Ham and Noodle Casserole
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Ham and Noodle Casserole is a great way to create a delicious meal with leftover ham, tender egg noodles and a creamy homemade cheese sauce. Add sweet peas, and whip it into an easy ham casserole your whole family will love!
For more leftover ideas, make this Brown Sugar Glazed Ham as the star of your holidays, then chop it up for an Old Fashioned Ham Salad sandwich or Scalloped Potatoes and Ham the next day.
This Casserole is So Good!
- Made From Scratch - tons of flavor without any condensed soup or artificial ingredients.
- Easy Recipe - so versatile you can make it with leftover holiday ham, deli ham, or cubed ham steak from the grocery store.
- Budget Friendly - serve this one pan meal for Easter or Thanksgiving and save lots of money!
Ingredient Notes
For quantities of ingredients, scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- egg noodles - great pasta for soaking up the cheesy sauce
- half and half - can sub whole milk, but cream makes a difference
- seasonings - garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, salt
- chicken broth - use chicken stock for less sodium
- cornstarch - helps thicken the sauce
- sharp white cheddar and sharp cheddar cheese - twice the flavor
- sour cream - adds an extra layer of creaminess
- frozen green peas - sub broccoli or asparagus if desired
- cubed ham - can be leftovers or store bought
Instructions
1 - Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions, taking a minute or two off the recommended cooking time. When the pasta is al dente, drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
3 - Add the half and half to a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and kosher salt, and bring the sauce to a light simmer.
4 - In a measuring cup, whisk together the chicken broth and cornstarch to form a slurry. When the half and half is lightly simmering, slowly pour in the slurry. Stir constantly for 3-4 minutes while the sauce thickens.
5 - When the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, turn the heat down to low and add the shredded sharp white cheddar. Stir the sauce until the cheese is fully melted. Add the sour cream, and stir until thick and creamy. Taste the sauce, and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.
6 - Combine the sauce with the cooked noodles, ham and frozen peas. Reserve a ¼ cup of ham and peas to sprinkle over the top of the casserole, if desired. Stir well until all the noodles are coated in sauce.
7 - Add the noodles, ham and frozen peas to a greased baking dish. Top with the grated sharp cheddar, and the reserved ham and peas.
8 - Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly. Serve immediately.
Variations
- Use whole milk instead of half and half.
- Substitute another type of pasta such as penne or elbow macaroni.
- Change the cheese to your liking. Monterey jack, parmesan cheese and Swiss cheese all work well.
- Add buttery bread crumbs to the top of the casserole for a little crunch.
- Substitute broccoli florets or chopped asparagus for green peas.
- Add softened cream cheese to the sour cream sauce to make it extra cheesy.
What to Serve with Ham and Noodle Casserole
- Crusty Bread - a dutch oven full of Irish soda bread is a great side, and so is cheese stuffed garlic bread that will steal the show!
- Mixed Green Salad - you'll love this green pea salad, or a mix of greens in a rainbow salad with lemon vinaigrette
- More Vegetables - try lemon butter asparagus, a sheet pan full of roasted broccoli, or our favorite maple bourbon glazed carrots
Cooking Tip ☑️
Make sure to freshly grate the cheese for this recipe. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with an anti-caking agent that keeps it from melting smoothly. The casserole will be much creamier with freshly grated cheese.
Storing Leftovers
Leftover ham and noodle casserole can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
To reheat, sprinkle the pasta with a bit of water and microwave until hot. Stir well so that everything is combined. The water helps to make the sauce creamy again.
This recipe is even better the next day after the flavors have had a chance to blend together. It can be frozen for up to 3 months, but the consistency may change since there is cream in the recipe.
More Favorite Casseroles
If you love easy dump and go one-pan meals, try these other ideas for dinner...
Tried this Recipe and Loved It? ❤️ Please scroll down and leave a *STAR* review!
Recipe Card
Ham and Noodle Casserole
*See notes in blog post for detailed tips, photos and instructions.
Equipment
- baking dish (13 x 9 inch)
Ingredients
- 16 ounce bag egg noodles
- 2 cups half and half
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (plus more to taste)
- ½ teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 8 ounces shredded sharp white cheddar (approximately 2 cups shredded)
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 cups cubed ham (diced into small cubes)
- 4 ounces shredded cheddar (approximately 1 cup shredded)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions, taking a minute or two off the recommended cooking time. When the pasta is al dente, drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.16 ounce bag egg noodles
- Add the half and half to a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and kosher salt, and bring the sauce to a light simmer.2 cups half and half, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a measuring cup, whisk together the chicken broth and cornstarch to form a slurry. When the half and half is lightly simmering, slowly pour in the slurry. Stir constantly for 3-4 minutes while the sauce thickens.1 cup chicken broth, 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- When the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, turn the heat down to low and add the shredded sharp white cheddar. Stir the sauce until the cheese is fully melted. Add the sour cream, and stir until thick and creamy. Taste the sauce, and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.8 ounces shredded sharp white cheddar, ½ cup sour cream
- Combine the sauce with the cooked noodles, ham and frozen peas. Reserve a ¼ cup of ham and peas to sprinkle over the top of the casserole, if desired. Stir well until all the noodles are coated in sauce.1 cup frozen peas, 2 cups cubed ham
- Add the noodles, ham and frozen peas to a greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Top with the grated sharp cheddar, and the reserved ham and peas.4 ounces shredded cheddar
- Add the baking dish to the preheated oven and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Make sure to freshly grate your cheese for this recipe. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with an anti-caking agent that keeps it from melting smoothly. The casserole will be much creamier with freshly grated cheese.
- Leftover casserole can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat, sprinkle the pasta with a bit of water and microwave until hot. Stir well so that everything is combined and the water helps reconstitute the creamy sauce.
- You can make this casserole with leftover holiday ham, or cubed ham steak from the grocery store. You could even try cut up hot dogs for a simple weeknight meal.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is an auto generated estimate.
ham, noodle, peas!!!
I love it! 🙂