This ham and cheese casserole is an easy, delicious meal that’s perfect for a weeknight or Sunday dinner. In this recipe, pasta is covered with a creamy béchamel sauce, Swiss cheese and diced ham. With just ten ingredients this creamy ham and cheese pasta uses simple ingredients, and requires minimal prep, plus it makes a nice big batch so it feeds a crowd.
What is a béchamel sauce?
Like we mentioned, this creamy ham and cheese pasta is made with a béchamel. A béchamel, also called a white sauce, is a simple (but magical) combination of butter, flour and milk.
The butter and flour make a roux, and then the milk is added and simmered until thickened. It’s usually flavored with spices, common additions include: nutmeg, salt, pepper (white or black) and bay leaf. It has a creamy, nutty flavor and a smooth texture.
On its own, a béchamel doesn’t necessarily shine. You probably will never think to yourself, hmmm you know what I can go for right now? Some béchamel…but, when combined or added to other ingredients, it can take an ordinary dish and turn it into something spectacular!
Ingredients
- Butter – We use regular salted butter, unsalted will also work.
- Flour – Use white, all-purpose flour to make the roux.
- Milk – Whole milk works, we have also used reduced-fat milk for the sauce, and it has worked well. Avoid skim milk, it’s too thin and watery.
- Bay Leaf
- Salt – For the sauce and to salt the pasta water (we use kosher salt).
- Ground Nutmeg – Use fresh grated if you can.
- Black or White Pepper – Some people prefer to use white pepper in a white sauce to avoid the little black flecks. I don’t mind them and it’s what I have loaded in the pepper grinder.
- Pasta – We use a spiral pasta, tube shaped will also work well. Rotini, fusilli, ziti, and macaroni just to name a few.
- Ham – Choose a ham that is pretty strong and not sweet, so it holds its own against the cheese and sauce. We use a couple of small ham steaks. Leftover ham is perfect for this recipe!
- Swiss Cheese – Shred your own cheese to get the smoothest texture.
Recipe tips
Before you start cooking, start a large pot of water over medium to medium-high heat. Cover the pot and let the water heat up and come to a boil while you start the white sauce. Having the pasta water ready to go will ensure the sauce doesn’t sit too long and thicken.
Keep your attention on the sauce. Do not leave milk on the heat unattended. Have everything ready to go for this recipe before starting to cook.
Don’t raise the heat to bring the white sauce to a simmer. It will happen, be patient and stir occasionally to keep it from sticking and burning on the bottom.
Make the béchamel
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk the mixture until smooth. Cook the flour mixture for 2-3 minutes, stirring almost constantly.
- Slowly add the milk to the saucepan while stirring. Add the bay leaf. Gently bring the sauce to a simmer (It will take about 10-12 minutes).
- Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg to the sauce, stir to combine well. Cook the sauce for 3-4 minutes keeping it at a gentle simmer, lower the heat to medium low to low and stir frequently.
- The sauce will thicken as it simmers it should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Remove the bay leaf and discard. Taste the béchamel; add a pinch of salt, if needed. Keep the sauce on low or warm until ready to use, stir occasionally.
Once you have the sauce under control, start the pasta and cook to package directions for al dente. Remember to salt the pasta water, 1 tablespoon should do it.
Before draining the pasta, reserve about ½ cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta well, return it to the pot and add the reserved pasta water.
Preheat oven 350°F
Build the ham and cheese casserole
Use a large, ovenproof casserole dish or baking pan (about 9X12 inch). Add half the pasta and half the béchamel sauce.
Sprinkle half of the grated Swiss cheese and half the diced ham. Add the remaining pasta, the rest of the sauce and top the casserole with the remaining cheese and ham.
Place the casserole dish on a baking sheet just in case it bubbles over. Bake the ham and cheese pasta for 30-35 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and some of the ham pieces are a little toasty on the tips.
You may also like these pasta recipes:
Ham and Cheese Casserole
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons Butter
- 6 tablespoons Flour white all-purpose flour
- 5 cups Whole Milk warmed through (or use reduced fat not skim)
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1½ teaspoon Salt plus 1 tablespoon for the pasta water
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon Black or White Pepper
- 16 ounces Spiral Shaped Pasta rotini, rotelle, fusilli, etc. or a tube shape pasta – cooked to package directions for al dente
- 10 ounces Ham cut into ¼ inch slices then into ½ inch pieces
- 8 ounces Swiss Cheese shredded
Instructions
- Start a large pot of water over medium to medium-high to get the water going for the pasta. When you’re ready raise the heat to get the water to a boil.
Make the béchamel
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is melted add the flour. Whisk the butter and flour until well combined and smooth. Cook the flour mixture for 2-3 minutes, stirring almost constantly.
- Slowly add the milk to the saucepan while stirring.
- Add the bay leaf.
- Gently bring the sauce to a simmer; it will take about 10-12 minutes. It will happen. Don’t raise the heat. Stir the occasionally to keep it from sticking and burning on the bottom of the pan.
- Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg to the sauce, stir to combine well.
- Lower the heat to medium-low to low, cook for 3-4 minutes keeping it at a gentle simmer, stir frequently. The sauce will thicken as it simmers it should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Remove the bay leaf and discard. Taste the sauce; add a little extra salt, if needed. As a reference we added ½ teaspoon to ours. Keep the sauce on low or warm until ready to use, stir occasionally.
- Once you have the sauce under control (on low heat), drop the pasta in the boiling water and cook to package directions for al dente. Remember to salt the pasta water 1 tablespoon of salt should do it.
- When the pasta is cooked reserve about ½ cup of the pasta water just in case it’s needed later (see Notes). Drain the pasta well, return it to the pot.
Preheat oven to 350°F
Build the ham and cheese casserole
- Use a large, ovenproof casserole dish or baking pan (about 9X12). Add half of the pasta to the baking dish.
- Add about half of the béchamel sauce over the pasta.
- Sprinkle half of the grated Swiss cheese and half the diced ham.
- Add the remaining pasta, the rest of the sauce and top the casserole with the remaining cheese and ham.
- Bake the ham and cheese pasta for 30-35 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and some of the ham pieces are a little toasty on the tips.
Notes
- Have everything ready to go for this recipe before you start cooking. Everything moves really fast when making this white sauce. Plus, all your attention needs be on the sauce. It’s very important to never leave milk on the stove unattended.
- If the pasta is sitting around for whatever reason it will start to dry and become sticky. Use the reserved pasta water to make it slippery again. Add a tablespoon or two of the water until you can stir it easily.
- Place the casserole dish on a baking sheet just in case it bubbles over.
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