Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Cordon Bleu Chowder

This creamy, velvety slow cooker soup is packed with salty pieces of ham, chopped spinach, and tender bites of chicken, topped with shredded cheese and croutons.

One of our favorite family recipes is a Sheet Pan Chicken Cordon Bleu, my take on the classic breaded chicken cutlet stuffed with ham and cheese. It’s decadent and kid-friendly, but it also takes a lot of steps to finish!

Plus, chicken cordon bleu doesn’t always reheat so great the next day, at least not without a little extra work to keep the breadcrumbs crispy.

And when I’m making meals for my family, I prefer when they do double duty. As a work-from-home mom, dinner from the night before is usually lunch the next day!

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I thought, “What if it was made into a light cream soup, topped with cheese and croutons, instead?”

BINGO! I came up with this delicious slow cooker chowder version of chicken cordon bleu, and haven’t looked back.

Ok, talk me about this soup. Can I make any swaps or substitutions?

• This slow cooker chicken cordon bleu chowder starts with a creamy, velvety base, made from a smooth combo of half-and-half and chicken broth. If you’re going dairy-free you can skip the half-and-half, or use one of the more creamy plant-based milks, like cashew milk, to get a similar mouthfeel.
• It’s loaded with veggies in the form of chopped spinach and onions. If you’ve got them on hand, diced potatoes and carrots work really well here, too, and beef up the nutritional value.
• Chopped fresh spinach leaves work best, in my opinion. But if they’re not in season or you don’t have any on hand, then frozen or even canned, drained spinach also works.
• Add in chopped pieces of ham; I prefer something smoky and a little sweet, like Virginia ham. You can chop up ham steaks or just cut up lunch meat- your call. Don’t worry about getting fancy here if you don’t have the time to!
• The chicken thighs cook into this soup and are shredded at the end. But you can always substitute shredded rotisserie chicken, or chop chicken raw and add it to cook. Your call! If you want to skip the and keep this strictly vegetarian, swap out the chicken for diced root vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes. 
• I prefer shredded swiss cheese on top if you can find it; its mild, nutty flavor doesn’t overwhelm the other flavors. But any ole’ shredded cheese would work here, like cheddar, pepper jack, or Italian-style white cheeses like mozzarella or provolone.
• Don’t forget the croutons! They’re the key component in the “cordon bleu” like texture and flavor of this soup. You can use your own homemade croutons, fry up some cubes of bread, or just scatter on some prepackaged croutons.

This soup freezes like a rockstar, too. Store the shredded cheese and croutons alongside (but not in) the soup while it’s in the freezer, and make your own little ready-to-thaw freezer meal kit for easy leftovers!

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Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Cordon Bleu Chowder

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

6 hrs

 

Creamy slow cooker chowder with chicken, salty ham, chopped spinach, and topped with croutons and grated swiss.

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Soup

Keyword: chicken jalapeno soup, instant pot chicken soup, slow cooker

Servings: 4

Author: Ruthy Kirwan

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion diced
• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 8 ounces diced ham
• 8 ounces fresh baby spinach chopped
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ⅓ cup half-and-half

For serving:

• 2 cups croutons
• 6 ounces grated swiss cheese

Instructions

Prep Ahead:

1. Chop onion, ham, spinach, and garlic, and transfer to a large resealable bag or container.
2. Add to the bag the chicken, dried thyme, and chicken broth (or use stock cubes or condensed chicken base- make sure to label how much water to add on cooking day!)
3. Bag croutons and grated swiss separately, if desired. (They’ll freeze great!)

Prepare From Prepped:

Instant Pot Instructions:

1. Add all soup ingredients except for half-and-half, croutons, and swiss cheese, to Instant Pot and secure the lid.
2. If using frozen ingredients: Cook on High Pressure for 40 minutes with a Quick Pressure Release.
3. If using thawed ingredients: Cook on High Pressure for 20 minutes, with a Quick PRessure Release.
4. Use 2 forks to shred the chicken.
5. Stir in the half-and-half.
6. Serve hot, topped with croutons and grated swiss cheese.

Slow Cooker Instructions: Thaw in fridge overnight before cooking

1. Add all ingredients except for half-and-half, croutons, and swiss cheese, to the slow cooker and secure the lid.
2. Cook on low for 6 hours, high for 3.
3. Once the vegetables are soft and the chicken is falling apart tender, use 2 forks to shred the chicken.
4. Stir in the half-and-half.
5. Serve hot, topped with croutons and grated swiss cheese.

Stovetop Instructions: Thaw overnight before cooking

1. Add all ingredients, except for half-and-half, croutons, and grated swiss cheese, to a large pot.
2. Bring to a boil, covered, over high heat.
3. Remove the lid and turn down to a simmer.
4. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1-2 hours or until the chicken is falling apart tender.
5. Use 2 forks to shred in the soup.
6. Stir in the half-and-half.
7. Serve hot, topped with croutons and grated swiss cheese.

Make From Fresh:

Instant Pot Instructions:

1. Add all soup ingredients except for half-and-half, croutons, and swiss cheese, to Instant Pot and secure the lid.
2. Cook on High Pressure for 20 minutes with a Quick Pressure Release.
3. Use 2 forks to shred the chicken.
4. Stir in the half-and-half.
5. Serve hot, topped with croutons and grated swiss cheese.

Slow Cooker Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients except for half-and-half, croutons, and swiss cheese, to the slow cooker and secure the lid.
2. Cook on low for 6 hours, high for 3.
3. Once the vegetables are soft and the chicken is falling apart tender, use 2 forks to shred the chicken.
4. Stir in the half-and-half.
5. Serve hot, topped with croutons and grated swiss cheese.

Stovetop Instructions:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat until shimmering.
2. Add the chopped onion and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.
3. Add remaining ingredients except for half-and-half, croutons, and grated swiss cheese. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer, uncovered.
4. Let cook, uncovered, for 40-50 minutes or until the chicken is falling apart tender.
5. Use 2 forks to shred the chicken.
6. Stir in the half-and-half.
7. Serve hot, topped with croutons and grated swiss cheese.

Recipe Notes

We love Chicken Cordon Bleu, a breaded chicken cutlet stuffed with ham and cheese. It’s decadent and kid-friendly, but it also takes a lot of steps to finish! What if it was made into a light cream soup, topped with cheese and croutons, instead? Chopped spinach adds extra heft and flavor, as well as more nutrition. You can also add frozen spinach instead of chopped baby spinach. This soup freezes like a rockstar, too. If you want to skip the and keep this strictly vegetarian, swap out the chicken for diced root vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes.