This cheesy Ham Casserole with noodles and broccoli is an easy dinner recipe to throw together on busy weeknights. Use up your leftover ham from a recent holiday, or purchase cubed ham at the grocery store — either way, your family will love this simple, hearty one dish meal!
This classic broccoli ham casserole with pasta has all of the components that you know and love — a creamy sauce, flavorful meat, veggies, cheese and a buttery Ritz cracker crumb topping. It’s a casserole that you will return to again and again to get a cozy meal on the table for your family with just 20 minutes of prep.
How to make Ham Casserole:
If you can boil pasta, then you can assemble this easy casserole! Here’s what you’ll need…
Ingredients:
- Diced ham
- Rotini pasta
- Condensed cream of celery soup and condensed cream of chicken soup
- Milk
- Salt, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper
- Frozen broccoli florets
- Cheddar cheese
- Ritz crackers
- Butter
First, boil the pasta according to package instructions.
Once the noodles are cooked and drained, combine them with the soups, milk, seasoning, ham, thawed broccoli and half of the cheese. Transfer the mixture to a large baking dish and sprinkle remaining cheese over top.
Finally, it’s time for the topping! Just stir together crushed Ritz crackers with melted butter, and then add them to the dish.
Bake the ham casserole in a 350 degree F oven (uncovered) for about 30 minutes. It’s done when the inside of the casserole is hot and bubbly and the topping is golden brown.
What to serve with Ham Casserole:
Since this casserole includes protein, veggies and a starch, you really don’t need anything else on the side. Convenient, right? However, if you’d like to round out the meal with a couple of other options, here are some great sides that go well with a ham casserole:
- A simple green salad tossed with Green Goddess dressing;
- Slow Cooker Southern Green Beans;
- Roasted asparagus;
- Dinner rolls, crusty French bread, or buttermilk biscuits
- Pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, or Secret Ingredient Jiffy Cornbread
- Southern Fried Apples
- Southern Pineapple Casserole
- Pink Ambrosia Salad
- Southern Collard Greens
Preparation and Storage Tips:
- Prep ahead: You can assemble this casserole in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before baking.
- To freeze: Assemble the casserole, cover tightly with foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then allow to sit on the counter and come to room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
- Have leftovers? The cooked casserole will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To reheat a previously baked casserole: Cover the dish loosely with foil to prevent the top from excess browning. Warm in a 300 degree F oven for about 20 minutes, or just until heated through. If you need the topping to get crispy again, remove the foil cover during the final 5-10 minutes. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave, just until heated through.
Cook’s Tips and Recipe Variations:
- I had some leftover Pineapple Glazed Ham in the freezer, so that’s what I used here. If you don’t have any leftover ham, you can certainly buy a package of cubed ham from the grocery store.
- I like the combination of cream of celery and cream of chicken soups; however, you can substitute with any two cans of your favorite condensed soups. For instance, use two cans of cream of celery, use a can of cream of mushroom, or use just cream of chicken.
- The frozen baby broccoli florets are the perfect bite-size pieces to throw directly into the casserole. If you can’t find the baby broccoli florets, use regular frozen broccoli florets and chop them into smaller pieces.
- Instead of broccoli, try using frozen peas in your casserole. You don’t even need to thaw the peas before adding them to the dish.
- If you don’t have rotini pasta, you can substitute with another small pasta shape such as penne, farfalle or wagon wheels.
- I love the buttery flavor and the crunch of the Ritz cracker crumb topping; however, you can substitute with an equal amount of crushed potato chips, panko breadcrumbs, crushed Corn Flakes cereal, or other crackers of your choice.
- Cooking for a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half and prepare the casserole in an 8-inch or 9-inch square dish.
More leftover ham recipes that you might enjoy:
- 5-Ingredient Ham and Noodle Casserole
- Ham, Cheddar and Broccoli Quiche
- Overnight Ham, Egg and Cheese Monkey Bread
- Make-Ahead Ham and Cheese Sliders
- Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
- Ham and Rice Casserole
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Ham Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) box rotini pasta
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup, NOT diluted
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, NOT diluted
- 1 ½ cups milk
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups cooked, diced ham
- 2 cups frozen baby broccoli florets, thawed
- 8 ounces grated cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 cup crushed Ritz crackers (about 25 whole crackers)
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Cook rotini in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions. Drain.
- While the pasta cooks, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together condensed soups, milk, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper. Add the cooked pasta, ham, broccoli and half of the cheese. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top.
- In a small bowl, stir together crushed Ritz crackers and melted butter. Sprinkle on top of the casserole.
- Bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes (or until the inside is hot and bubbly and the topping is golden brown).
Notes
- I had some leftover Pineapple Glazed Ham in the freezer, so that’s what I used here. If you don’t have any leftover ham, you can certainly buy a package of cubed ham from the grocery store.
- I like the combination of cream of celery and cream of chicken soups; however, you can substitute with any two cans of your favorite condensed soups. For instance, use two cans of cream of celery, use a can of cream of mushroom, or use just cream of chicken.
- The frozen baby broccoli florets are the perfect bite-size pieces to throw directly into the casserole. If you can’t find the baby broccoli florets, use regular frozen broccoli florets and chop them into smaller pieces.
- Instead of broccoli, try using frozen peas in your casserole. You don’t even need to thaw the peas before adding them to the dish.
- If you don’t have rotini pasta, you can substitute with another small pasta shape such as penne, farfalle or wagon wheels.
- I love the buttery flavor and the crunch of the Ritz cracker crumb topping; however, you can substitute with an equal amount of crushed potato chips, panko breadcrumbs, crushed Corn Flakes cereal, or other crackers of your choice.
- Cooking for a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half and prepare the casserole in an 8-inch or 9-inch square dish.
Yum this looks good and I have all the ingredients too! When I make it I’ll come back & let you know how we liked it…. 🙂 Thanks!
Awesome! Enjoy, Tess!
I have 2 very picky toddlers and they both gobble this up! Super easy to make…
Yay! That’s the highest praise — when the picky little ones enjoy it, too! 🙂 Thanks, Lori!
Great recipe and easy to make! Definitely a keeper!
Thanks, Tori!
This was delicious. I grated an 8 oz block of sharp white cheddar and replaced the broccoli with peas because my husband and daughter don’t care for broccoli. We all loved it. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you, Amber! We’re so glad you were able to make it work for you and that it was a hit!