Ham Cheese Pasta Casserole
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Ham cheese pasta casserole combines easy ingredients to make an all-in-one dinner.
Fresh pasta is combined with chopped ham, broccoli, bell pepper, all tossed in a creamy dressing and topped with cheese and croutons.
This is an easy casserole recipe that’s perfect for busy weeknights. Serve with a side salad for a well-rounded dinner!
A Filling Casserole Recipe
- This is an easy way to use up any leftover ham from previous dinners.
- Use any combination of your favorite vegetables. This version keeps things simple with three easy additions.
- To save time, prep your pasta the night before and use the leftovers for this meal!
- The sauce is light and flavorful with just a few simple ingredients you probably already have.
- Leftovers store well in the fridge and make for great lunches!
Recipe Ingredients
I love easy all-in-one casseroles because they take the fuss out of dinner!
HAM: Cooked ham is easy to add to any casserole – especially if you have leftovers and don’t know what to do with them. You’ll need 1 ½ cups of chopped cooked ham for this recipe.
PASTA: This recipe uses spiral pasta, but you can use any style of short pasta noodles that you have on hand. For example, macaroni, bowtie and penne would also work great.
VEGETABLES: Soft vegetables like bell pepper, green onions, and broccoli work best for this quick casserole. Feel free to use frozen veggies to save time. No need to thaw, just add straight to the casserole and bake.
SAUCE: An easy sauce of mayonnaise, milk and various spices adds just enough creaminess without being too overwhelming.
TOPPINGS: Croutons and shredded cheddar top the casserole for the perfect crunch. Croutons are optional but we really like to add them in our house! You could also try sprinkling a bit of breadcrumb or panko crumbs.
Variations
Ham and broccoli casserole is easy to change up and add variety to. Replace the vegetables with a bag of frozen ones – try using 3 cups worth. You can also substitute with fresh cauliflower, zucchini, olives, and anything pickled.
Cheese can be replaced with mozzarella, Monterey jack or parmesan.
Ham can be replaced with shredded chicken from leftovers or a storebought rotisserie chicken, canned tuna or ground beef.
How To Make Ham Cheese Pasta Casserole
Casserole recipes are perfect for hungry families because they’re so easy to put together.
- Cook the pasta according to package.
- Add all ingredients to a large bowl according to the recipe below.
- Pour into casserole dish, top with croutons and shredded cheese.
- Bake, then serve. Add your favorite fresh toppings.
Toppings
Feel free to add any of your favorite fresh toppings like hot sauce, ketchup, barbecue sauce and honey mustard.
Recipe Tips
- Try using brown rice pasta for an easy gluten-free pasta alternative. This is our favorite style of pasta in our household. It’s also what I used in this recipe.
- Cook extra pasta the night before and use leftovers for this recipe. This will cut down on prep time.
- Lightly spray the casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray to avoid ingredients sticking to the dish. This makes it easier to serve and clean up.
- Stretch out your meat by using half of a ham for this recipe and the rest in ham and bean soup.
- Swap out the croutons for something crunchy like crushed tortilla chips, crushed crackers or panko crumbs.
- Serve with your family’s favorite sauces on the table. Hot sauce, barbecue sauce, ketchup and honey mustard would all be great. That way they can customize on their own.
More Casserole Recipes
Here are some more casserole recipes for you to try:
- Shredded Barbecue Chicken Casserole is an easy recipe using shredded chicken breasts.
- Beef Rice Cabbage Casserole is easy and low carb.
- Tuna Noodle Casserole is budget-friendly and ready in under 30 minutes.
- Hamburger Casserole is a classic, and for good reason!
Did you love this easy casserole recipe? Be sure to leave a rating below!
Ham Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked spiral pasta noodles
- 2 cups broccoli florets - chopped small
- 1 ½ cups chopped ham
- 1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese - ½ cup filling, 1 cup topping
- 1 cup chopped bell pepper
- 2 green onions - chopped
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- 1 cup croutons - optional
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to instructions on the side of the package. Drain and rinse. Set aside.
- Lightly spray a casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Add cooked pasta, broccoli, ham, ½ cup shredded cheese, bell pepper, green onion, mayonnaise, milk, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to a large bowl. Mix together thoroughly.
- Pour mixture into casserole dish. Top with croutons and sprinkled cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
- Ham can be replaced with shredded chicken from leftovers or a storebought rotisserie chicken, canned tuna or ground beef.
- Cheese can be replaced with mozzarella, Monterey jack or parmesan.
- Substitute veggies with 3 cups frozen veggies to save time.
- Swap out the croutons for something crunchy like crushed tortilla chips, crushed crackers or panko crumbs.
- Feel free to add any of your favorite fresh toppings like hot sauce, ketchup, barbecue sauce and honey mustard.
