This ham and cheese casserole is ooey, gooey, cheesy, and full of flavor! It’s an easy, made-from-scratch baked mac and cheese with Gruyere and sharp cheddar cheeses, smoky leftover ham, and a buttery garlic breadcrumb topping.
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If you’re looking for more recipes for leftover ham, don’t miss these old-fashioned Southern ham and beans, a pot of ham and bean soup, this ham and rice casserole, and this split pea soup with ham!
I added a bag of frozen corn in its own steam bag cooked 4 min instead of 6 min and this casserole was delicious! A family friendly meal. I especially love the roux base instead of a can of condensed soup. Thanks for sharing!
– Catherine
A Versatile Ham and Cheese Casserole Recipe
This easy ham and cheese casserole recipe is essentially just baked mac and cheese with ham as an added bonus. How bad could that be, right?! We’re turning a favorite American side dish into a lunch or dinner entrée by using up the leftovers from a holiday ham; however, rotisserie chicken, crispy bacon, pulled pork, or ground beef will also work.
We like to pair the casserole with veggies or a salad on the side, but you can certainly stir vegetables right into the dish, too. Try frozen peas or parboiled broccoli! Take the base recipe and make it your own. Nobody can resist those garlicky, crunchy, buttered bread crumbs on top!
What to Know Before You Get Started
- I like these “shellbows,” but elbow macaroni, cavatappi, rotini, or medium shells will all work well. Pick a short shape with ridges or curls that the creamy sauce can cling to!
- Use cheese that you grate by hand. Do not use pre-shredded cheddar cheese in a bag, because those packaged cheeses include a powdery coating with stabilizers that prevent the cheese from melting as smoothly into the sauce.
- Boil the pasta for about 1-2 minutes shy of the recommended time for al dente. The noodles will continue to cook in the oven, and you don’t want to end up with mushy, overdone pasta in your dish.
How to Make Ham and Cheese Casserole
This recipe uses a roux to make a creamy béchamel that coats the noodles and ham in sauce. If you’re looking for the best baked mac and cheese with ham recipe, then you’ve come to the right place! You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- To cut down on the prep time, get the pasta water boiling while you prepare the rest of the ingredients (such as grating the cheese). Then, as the pasta cooks, you can whisk together the cheese sauce. This way the pasta isn’t sitting around getting cold while you prepare the sauce, and everything comes together quickly at the end.
- Salt the water before boiling your pasta. This is your chance to season the noodles for a flavorful dish! Drain the cooked pasta.
- Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce in a large Dutch oven or saucepan over low heat. Remove the pot from the heat before adding the cheese (or keep the flame very low) so that the sauce stays creamy and smooth. When cheese gets too hot, it separates and gives the sauce a grainy texture.
- Add the cooked pasta and diced ham to the cheese sauce; stir to combine.
- Pour the mixture into a 2-quart baking dish that has been greased or sprayed with cooking spray.
- Top with buttered breadcrumbs.
- Bake in a 375°F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the top is toasted and golden brown.
- Serve hot and garnish with a dash of paprika or chopped fresh parsley, if desired.
Serving Suggestions
While mac and cheese is often served as a side dish, the addition of ham makes it a perfect main dish casserole. Pair the cheesy noodles and ham with light, fresh sides like a winter salad, house salad with candied pecans, carrot salad, roasted broccoli, spinach casserole, Southern collard greens, okra and tomatoes, or roasted asparagus.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- The ham and cheese casserole is best when served immediately, so I do not recommend preparing the dish in advance. The dish tends to get dry as the pasta soaks up more of the sauce the longer it sits.
- Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Baked mac and cheese does not freeze well, since the cream-based sauce has a tendency to “break” or separate when thawed.
- How to Reheat: Cover the dish and reheat leftover ham and cheese casserole in a 350°F oven until warmed through, about 15-20 minutes. You can also reheat individual servings in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Did you make this recipe?
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Ham and Cheese Casserole
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (½ lb.) short pasta, such as elbows, medium shells, “shellbows,” or cavatappi
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup (half of a stick) salted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk, at room temperature
- 2 cups grated Gruyere cheese
- 1 ½ cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 4 ounces cooked diced ham (about 1 cup)
For the Garlic Breadcrumb Topping
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon salted butter, melted
- Dash of garlic powder
- Optional garnish: dash of paprika; chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a splash of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Add the pasta and cook for about 1-2 minutes less than the package instructions for al dente. Drain well.
- Meanwhile, melt ¼ cup butter in a large Dutch oven over low heat. Whisk in the flour; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the room temperature milk. Increase the heat and cook for 2-4 more minutes, stirring constantly, until the white sauce bubbles, thickens, and becomes creamy. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the gruyere, cheddar, 1 teaspoon salt, a dash of black pepper, and the nutmeg.
- Add the cooked pasta and the diced ham to the pot with the sauce. Stir to combine. If the sauce seems too thick, stir in a little bit more milk to thin to the desired consistency. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Transfer the ham and pasta mixture to a greased 2-quart (about 8-inch square) baking dish. In a small bowl, stir together the panko breadcrumbs, melted butter, and a dash of garlic powder. Sprinkle the buttered crumbs over the top of the dish.
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the crumbs are golden brown. Serve hot and garnish with a dash of paprika or chopped fresh parsley, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Variations
- Use leftover baked ham from a previous meal, or purchase a package of diced ham from the grocery store. You can also substitute with diced kielbasa or other sausage, leftover chicken or shredded rotisserie chicken, crispy bacon, pulled pork, or cooked ground beef.
- Add herbs like fresh thyme to the cream mixture. A dash of ground mustard or garlic powder is also a nice touch.
- Try different types of cheese. For instance, swap out the cheddar or Gruyere and try white cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby, Pepper Jack, Velveeta, or Gouda.
- Instead of the buttered breadcrumbs, use crushed Ritz crackers on top.
- Add vegetables! Stir sauteed mushrooms or onion, frozen peas, spinach, steamed (or parboiled) broccoli, or green beans right into the dish.
- I typically use whole milk, but you can substitute with 2% milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream. Just don’t use a lower fat milk like skim, or your sauce won’t have that creamy mouthfeel and it will be more likely to curdle.
- Cooking for a larger family? Double all of the ingredients and bake the casserole in a 9 x 13-inch dish. You will likely need to increase the total baking time by about 5-10 minutes.
More Ham Casserole Recipes
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Ham and Noodle Casserole
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Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
This recipe was originally published in February, 2022. It was updated in December, 2024.
WOW
love your cooking an photos an easy directions
I added a bag of frozen corn in its own steam bag cooked 4 min instead of 6 min and this casserole was delicious! A family friendly meal. I especially love the rue base instead of a can of condensed soup. Thanks for sharing!
Yum! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Catherine!