A creamy and flavorful casserole that is perfect for leftovers spiral ham. Loaded with flavor, this is a family-friendly dish that is sure to be enjoyed by all.
Do you have a lot of leftover ham from the holidays? If so, don’t throw it away! There are plenty of delicious recipes that you can make with leftovers. Some of my favorites are Swiss & Ham Crescents or this Creamy Ham & Cheese Pasta Salad.
This ham and cheese casserole is easy to make, and it’s always a hit with my family. The casserole is hearty and filling, and the cheese sauce is deliciously creamy. You can change up the ingredients to include your favorite flavors.
How to Make Leftover Ham & Cheese Casserole
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cook pasta according to the package instructions. Drain pasta and return it to the stockpot.
Add the ham, cream of mushroom soup, milk, half the shredded cheese combination, spices, and room temperature cream cheese. Stir until creamy.
Pour the mixture into a casserole dish and top with the remaining cheese.
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. The casserole will have a cheesy, bubbly topping. Want some extra color and flavor? Consider topping this casserole with some thinly sliced green onion.
Recipe Variations
Cheese – While the cheddar combination I used is delicious (in my opinion), you can use any cheese you want. Swiss, and Monterey Jack, are delicious options. However, I suggest using freshly shredded blocks for the creamiest casserole. Store-bought pre-shredded cheeses contain extra ingredients to prevent sticking and it affects the creaminess.
Sauce – I used whole milk and cream of mushroom soup for my sauce. However, a sour cream based sauce, is also delicious. To use sour cream, simply add 1 1/4 cups of sour cream instead of milk.
You can also use cream of celery, or cream of chicken soup.
Spices – You can add whatever your family enjoys to the dish if you prefer a different flavor profile.
Ham – You can use 3 cups of any type of leftover, precooked ham you might have on hand. A two-pack of small ham steaks is just enough for this meal.
Freezer Meal
This dish can be easily frozen before baking for later enjoyment. I recommend that you assemble it in a disposable pan if you choose to freeze it. Using a disposable pan makes the transition from freezer to oven easy. Plus, you can easily gift others freezer meals without having to worry about getting your pan back!
To enjoy, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Cook for 45 minutes at 350 degrees or until warmed throughout with melty, bubbly cheese. Top with green onions if desired.
Storing
This dish can be stored (covered) in the refrigerator for up to 3 days for maximum freshness. Heat leftovers in the microwave until warmed throughout.
More Ham Recipes to Try Today
Leftover Ham & Cheese Casserole
Equipment
- 9 x 13 deep baking dish
- 5 quart stock pot
- cutting board & knife
- collander
- food processor *or cheese grater
- Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
- 3 cups leftover spiral ham chopped into small pieces
- 8 ounces dry elbow macaroni cooked al dente
- 8 ounces white cheddar shredded in food processor
- 8 ounces yellow cheddar shredded in food processor
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 10.75 ounces cream of mushroom soup
- 1½ cups whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Boil the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain pasta and return it to the pan.
- Add the ham, cream of mushroom soup, milk, half the shredded cheese, spices, and room temperature cream cheese to the cooked pasta. Stir until creamy.
- Pour the mixture into a casserole dish and top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Top with green onion before serving.
Hello, I keep my pasta-based dishes vac-sealed for up to 3 months. Anything else, up to 30 days for us.
How long is it good for in the freezer?
Hi Bob, sorry about that! It is 3 cups of leftover spiral ham or chopped ham steaks.
it says 2 cups in the directions and 3 cups of ham in the ingredients
Awesome! I am about to bake a ham and can’t wait to remake this.
I made this for dinner tonight it was great! Very creamy like homemade Mac and cheese, and perfect for leftover ham. Thank you!
Hello, so happy you enjoyed it all the way in Australia! Happy New Year!
Hello from Australia! I made this for the whole family and it disappeared … very quickly! Lovely stuff. Thank you Amy!
Sounds great! Thanks for stopping by!
I also think any of the suggested additions in the other comments would be terrific. This recipe will definitely be going into my normal recipe rotation.
Very tasty recipe. Easily cut in half with one can of cream of mushroom (or cream of chicken or cream of celery) soup and one cup of milk or half and half. Top with French Fried Onions for an extra tasty crunch. I also used one 8 oz. block of extra sharp cheddar when i halfed the recipe, but any cheese would work.
Hello Margie, We freeze it and never have issues- it is SO good!
Hi, I haven’t made this but I can tell it will be delicious. I am wondering if it freezes well? I like to make big batches and freeze some.
I was searching for a leftover Easter ham recipe besides soup and found a gem. Followed recipe and added ancho chile powder to the spice profile for a little smokiness. Delicious.
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it!
Delish, great way to use up left-over ham.
Hi, I am sorry but I have not tried it that was as its a completely different recipe.
Question, would it come out OK if I used cooked rice instead of elbow macaroni, as frozen peas and top it with tater tots?
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed this!
Yummy! I didn’t have any cream cheese on hand, but I had leftover pimento cheese spread and some sour cream, so I substitued that and added a dash of dry mustard. This recipe will go into my “go to again” recipe binder! Thank you, Amy!
So great to hear this! Thank you for stopping by!
So great to hear this! Thank you for stopping by!
Just made this for my husband he loved it it was delicious. Will be make this again.
What an easy, amazing tasting leftover ham recipe. I would not change a thing although I did add 1/2cup of frozen peas
for color. Delicious!!
Just made this tonight
It was so good!!
Only thing I substituted is the cheese, made it with Swiss
Definitely will make it again 😊
Wow this went quick1 I substituted Cream of Cheddar soup for the Mushroom soup.
Thank you so much for sharing!
soooo good! Made exactly as recipe states. My 8 kids and husband all loved it!!
Hello, you sure can! I love to portion out my meals and use Food Saver bags. To heat, I thaw overnight and cook in the microwave, or heat in a heat-safe dish in the oven.
Can you freeze this after it’s cooked?
So glad you enjoyed it!
Delicious! Added some steamed broccoli on the side!
This recipe is delicious! Brought it to an event this weekend and it is requested for Christmas 💚❤️ again. I used the whole box of macaroni – 16oz. Noticed the recipe was 8oz.