Ham and Cheese Casserole

This Ham and Cheese Casserole is a ramped up version of your favorite Baked Macaroni and Cheese recipe! Ziti noodles smothered in a homemade cheese sauce and chopped, smoked ham – SO good!

My entire family goes nutso when I made homemade macaroni and cheese for dinner! This Ham and Cheese Casserole is essentially a homemade mac and cheese with added ham. Yep, it’s basically amazing!

I love the fact that this recipe uses ingredients that you can pronounce, unlike the easy stuff that comes in the blue box. Not that we don’t enjoy that version from time to time, too! This casserole is absolutely perfect for a large family dinner, or to take to a gathering!

What’s in this recipe?

Typical pasta and cheese sauce ingredients will be used in this one: ziti pasta, butter, flour, garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, milk, shredded cheddar cheese, and grated Parmesan cheese. Obviously the deli ham is a different addition! You can certainly use chopped leftover ham if you have that, but I typically use a container of pre-sliced deli ham in this casserole.

What kind of deli ham is used in this recipe?

Any ham variety will work fine here. I like to use honey ham, but use your favorite.

Do I need sharp or mild cheddar for this recipe?

You’ll need shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Hand shredded will melt better if you have time to do that as well.

How to make this recipe:

1. Melt butter in a large, deep skillet. Add in minced garlic and cook until just beginning to smell garlicky – only a minute. Whisk in flour well, being sure to break up any lumps. Bring this mixture to bubbling in the skillet.

2. Pour in the milk and whisk the mixture well. Bring this up to a boil, stirring frequently. Continue cooking for a few minutes so the mixture can thicken up.

3. Add in the Dijon mustard and the shredded cheddar cheese. Stir until all of the cheddar cheese has completely melted. Remove the skillet from the heat.

4. Pour the cheese sauce over the cooked ziti noodles in the pot. Add in the chopped ham. Stir the entire mixture well.

5. Pour the noodles into a baking dish that has been sprayed with non stick spray. Sprinkle evenly with grated Parmesan cheese.

6. Bake in a preheated oven until the edges are bubbly.

Be sure to allow ample time for this casserole to cool before serving – the cheese sauce is VERY hot. I know this will be very hard to do, though, once you smell this cheesy dish!

Leftover directions:

Refrigerate individual portions in plastic containers for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave before serving.

Freezer directions:

Whole Casserole – Prepare the casserole up until the point of baking. Cover the casserole with foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bake according to the recipe direcionts.

Individual Servings – Divide individual portions of baked casserole in plastic freezer safe containers for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave.

More recipes you’ll love:

• Deli Cucumber Salad
• Smoked Sweet Kielbasa Bites
• Clam Dip Recipe
• Ham & Noodle Casserole
• Ziti Lasagna

If you liked this recipe, leave a rating and a comment below this post!

Ham and Cheese Casserole

Ham and Cheese Casserole made with ziti noodles smothered in a homemade cheese sauce and chopped, smoked ham - SO good!

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: recipe for ham and cheese casserole

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 721kcal

Author: Kelly Miller

Ingredients

• ▢ 16 oz ziti pasta cooked and drained
• ▢ 1/2 cup butter
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1/2 cup flour
• ▢ 4 cups milk
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ▢ 16 oz shredded cheddar cheese
• ▢ 9 oz smoked deli ham chopped
• ▢ 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

• Melt butter in a large skillet over low heat.
• Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Increase heat to medium and whisk in flour.
• Continue whisking until mixture is bubbling and no longer clumpy.
• Whisk in milk and heat to boiling for about one minute.
• Stir in Dijon mustard and cheddar cheese, keep stirring until cheese is completely melted.
• Pour over cooked ziti noodles, add chopped ham, and stir until pasta and ham is evenly coated.
• Pour ziti into a 9x13 baking dish and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
• Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 721kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 131mg | Sodium: 1271mg | Potassium: 459mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1175IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 638mg | Iron: 2mg

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