl. Add oil; toss to coat. Set aside.

While pasta cooks, in large pot, melt 4 Tbs. butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring often, 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; add garlic. Cook 1-2 minutes or until onion is translucent. Add cream cheese; let melt. Very slowly whisk in half-and-half and 1/2 cup Parmesan; bring to gentle simmer. Stir in mustard and 1 Tbs. parsley, then chicken and ham. Season with salt and pepper; simmer 5 minutes. Whisk in up to 1/4 cup reserved pasta cooking water, if needed, to thin sauce.

Stir pasta into sauce; transfer half of mixture to baking dish. Arrange Swiss cheese on top; top with remaining pasta.

In small microwave-safe bowl, melt remaining 2 Tbs. butter in microwave. Stir in breadcrumbs and remaining 1 Tbs. parsley. Sprinkle mixture over pasta; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup Parmesan, adding more if desired. Cover with foil. Bake 15 minutes. Remove foil; bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned. 1 1/4 cups finely grated Parmesan cheese, + more to taste

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley

1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken

1 cup (1/4") pieces ham steak, 4 oz.

Salt and pepper

4-6 slices Swiss cheese, about 3 oz.

1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs Servings: 6. Cals.: 649; Protein: 27 g. Fat: 43 g. (23 g. saturated). Trans fat: 1 g. Chol.: 127 mg. Carbs.: 43 g. Sodium: 972 mg. Fiber: 2 g. Sugar: 6 g. Kitchen time: 30 minutes. Total time: 55 minutes.