Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta Salad

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Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta Salad is a perfect summer pasta salad with a bit of a fancier side – all the frills of Chicken Cordon Bleu, but perfect to bring to any picnic, party, or BBQ!

With the end of August here, summer is finally drawing to a close. In spite of my distaste for hot weather and sunburns, I’m finding myself wishing I’d spent more time outdoors in the last few months, fighting off the heat and mosquitoes to enjoy the company of my friends and family.

And of course, some incredible grilled food, paired with a couple of my favorite summer wines.

Thankfully, I’ve got one more chance to bid summer farewell – and a Labor Day picnic sounds like a perfect celebration!

This week’s #SundaySupper is all about Labor Day grub, and I’m excited to be able to share a recipe that pairs perfectly with Gallo Family Vineyards sweeter wine selection. Sweet wines are essential to a summer party, in my opinion, and Gallo has both a red and a white that will totally cool you down under that hot, hot sun.

What are your plans for the long weekend? If they happen to involve food, how about instead of hauling a generic pasta or potato salad to your celebration, you surprise everyone with this snazzy Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta Salad? It’s everything you love about the famous chicken dish, complete with a side of broccoli mixed right in!

I distinctly remember the last picnic I was on, even though it was about nine years ago.

Mr. Crumby and I were still a new couple, completely enamored with each other and regularly shunning everyone else in our lives in favor of one-on-one time with one another. Neither of us are particularly proud of that fact, but I wouldn’t change a thing about our early relationship.

During our getting-to-know-you relationship stage, we discovered our mutual love of St. Augustine. One day in early September, we drove the forty-five minutes route to spend the day, complete with a packed picnic lunch to enjoy on the grounds outside the Castillo de San Marcos.

We sat under a scraggly tree, and had to continuously move around the base of it to stay in the shade as the sun moved across the afternoon sky. We ate slightly soggy tuna sandwiches, and a fruit salad that was way too big for two people. We drank iced tea that was a little too warm, in spite of the cold packs we packed around it for the trip. We had to share a cupcake, because I’m clumsy and dropped mine in the dirt.

And the kicker of the day – a bird pooped on my shoulder.

Kind of disgusting, yes, but that picnic date is one of my favorite memories of “us” and our fresh love. We talked, we laughed until we cried, and we totally fell head over heels for each other that day. Walking down the streets of St. Augustine today, still hand-in-hand over nine years later, fills me with joy, and not just because the city is full of charm.

They say having a bird poop on you is lucky anyway, right?

Picnics and patriotic holidays are a perfect pair, and I think it’s high time I planned another one. Labor Day is a holiday observed by over eighty countries worldwide, and, while different everywhere, the idea at the heart of it is the celebration of the laborers that helped put and continue to keep the country together.

In America, it’s the last excuse of the year for us to get together and enjoy a great Monday off work, eat BBQ, drink beer, and annoy our neighbors with sparkly explosives.

It’s also the official end of summer, with school back in session and family vacations being safely tucked away in photo albums.

For me, it’s a workday – food retail rests for no one, and someone has to be there to provide everything you all need for your parties! But you can bet that, after my work is done, I’ll be hitting a party of my own, with a big bowl of this pasta salad and a few bottles of Gallo Family wine in tow!

I managed to work every delicious detail you find in Chicken Cordon Bleu into this dish! From the breadcrumb-studded chicken, to the melty cheese sauce, to a side of broccoli florets, this pasta salad has it all, and you don’t need a knife to eat it! It’s a fantastic, unique recipe that demands to be enjoyed outside, preferably by a body of water, with a glass of wine in hand.

When it comes to pairing wines with the recipes I create, I’m still trying to master remembering a lot of the details – the life of a sommelier, while impressive, is not for me. Becoming a part of The Sunday Supper Movement has helped considerably – between learning from my peers, attending the Food and Wine Conference in July, and now receiving expert advice from the founders of Gallo Family Vineyards, I have gained invaluable information I will be able to use for the rest of my cooking & baking (& wine pairing) life.

Since I usually just drink whichever wine I have on hand, I’m glad that Gallo’s website makes it so easy to decide which flavors will enhance your lunch or dinner. Their light-bodied peachy Sweet White Blend and fruity, summery Café Zinfandel pair beautifully with this relatively light pasta salad, which can either be eaten as a main dish or a side.

Whatever your Labor Day plans may involve, I hope they properly celebrate the end of this long, hot summer!

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Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta Salad #SundaySupper

A perfect summer pasta salad with a bit of a fancier side - all the frills of Chicekn Cordon Bleu, but perfect to bring to any picnic, party, or BBQ!

Serves 10-12 servings     adjust servings

Preparation 30 mins Cook Time 30 mins Total Time 1 hr

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 eggs
• 4 Tablespoons milk
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 16 oz. pasta (I used Cavatappi)
• 1 cooked ham steak, cubed
• 2 cups Swiss or Havarti cheese, cubed
• 2 cups broccoli florets

Parmesan Sauce

• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• Pinch sea salt
• Black pepper (to taste)
• 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup light mayonnaise (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; set aside.
2. Cube raw chicken breasts and place in a bowl; set aside.
3. Place flour & paprika, and bread crumbs in two separate bowls. In another bowl, whisk together eggs and milk.
4. Working in batches, roll cubed chicken in flour, then dredge in egg wash, then coat with bread crumbs and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake chicken for 15-20 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked and browned. Remove from oven and set aside.
5. While chicken is cooking, prep ham & cheese cubes, and broccoli. Place in a large bowl.
6. Boil pasta according to box directions. Drain, rinse, and place boiled pasta in the bowl with the other ingredients. Add chicken to bowl and toss everything.

Parmesan Sauce

1. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour, whisking continuously for 1-2 minutes until a roux is formed.
2. Slowly add the milk, whisking until incorporated. Stir in bouillon , salt, and pepper, and drop heat to medium-low and allow to simmer 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally but allowing it to thicken slightly.
3. Remove sauce from heat. Quickly add Dijon, Worcestershire, Parmesan, and mayonnaise (if desired), whisking briskly to melt cheese and combine ingredients.
4. Pour sauce over everything in the bowl, tossing to coat and combine.
5. Serve with your favorite wine, and enjoy!

by Erica

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
Amount Per Serving	As Served
Calories 710kcal Calories from fat 240
% Daily Value
Total Fat 27g	42%
Saturated Fat 12g	60%
Transfat 0g
Cholesterol 185mg	62%
Sodium 3162mg	132%
Carbohydrate 55g	18%
Dietary Fiber 2g	8%
Sugars 5g
Protein 59g

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:

	Calories	2000
Total Fat	Less than	65g
Sat Fat	Less than	25g
Cholesterol	Less than	300mg
Sodium	Less than	2,400mg
Total Carbohydrate		300g
Dietary Fiber		25g

Did you try this recipe? I'd love to hear about it! Leave me a note in the comment section below, or share the photo in the Crumby Kitchen Facebook Group! For more exclusive recipes and fun Instastories, follow me on Instagram - & don't forget to tag your recreations with #CrumbyCreations! 

What drinks will you be pairing with your dinner this Labor Day?

And here’s the celebration lineup! Look at all of these amazing Labor Day foods, created by my #SundaySupper friends!

For your Labor Day feast:

• Arugula Fig and Goat Cheese Salad by Family Foodie
• Caprese Fruit Salad by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta Salad by The Crumby Cupcake
• Five Fruity Wine Spritzers by Sunday Supper Movement
• Grilled Flank Steak Pinwheels by Palatable Pastime
• Grilled Shrimp Burgers with Quick Remoulade Sauce by The Weekend Gourmet
• Hatch Chile Avocado Cream Dip by Magnolia Days
• Harissa Spiced Chicken Kabobs by Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
• Mango Habanero Shrimp Flatbread by Flavor Mosaic
• Peach Barbecue Chicken Wings by Life Tastes Good
• Salmon Bagel Sliders with Strawberry Jalapeno Cream Cheese and Basil Aioli by Food Done Light
• Sunny Side Up Frittata with Ham by Recipe For Perfection
• Tuscan Panzanella Salad by Shockingly Delicious

To sweeten the holiday:

• Blackberry Buckle by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
• Chocolate Strawberry Cream Puff Bites by Grumpy’s Honeybunch
• Hasty Chocolate Pudding by Nosh My Way
• Raspberry Lamingtons by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Raspberry Upside Down Cake by Take A Bite Out of Boca
• Summer Fruit Tart by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Tropical Angel Food Cake by Recipes Food and Cooking
• Vanilla Bean Roasted Peaches by Alida’s Kitchen

Compensation was provided by Gallo Family Vineyards via Sunday Supper, LLC. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Gallo Family Vineyards.

Looking for the perfect wine to pair with your Labor Day grub? Gallo Family Vineyards has a handy store locator to help! If you’re looking for a few great holiday ideas, make sure to visit Gallo Family’s Labor Day Entertaining blog post…and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, & YouTube for wine-spiration all year long!

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.