Macaroni & Cheese With Ham

Macaroni and cheese with ham is a creamy, cheesy, baked pasta. Ham and a velvety, rich semihomemade cheese sauce turn this into a must make for any mac and cheese lover! Perfect as a main dish or as a side for Easter, Christmas, or Thanksgiving.

Is there ever a bad time for mac and cheese?

Not in my book!

If you aren’t familiar with making cream sauce, it can be kind of daunting though.

This version doesn’t involve making a roux to make a thick, rich cheese sauce though.

Instead it relies on some simple shortcuts to make a thick and luxurious sauce that you’d never know wasn’t totally homemade.

Ingredients

To make mac and cheese with ham you’ll need:

• Pasta– I used small shells, but you could use elbow macaroni or any other short pasta.
• Broccoli cheese soup– The condensed kind.
• Sour cream– Full fat works best
• Half and half
• Seasonings– Seasoned salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and ground mustard
• Ham– Diced ham. Leftover ham works so well in this!
• Cheese– Shredded sharp cheddar

How to Make

This macaroni and cheese with ham is super easy!

To do it, cook the pasta according to package instruction and then set it aside.

Then, heat the rest of the ingredients minus one cup of the shredded cheese in a large skillet set over low heat, stirring to evenly combine.

Once the sauce is heated through, stir it into the cooked pasta.

Then, add the cheesy pasta mixture to a 9×13″ baking dish and spread it out in an even layer.

Bake at the mac and cheese at 350° for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, sprinkle the rest of the cheese evenly out over top, and bake another 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve and enjoy!

Can I add peas to this mac and cheese with ham?

Yes!

Macaroni and cheese with peas and ham is a classic combo!

To add peas to this mix, I recommend thawing a cup of frozen peas and stirring them into the cooked pasta with the sauce.

They will warm through in the oven.

Storing Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.

Can I freeze this?

Yes!

The trick to freezing any macaroni and cheese, this one included is freezing it once it is cool.

If you are making this especially for freezer cooking, I would assemble the casserole, but not bake it.

Let it cool, then freeze it, wrapped well to prevent freezer burn.

When you are ready to make it, thaw it in the fridge the night before.

Then bake as instructed, increasing the the bake time to make sure the casserole is warmed through.

You can also freeze leftovers, just make sure to let them cool fully first.

Tips and Tricks

• Use full fat sour cream and half and half for the richest results.
• You can use any kind of cheese you’d like or even use a mix of cheeses. Swiss would work well in it.
• Up the veggie factor by adding in peas or even steamed chopped broccoli florets.
• You can adjust the seasonings according to your preferences.

Other Macaroni and Cheese Recipes

Macaroni and cheese with ham is a delicious way to use up leftover ham anytime or anytime you want a yummy main.

Make it and enjoy!

Looking for other macaroni and cheese recipes?

Try these:

• Homemade Easy Mac In A Mug
• Pulled Pork Macaroni & Cheese Bake
• Broccoli Cheddar Mac & Cheese (Panera Bread Copycat)

If you’ve tried this MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH HAM, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!