Cordon Bleu is the French term for Blue Ribbon, a popular award that denotes excellence. (*) And oh boy, does this dish live up to its name!
Chicken Cordon Bleu features a flattened chicken breast wrapped around a slice of ham and cheese and breaded, then pan-fried or deep-fried to crispy perfection. With its crisp texture, tender and juicy bite, and oozing cheesy goodness, this dish is undoubtedly excellent for satisfying your comfort food cravings.
But did you know that you can make it even better? Yes, you can enjoy your Chicken Cordon Bleu meal if you pair it with the right sides!
What to serve with Chicken Cordon Bleu? Don’t fret because we’ve got all the answers right here!
Are you ready? Here are our recommendations:
What to Serve with Chicken Cordon Bleu: Best Vegetable Sides
Since it’s breaded and fried, Chicken Cordon Bleu can become pretty heavy. Serving it with vegetable sides is the best way to add a light and refreshing touch to it. Check out our suggestions below:
1. Baked Garlic Parmesan Cauliflower
With a cheesy baked cauliflower, you can achieve the same cheesy taste and crispy texture that you love in Cordon Bleu but with more nutrients and less guilt.
We love the contrasting textures in this dish. It has a crunchy exterior but has a juicy and soft bite underneath. Plus, the savory flavor of garlic and the saltiness of the cheeses adds a layer of depth and flavor to the mild sweetness of cauliflower.
2. Tomato Salad
Chicken Cordon Bleu has the cheese and the chicken, but it lacks one thing: the tangy twist of tomatoes! That’s what your tomato salad is for.
Tomatoes will not just boost the nutritional content of your meal, but they will also complete the flavor profile of your meal. (*)
The good news is it will only take you just around 15 minutes to make! All you need are cherry tomatoes, onions, and chopped basil. Drizzle it with a simple dressing of salt, pepper, vinegar, and olive oil, then top it off with feta for extra cheesy goodness!
Pro Tip: You can switch the feta cheese with mozzarella balls tin make a Caprese salad instead.
3. Broccoli Casserole
Roasted Broccoli is a great side dish, but let’s face it: roasted vegetable sides can get pretty boring. An excellent dish like Cordon Bleu needs something more exciting like a Broccoli Casserole.
You just need to mix fresh broccoli and white rice, then toss it in a mixture of garlic powder and cheeses, then bake until the cheese turns brown and crispy.
The best part about this side dish? You can bake everything in one pan, so clean-up is a breeze!
4. Steamed Broccolini
For a high-fiber and low-calorie version of Broccoli Casserole, you should try Steamed Broccolini. It’s one of the simplest yet most nutritious chicken side dishes that you can ever get your hands on.
We like Broccolini because it’s a lot easier to chew on than broccoli since its florets are a bit smaller. That’s not all. This little broccoli plant is more tender and sweeter than the original, making it a big hit for adults and kids.
In addition to boosting the meal’s nutritional value, it also adds a splash of color.
5. Scalloped Corn Casserole
Another dish perfect for the summer season would be Scalloped corn casserole. In addition to the refreshing taste and the fiber boost that the corn can give, this casserole can also add a creamy contrast to the crispy chicken—a match made in heaven!
You’ll need torn bread, crackers, butter, corn, half-and-half, salt, and pepper to make this. Just blend the corn kernels, salt, pepper, and half-in-half and pour into a pan. Top it off with the butter, bread, and cracker mixture.
Pro Tip: There are lots of ways you can upgrade this dish—add herbs, proteins (fish or turkey), peppers, and jalapeños.
What to Serve with Chicken Cordon Bleu: Best Starchy Sides
If you’re a carbohydrate lover like us, these are the starchy sides that you shouldn’t miss out on:
6. Mashed Potatoes
Fact: mashed potatoes go well with everything! It’s creamy, filling, and just simply delicious so that it can take your meal to a whole new level.
And if you think that the classic mashed potatoes are already incredible, wait until you have a taste of our favorite recipe: whipped roasted garlic mashed potatoes.
Roasting the garlic will unleash its pungent flavor and allow you to enjoy a delicious garlicky flavor that will go well with your mashed potatoes’ creamy and buttery texture. (*)
7. Garlic Butter Rice
Chicken Cordon Bleu will give you the protein and fats, so you will need something starchy to balance its richness, and rice would be the perfect side for that. In addition to that, white rice is incredibly filling.
However, it can also get quite boring. Adding butter and garlic to the mix will boost your rice’s flavor and would complement the flavors of your chicken cordon bleu pretty well.
8. Risotto with Mushrooms
Even though Cordon Bleu is delicious, it can sometimes get a bit dry. That’s why you should pair it with something hearty like risotto.
We love adding Portobello mushrooms to our risotto as it delivers a slightly earthy twist that blends well with the juiciness and cheesiness of Cordon Bleu.
Pro Tip: Top your risotto with a few shaved truffles for an elegant touch.
9. BLT Pasta Salad
Can’t decide between pasta and salad? Go for pasta salad since it can give you the best of both worlds—the fiber content of veggies and the filling power of carbs! Plus, it also adds a refreshing touch to your meal.
That’s not all. This BLT Pasta Salad also has all the elements of your favorite sandwich—bacon, lettuce, tomato, and veggies, so it can certainly satisfy your cravings.
10. Cauliflower Rice
The cauliflower rice is the best keto side dish to try if you want to enjoy rice’s filling power minus the carbs. This is also a fantastic option for people who wish to lose weight.
You can substitute cauliflower rice for white rice in the casserole sides we’ve shared to make the low-calorie or keto-friendly.
Pro Tip: When making cauliflower rice, the thing you should avoid the most is soggy texture. To prevent that, don’t add too much oil to your pan and cook the cauliflower over medium heat for no more than 3 minutes.
What to Serve with Chicken Cordon Bleu: Best Sauces
If you’re already satisfied with eating Chicken Cordon Bleu on its own, sorry to burst your bubble, but it’s best eaten with certain sauces. Here are the best sauces that we’ve tried with Chicken Cordon Bleu:
11. Dijon Sauce
Do you know what the best pairing is for deep-fried dishes? A thick sauce like Dijon sauce! This is our go-to sauce for Chicken Cordon Bleu when we just want something simple and easy to prepare.
To make this, you just need to mix melted butter and flour in a pan to form a lumpy mixture. Next, add milk, then whisk well until the mixture becomes thick. Finally, season it with salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, and garlic powder salt.
Pro Tip: You can also add grated parmesan cheese into the mix for a cheesy twist.
12. Lemon Butter Sauce
Here’s another simple yet delicious sauce that would compliment and even highlight the flavors of Cordon Bleu. The combination of lemon and butter adds richness and a vibrant and citrusy flavor that can brighten up the chicken’s taste.
The vivid color of the sauce makes the dish look more appealing and beautiful as well.
13. Cajun Remoulade Sauce
And if we want an unusual pairing for Chicken Cordon Bleu, we often serve it with Cajun Remoulade Sauce.
Originally, this is a sauce that was served with crab claws, but we find it an excellent accompaniment for chicken.
Since it’s packed with umami and complex flavors, you may think that it would overpower the chicken’s taste. It won’t! It enhances its flavor and adds a savory twist to it as well.
You just need to mix paprika, horseradish, lemon, and garlic for this sauce.
The Bottom Line
Chicken Cordon Bleu seems to have it all with its textures and flavors. But when served with a suitable side dish, you can even elevate your meal even further.
So what to serve with Chicken Cordon Bleu? Our top recommendations are vegetable sides (so you can get your daily fiber fix), starchy sides (so you can feel full for longer), and sauces (to dress it up the best way possible!).
We hope that our suggestions can make your Chicken Cordon Bleu experience memorable, so please comment below which sides you loved the most!
