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.
5cupsWhole Milkwarmed through (or use reduced fat not skim)
1Bay Leaf
1½teaspoonSaltplus 1 tablespoon for the pasta water
¼teaspoonGround Nutmeg
¼teaspoonBlack or White Pepper
16ouncesSpiral Shaped Pastarotini, rotelle, fusilli, etc. or a tube shape pasta – cooked to package directions for al dente
10ouncesHamcut into ¼ inch slices then into ½ inch pieces
8ouncesSwiss Cheeseshredded
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.