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This Cheesy Ham Casserole has chunks of leftover ham mixed with pasta and broccoli in a creamy sauce. The crunchy breadcrumb topping is the perfect finishing touch.
Pure comfort food with every bite, this leftover ham casserole is perfect for a cozy family dinner. It’s a great way to use up ham leftovers, plus it’s a full meal – no sides needed.
With an ultra creamy, cheesy sauce, and chunks of salty ham, ham and noodle casserole is a real crowd pleaser, and perfect for potlucks, too! For more delicious ham recipes, try Ham and Cheese Quiche and Ham and Navy Bean Soup.
Table of Contents
Ham Casserole Ingredients
The main components of this casserole are the ham, broccoli, pasta and the cheese sauce, which is made from scratch.
Cheese Sauce
- Butter and flour – to make the roux, the base of the sauce.
- Seasonings – Garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard, salt and black pepper.
- Milk – you can use any fat ratio you have on hand, but the fuller the fat, the creamier the sauce.
- Cream cheese – full fat, block style. You only need 4 ounces, but it ensure a rich, creamy sauce.
- Cheddar cheese – Shredded by hand off the block.
- Sour cream – For extra creaminess, and a little bit of tang.
Other Ingredients
- Cooked ham – Use up leftover ham, or buy a couple of ham steak steak from the meat depart of the grocery store.
- Cooked pasta – I used cavatappi, which is the larger corkscrew style noodles. Rotini, bowtie or penne also works.
- Broccoli florets – Make it easy on yourself and buy a bag of already washed broccoli without the stems.
- Panko breadcrumbs – regular breadcrumbs or crushed ritz crackers would work too.
- Melted butter
- Parmesan cheese – fresh or from a can.
- Parsley
Step by Step Instructions
Cook pasta and broccoli. Cook the pasta in boiling water for about a minute less than directed. Add the chopped broccoli for the last few minutes to blanch it.
Make the sauce. Melt butter in a saucepan and cook with flour. Whisk in seasonings and milk and boil until the mixture is thickened.
Add the cheese. Stir in the cream cheese until melted. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the shredded cheddar cheese. For best results, stir in a little at a time. Finally, stir in the sour cream.
Assemble the casserole. Stir together the cheese sauce, ham, pasta, and broccoli and pour into a greased casserole dish. Top with a mixture of breadcrumbs, melted butter, Parmesan cheese, and dried parsley.
Bake uncovered in a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden and crunchy and sauce is bubbly.
- Feel free to use any type of cheese you like. Mozzarella or jack cheese would taste great and melt nicely.
- Add other vegetables like peas, cauliflower or even leftover broccoli.
- You can also use your favorite type of pasta. While long noodles like spaghetti aren’t ideal, they will work. I prefer small pasta like egg noodles, or shells or cavatappi.
- Storage: Let the casserole cool completely before storing. Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave at 50 percent power; add a splash of milk to reconstitute the sauce.
- Freezing: Assemble casserole with the breadcrumb topping. Cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Be sure to use a freezer safe or disposable aluminum container. Thaw completely, add the breadcrumb topping, and bake as directed.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can prep this casserole up to 24 hours in advance. Follow the steps up to pouring it into a baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Remove from the fridge, uncover, and let sit on the counter while the oven preheats. Bake as directed.
Yes! Thaw and pat the broccoli dry. Since it’s already blanched, there’s no need to add it with the pasta and you can just toss it right into the casserole.
More Casserole Recipes You’ll Love
- Ground Turkey Casserole
- Cheesy Broccoli Casserole
- Copycat Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole Recipe
- Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
- Hamburger Casserole
Cheesy Ham Casserole
Ingredients
Cheese Sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups milk ½ cup more if needed
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 3 cups grated cheddar cheese divided
- ½ cup sour cream
Casserole
- 2 cups diced cooked ham
- 16 ounces cooked noodles like rotini, cavatappi, egg noodles or penne
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine the Panko, melted butter, Parmesan cheese and dried parsley and set aside.
- Cook the pasta for a minute less than directed, adding the broccoli to the pot during the last 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Melt butter in a large, deep pan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking often, for several minutes or until golden. Whisk in garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard, salt and pepper, then stir in milk. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 5 minutes or until the mixture is thickened. Stir in cream cheese until melted, then remove from heat.
- Stir in 3 cups of cheddar cheese, a little at a time, stirring constantly until completely melted. Stir in sour cream.
- Add ham and pasta to the cheese sauce and stir gently to combine. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over the casserole.
- Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden and the sauce is bubbly.
Notes
- Storage: Let the casserole cool completely before storing. Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave at 50 percent power; add a splash of milk to reconstitute the sauce.
- Freezing: Assemble casserole with the breadcrumb topping. Cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Be sure to use a freezer safe or disposable aluminum container. Thaw completely, add the breadcrumb topping, and bake as directed.
- You can prep this casserole up to 24 hours in advance. Follow the steps up to pouring it into a baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Remove from the fridge, uncover, and let sit on the counter while the oven preheats. Bake as directed.
