Dinner’s on the table in 30 minutes with this Instant Pot Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta! This easy pasta casserole is packed with chicken, ham, Swiss cheese, and more.
I love using my pressure cooker to make dinner in minutes. You don’t need to turn on the oven and heat up your house in the summer!
This recipe was originally published in March 2020. The photos and recipe notes were updated in June 2025.
Aimee’s Recipe Notes
Taste & Texture: Creamy pasta loaded with chicken, ham, and swiss cheese.
Prep Tip: Don’t skip the breadcrumb topping. This adds a delicious finish to the dish, both in texture and flavor.
Time Saving Tips: Use a rotisserie chicken for quick cooking. I keep leftover cooked chicken and ham in the freezer for easy dinners.
Tools Needed: I used a 6 quart Instant Pot for this recipe.
Chicken Cordon Bleu Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full ingredient list with measurements.
- Chicken – I use boneless skinless chicken thighs, which stay moist without drying out. If you prefer, you can use chicken breasts.
- Pasta – I love using elbow macaroni, but I’ve also tried cavatappi and rotini noodles.
- Ham – Whenever we have honey baked ham for the holidays, I cut the leftovers into slices and/or cubes and freeze them for dinners. We love the leftover ham cubes in egg bites and omelettes too. You can also buy pre-diced ham at most grocery stores.
- Seasonings – I use a combination of onion powder, garlic salt, kosher salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Liquids – Start with 3 cups of chicken broth, then at the end add in an additional 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream.
- Bacon crumbles – Cooked, crumbled bacon adds smoky flavor and crispy texture.
- Cheese – To stay with the classic flavor of Chicken Cordon Bleu, I use shredded Swiss cheese. You can swap out some or all of it for mozzarella if you prefer.
- Breadcrumb topping – Two slices of bread and some butter form a breadcrumb topping that makes this Instant Pot casserole taste like it was baked in the oven. (Like putting cracker crumbs on Mac and Cheese or cornflakes on Hashbrown Casserole!)
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta
Assemble:
- Add the ingredients to the Instant Pot in this order: chicken broth, chicken, pasta, ham, and seasonings.
- Secure the lid and make sure the valve on top is set to “SEALING“. Select HIGH PRESSURE (or manual) and a cook time of 9 minutes.
Add the cheese.
- When the cook time ends, allow to naturally release for 10 minutes. After this, move the valve on top to “RELEASE” and allow any remaining pressure inside to release.
- Open the lid and stir in the heavy whipping cream, bacon, and cheese.
Make the Breadcrumb Topping:
- Process the bread slices in a food processor to form crumbs. Melt the butter in a skillet. Toast the breadcrumbs until they’re golden brown. Season with salt and pepper.
- Top Instant Pot Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta with toasted breadcrumbs.
Tips and Tricks
- Make it creamier by adding 4 ounces of cream cheese with the heavy cream.
- Use rotisserie chicken instead of raw chicken and stir it in at the end with the cheese.
- Add frozen broccoli with the pasta before the cook time for a little extra veggies.
- Top the casserole with toasted stuffing mix or pork rinds instead of breadcrumbs.
- I serve this dinner with a big homemade olive garden salad and my kids love dinner rolls too.
- Don’t forget Instant Pot Rice Pudding for dessert!
Instant Pot Recipes
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