Ham Mac and Cheese Casserole turns a box of elbow pasta and a couple of cups of cooked ham into a creamy, cheesy dinner for a crowd. The pasta is stirred into a quick sauce of cheddar cheese soup, sour cream, milk and seasonings with diced ham and plenty of shredded cheese, then baked in a 9×13-inch dish with more cheese melted on top. It serves 10 and takes about 45 minutes.
How to make it: Cook the pasta to al dente. Whisk the soup, sour cream, milk and seasonings, stir in the ham and most of the cheese, then add the drained pasta. Pour it into the dish, cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 25 minutes, then top with the last of the cheese and bake a few minutes more.
Why You’ll Love It
- A use for cooked ham: two cups of diced or shredded ham go right in.
- No roux: canned cheddar cheese soup and sour cream make the sauce.
- Feeds 10: a full box of pasta in one pan.
- Covered, then cheesy: it bakes under foil, then uncovered for the melted cheese top.
Ingredient Notes
Elbow pasta: One 16-ounce box, cooked just to al dente.
Cheddar cheese soup: One 10.75-ounce can of condensed soup is the base of the sauce.
Sour cream and milk: One cup of sour cream and 1/3 cup of whole or 2% milk make it creamy.
Seasonings: Half a teaspoon each of salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.
Ham: Two cups, shredded or diced. Leftover baked ham works well.
Shredded cheese: Two and a half cups: 2 cups stirred into the sauce and 1/2 cup saved for the top.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces elbow pasta (1 box)
- 1 can (10.75 ounces) condensed cheddar cheese soup
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup milk (whole or 2%)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups shredded or diced ham
- 2 1/2 cups shredded cheese, divided
How to Make Macaroni and Cheese Ham Casserole
1. Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Cook the pasta. Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions; it will cook a little more in the oven.
3. Make the sauce. While the pasta cooks, whisk the cheddar cheese soup, sour cream, milk, salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder in a large bowl. Stir in the ham and 2 cups of the cheese, reserving 1/2 cup for the top.
4. Combine. Drain the pasta but do not rinse it. Stir it into the sauce until everything is combined, pour into the baking dish and cover with foil.
5. Bake. Bake covered for 25 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle with the reserved 1/2 cup of cheese and bake 3 to 5 minutes more, until the cheese melts and the center is hot (165°F).
How to Keep Baked Mac and Cheese Creamy
Three steps in this recipe keep it creamy.
Stop the pasta at al dente. The macaroni keeps cooking in the oven, so boil it only until it still has a little bite.
Don’t rinse it. Drain the pasta and stir it straight into the sauce.
Bake it covered. Foil stays on for the first 25 minutes while the casserole heats through. It comes off only at the end, for a few minutes, to melt the cheese on top.
Tips for Success
- Whisk the sauce smooth: combine the soup, sour cream, milk and seasonings well before the ham and cheese go in.
- Save cheese for the top: keep 1/2 cup back, plus a little of the ham if you like, to sprinkle on after the foil comes off.
- Use a big bowl: a full box of pasta needs room to be stirred through the sauce.
Classic White Sauce Version
For a from-scratch sauce, melt 1/8 cup of margarine in a saucepan, stir in 1 tablespoon of flour, then pour in 2 1/2 cups of milk and stir until thickened. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of sharp cheddar and 3 cups of diced baked ham, then mix the sauce into 8 ounces of cooked macaroni in a casserole dish. Top with 2 1/2 more cups of cheddar, for 4 cups in all, and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
Variations
- Ham and peas: stir peas into the sauce with the ham.
- Layered with spinach: layer the pasta and cheese sauce with fresh spinach and top with buttered breadcrumbs.
- More ham: use up to 3 cups of diced ham.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months. Reheat to 165°F.
What to Serve With It
Serve it with a green salad or steamed green beans. For another cheesy pasta bake, try good ole fashion mac and cheese or chicken broccoli macaroni and cheese with bacon. For more ways to use ham, there is ham and potato au gratin, crockpot ham and potato casserole, ham and potato corn chowder and crock pot ham and beans.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make a ham and mac and cheese casserole?
Cook elbow pasta to al dente, stir it into a sauce of cheddar cheese soup, sour cream, milk, seasonings, diced ham and shredded cheese, and bake covered at 375°F for 25 minutes. Add more cheese on top for the last few minutes.
Can I use leftover ham?
Yes. Any cooked ham works, shredded or diced.
Why cook the pasta only to al dente?
It keeps cooking in the oven, so starting at al dente keeps it from going soft.
What cheese should I use?
Shredded cheddar works well; the classic white-sauce version uses sharp cheddar.
Final Notes
Boil the pasta to al dente, don’t rinse it, and bake it covered until the last few minutes. If you make it, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Ham Mac and Cheese Casserole
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Ingredients
- 16 ounces elbow pasta 1 box
- 1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup 10.75 ounces
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup milk whole or 2%
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups ham shredded or diced
- 2 1/2 cups shredded cheese divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions; it will cook a little more in the oven.
- While the pasta cooks, whisk the cheddar cheese soup, sour cream, milk, salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder in a large bowl. Stir in the ham and 2 cups of the cheese, reserving 1/2 cup for the top.
- Drain the pasta but do not rinse it. Stir it into the sauce until everything is combined, pour into the baking dish and cover with foil.
- Bake covered for 25 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle with the reserved 1/2 cup of cheese and bake 3 to 5 minutes more, until the cheese melts and the center is hot (165°F).
