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You don’t even have to boil the pasta or sauté the veggies before stirring together this dump-and-bake ham tetrazzini. It’s a simple take on classic comfort food, with just 10 minutes of prep!
Table of Contents
If you’re looking for other leftover ham recipes, be sure to try this ham and potato soup, these scalloped potatoes and ham, ham and cheese crescent rolls with broccoli, or this baked ham and cheese omelet, too!
Why You’ll Love This Ham Tetrazzini Casserole
- Quick and Easy. For busy weeknight dinners, or for those evenings when you just don’t feel like cooking, it’s tough to beat the simplicity of a dump-and-bake dinner. The casserole comes together with just a few minutes of prep, since you don’t even have to cook spaghetti or saute mushrooms before popping it in the oven. As the pasta cooks in the dish, it releases starches that thicken the sauce, so you get this rich, creamy ham pasta bake without adding extra flour or butter to make a roux.
- Affordable. Whether you use leftover ham from a holiday meal, or purchase diced ham from the meat section at your grocery store, this recipe takes advantage of inexpensive ingredients.
- Family friendly. I have yet to meet a child who doesn’t love a creamy pasta dinner. Add some ham and fresh vegetables, and you’ve got a complete meal in one dish (and you don’t even have to think about the sides)! Feel free to adapt the ingredients to suit your family’s tastes, too. For instance, instead of the mushrooms, use broccoli florets or frozen peas.
Why It’s Called Tetrazzini
While tetrazzini originated in the United States, it’s named after an Italian opera singer: Luisa Tetrazzini. This ham tetrazzini recipe is entirely American, though!
It is widely believed that sometime between 1908 and 1910, Ernest Arbogast, the chef at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, California, created chicken tetrazzini as a tribute to Luisa Tetrazzini. She made her American debut there at the Tivoli as Gilda in Rigoletto on January 11, 1905. This updated version with ham is just a twist on the classic!
Do you have to cook pasta before putting it in a casserole?
While most casserole recipes call for cooking the pasta before mixing it into the dish, this particular recipe is designed specifically for uncooked spaghetti. That means that you do not boil the spaghetti on the stovetop before adding it to the casserole dish.
Instead, the spaghetti cooks right in the oven with the rest of the ingredients. This requires extra liquid in the pan (since the pasta absorbs a lot of liquid as it cooks), and extra cooking time to make sure that the noodles are tender.
The Best Ham to Use for a Casserole
You’ll need about ½ lb. of diced ham for this recipe, and a variety of options will work. Pick the most convenient method for you:
- Leftover Ham: use leftover holiday ham. For instance, that pineapple glazed Christmas ham or that extra bourbon-glazed ham from Easter are ideal for this recipe.
- Store-bought cubed ham: to really eliminate any prep work, purchase a package of cubed or diced ham from the meat section at your grocery store. You can find these at places like Target and Walmart, too.
- Ham Steaks: buy a ham steak and dice it yourself at home.
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for this easy ham tetrazzini recipe. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Chicken broth: use a low-sodium variety so that the finished casserole isn’t too salty. The ham and the soup mixture have a lot of salt on their own.
- Condensed cream of mushroom soup: the base of the creamy sauce that binds the casserole together.
- Spaghetti: just the uncooked spaghetti noodles. Do not boil the pasta first.
- Ham: you’ll need diced, cooked ham. See my notes above for specific suggestions. It’s a great way to use up your leftover Christmas or Easter ham!
- Mushrooms: a classic ingredient for tetrazzini.
- Garlic: for savory flavor.
- Ground black pepper: for more flavor.
- Peas: for a sweet pop of color that pairs nicely with the salty ham. These are optional, so leave them out if you don’t care for peas.
- Cheese: just about any good melting cheese will work. For instance, try grated Swiss cheese, grated cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, an Italian cheese blend, or Gruyere.
How to Make Ham Tetrazzini
Quick ham casserole recipes are some of our favorite ways to use leftover ham from the holidays, or to take advantage of store-bought ham when you need an easy meal. I’ve included the detailed cooking instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here’s the quick version:
- Whisk together the liquid.
- Stir in the uncooked noodles, the ham, and the mushrooms, garlic, and pepper.
- Transfer to a baking dish, cover, and bake until the pasta is al dente.
- Stir in the peas and sprinkle cheese on top.
- Bake, uncovered, until the cheese melts.
- Garnish with chopped fresh herbs and serve!
Serving Suggestions
This is basically an entire meal in one dish, thanks to the meat, rice, and veggies. That said, if you’d like to round out the meal, the ham casserole goes well with any of the following sides:
- Fluffy Bakery-Style Corn Muffins, Southern Cornbread, Jiffy Cornbread with Creamed Corn, Sweet Cornbread, Pumpkin Cornbread, Cake Mix Cornbread, Skillet Cornbread, Corn Sticks, or Honey Cornbread
- 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Sweet Potato Biscuits, Flaky Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits, or Drop Biscuits
- Cranberry Muffins or Apple Muffins
- Crusty French Baguette, Soft Dinner Rolls, or Homemade Crescent Rolls
- Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette, Mixed Greens with Dijon Vinaigrette, Caesar Salad, or our favorite House Salad with Candied Pecans
- Fried Corn
- Southern Fried Apples, Baked Apple Slices, or Applesauce
- Roasted Asparagus or Sauteed Asparagus
- Amish Green Beans with Brown Butter or Southern-Style Green Beans
- Oven-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon or Roasted Root Vegetables
- Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
- Cranberry Sauce
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: You can assemble the casserole a few hours in advance, or even leave it covered in the refrigerator overnight before baking. The pasta will start to soften and absorb some of the liquid as it sits, so you may need to decrease the baking time slightly. You don’t want to overcook the casserole or you’ll end up with gummy, mushy pasta.
- Storage: This casserole is best enjoyed immediately from the oven. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The pasta will dry out a bit as it sits.
- I do not recommend freezing this casserole because pasta has a tendency to get gummy and mushy when thawed.
- How to Reheat: Cover and reheat leftovers in a 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until warmed through. You can also reheat individual portions in a microwave for 1-2 minutes on high power.
Recipe Variations
- To feed a bigger family, double all of the ingredients and bake the casserole in a 9 x 13-inch pan. The rest of the instructions remain the same.
- Swap out the ham and use chicken or leftover turkey from your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Be sure to try our favorite chicken tetrazzini and turkey tetrazzini, too!
- Use cream of chicken soup or cream of celery soup in lieu of the cream of mushroom soup.
- Add other veggies to the casserole. For instance, try corn, frozen (thawed) green beans, or parboiled broccoli.
- Any long pasta shape will work. For instance, if you don’t have spaghetti, substitute with linguine, angel hair, or fettuccine. If the pasta requires a different cooking time than the spaghetti (about 10-11 minutes according to package directions), you’ll need to adjust the baking time accordingly.
- Stir some fresh herbs into the pasta dish. For instance, try a little bit of thyme or rosemary, or garnish the dish with basil, parsley, or chives.
- Top the casserole with buttered panko breadcrumbs (or regular bread crumbs), Ritz cracker crumbs, crushed potato chips, or crushed Corn Flakes if you like a crunchy topping.
Tips for the Best Ham Tetrazzini Recipe
- Total cooking time will vary depending on the type of pan that you use and on your individual oven. A glass or ceramic casserole dish will take longer than a metal pan, for instance. The metal pan may only need 40 minutes before the pasta is al dente. To know when your casserole is done, taste a bite of the pasta. The noodles should be tender and the sauce should be thicker.
- Be careful not to overbake the casserole or the pasta will become mushy.
- The sauce will continue to thicken as the casserole rests and cools.
- Use low-sodium chicken broth or water. The soup and ham add a good amount of salt on their own.
- Try seasoning the dish with other herbs and spices that you enjoy. Good options include garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, thyme, rosemary, basil, oregano, chives, and parsley.
- Cooking for a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the casserole in an 8-inch square dish. The cooking instructions remain the same.
More Ham Casserole Recipes to Try
Dump-and-Bake Ham & Cheddar Casserole
1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Ham and Cheese Casserole
50 minutes mins
Farmhouse Ham Casserole with Cornbread
1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Dump-and-Bake Ham Tetrazzini
Ingredients
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or sub with water)
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 8 ounces uncooked spaghetti, broken into pieces
- ½ lb. cooked, diced ham (about 1 ½ cups)
- 4 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon minced or grated fresh garlic
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup frozen peas
- ½ cup grated Swiss cheese, Gruyere cheese, mozzarella cheese, or cheddar cheese
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a 2-quart (about 11 x 7-inch or 9-inch square) baking dish or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together chicken broth and condensed soup until smooth. Add the uncooked spaghetti, ham, mushrooms, garlic, and ground black pepper. Stir to combine everything together.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, using your hands or a wooden spoon to gently press all of the ingredients into an even layer. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.
- Uncover; stir gently. At this point, check the pasta to make sure that it is al dente (firm but just about finished cooking). If it’s still too hard, cover the dish and return to the oven until pasta is al dente. Then, move on to the next step.
- Stir in the frozen peas and sprinkle the shredded cheese on top. Return the dish to the oven (uncovered), and bake until the pasta is tender and the cheese is melted, about 5-10 more minutes.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve.
Notes
- Total cooking time will vary depending on the type of pan that you use and on your individual oven. A glass or ceramic casserole dish will take longer than a metal pan, for instance. The metal pan may only need 40 minutes before the pasta is al dente. To know when your casserole is done, taste a bite of the pasta. The noodles should be tender and the sauce should be thicker.
- Be careful not to overbake the casserole or the pasta will become mushy.
- The sauce will continue to thicken as the casserole rests and cools.
- Use low-sodium chicken broth or water. The soup and ham add a good amount of salt on their own.
- Try seasoning the dish with other herbs and spices that you enjoy. Good options include garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, thyme, rosemary, basil, oregano, chives, and parsley.
- Cooking for a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the casserole in an 8-inch square dish. The cooking instructions remain the same.
Hi, could this be doubled in a 9×13 pan?
Hi, Holly! Absolutely! The total baking time may need to be increased by a little bit to account for the larger dish, but just keep an eye on it. Hope you enjoy!
Sounds really good and is on my short list! I thought I would mention that, in my quirky Walmart, you can’t buy ham in the meat department outside of the holiday season but you can buy it at the deli and they can give it to you in a thick slice to cut it at home. An additional source! All stores are different. I rely a lot of ham because you don’t have to cook it so I have to find round-about ways to find it sometimes.
Thanks for sharing, Marion! It does pop up in funny places sometime. We hope you enjoy!
Thank you for the recipe. My husband enjoyed it so it is a keeper!
I did cut it down to two persons, but there is still some left over.
Thank you for trying it out, Penny! We’re so glad it was a hit.
Also about how small do you make the spaghetti? I broke them in about thirds.
Hi Marion!
The second can of soup would definitely contribute to the creaminess. As long as the cheese melts, it should contribute to the rich flavor and creamy texture. A heart healthy or low-sodium soup would work just fine with this recipe. The ham could have also contributed, depending on the variety used and how salty it is. Halves or thirds are typically what we break the spaghetti into. Hope this helps!
I have 8 ounces of mushrooms and just over 1/2 pound of ham. I can adjust the other ingredients. What proportions and casserole dish do you suggest? I don’t mind about less ham but I need to use all the mushrooms. Thanks!
I would keep all of the ingredients that same and just add the extra mushrooms. Nothing else should need to change.
Made this past Wed , added in broccoli, as we’re going crazy prepping for thanksgiving and 9 guests… quick easy prep… used no salt added broth and no salt added soup.. the ham adds enough… it was very nice! Thanks!
Wonderful! I’m so glad to hear that it was a hit, Scott. Thank you! Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving!
Hi, I made this and it’s pretty good but mine needed some adjustment. I used my 8 ounces of mushrooms and I was afraid my 2 qt Pyrex would be too small so I used my 3 qt. I added a little extra broth but I didn’t think to use a second can of condensed soup. Although the pasta cooked just fine, it’s not very creamy. Would a second can of condensed soup make a difference? Also, I may have used the wrong type of cheese. The only grated cheese I had ready was parmesan so I used it. Would another type of cheese make it creamier?
Also, though I used unsalted broth I used regular condensed soup. It’s pretty salty. Would it be satisfactory to use a “heart healthy” soup? Or was that saltiness probably due to the parmasean?
Thanks!
Love the dump and bake concept and this was super simple to put together. Wonderful taste, too. Will be a go to for a quick family meal. Thank you.
Thank you, Sassy! I’m so glad that you liked it!