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Leftover Ham and Broccoli Casserole

This Leftover Ham and Broccoli Casserole is a family favorite recipe. Tender bites of broccoli tossed with ham and pasta in a homemade cheese sauce.. yes, please! When it comes to the perfect leftover ham casserole recipe, this easy dinner recipe wins any night of the week!

Broccoli Ham and Cheese Casserole

Leftover Ham and Broccoli Casserole

Everyone needs a tasty easy dinner idea that is quick to put together and can satisfy an entire household all with one 13 x 9 baking pan.  Leftover Ham and Broccoli Casserole is THAT dish.

The perfect way to use up that leftover ham from holiday dinners, who doesn’t love hearty chunks of ham and gentle broccoli florets mixed with curly pasta and a creamy cheese sauce? Exactly!

This is the ham casserole recipe my husband has been asking me to make for … um … years.

Every time he asked, I made an excuse or there was another recipe I wanted to try, always something more exotic/spicy/different/newer …

I never had time for anything so ‘regular’ as throwing together a leftover ham casserole and I hang my head in shame for that.

My bad.

Looking for more easy dinner recipes?  You have to try my Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs, my Chicken Enchiladas and my Baked Tortellini Casserole.

Broccoli Ham and Cheese Casserole is a classic family favorite.

THE BEST LEFTOVER HAM CASSEROLE

  • Making a holiday ham always means tons of leftovers. This is an awesome way to use up and re-purpose leftover ham.  
  • Kids are picky little creatures and this cheesy broccoli casserole is an easy and tasty way to sneak in some veggies. Trust me, this is one cheesy dinner recipe that is always kid approved.
  • It takes all of 10 minutes to a make a homemade cheese sauce.  Tastes better than anything in a box or a jar.
  • This is basically glorified macaroni and cheese with ham and broccoli .. yessss!!
  • This whole casserole is basically made in just one pot prior to baking.  That means less dishes and more time to drink wine.

HAM CASSEROLE INGREDIENTS

To whip up this broccoli and ham casserole, you will need:

  • Butter
  • Flour
  • Chicken stock
  • Milk
  • Seasonings
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Sharp cheddar cheese
  • Curly rigatoni pasta (or any pasta you prefer)
  • Broccoli
  • Ham

LET’S MAKE A BROCCOLI HAM CASSEROLE!

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9 x 13 pan with non-stick spray.

In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon of melted butter and 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine and set aside.

breadcrumb topping for broccoli casserole
While you are making your cheese sauce, start a large pot of salted water to boil.

Once boiling, cook your rigatoni macaroni pasta per your package instructions, minus 2-3 minutes. Add broccoli in with your pasta and cook for 2 minutes until tender crisp.

Once pasta and broccoli are cooked, drain your pasta and set aside.

To make your cheese sauce, add your butter to a large skillet and melt over medium high heat and once your butter is melted, add in the flour.

roux for broccoli and ham casserole
Whisk together and continue whisking while your flour cooks for 1-2 minutes before slowly pouring in the milk and chicken stock. Whisk together to combine and break up any flour clumps.

Add in spices, salt and pepper and bring almost to boil, stirring often.

adding spices to roux

Turn heat down to medium and stir in the Parmesan cheese and the sharp cheddar cheese and continue to stir until all of your cheese has melted.

Pour your cooked pasta, broccoli and diced ham into your cheese sauce and stir to combine.

broccoli and ham casserole

Move your casserole to your prepared baking pan, sprinkle the top of your mac and cheese with the breadcrumb mixture and bake for 20-25 minutes.

casserole with breadcrumb topping
Remove your Broccoli and Cheese Casserole from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

I know waiting is hard but that molten lava cheese sauce needs time to cool a bit and set up ???? Trust me, wait the 10 minutes!

ham and cheese casserole

PRO TIPS FOR PERFECT HAM CASSEROLE

  • Fresh broccoli can be substituted with frozen broccoli but be sure to let it thaw first and pat it dry before adding it with the other ingredients.
  • Crispy fried onion pieces, Ritz crackers, saltines and breadcrumbs make great toppers for this Broccoli and Cheese Casserole if you are looking for a bit of crunch.
  • You can easily add in rotisserie chicken, leftover turkey or cooked bite sized chicken pieces to this recipe instead of ham if you want.
  • Don’t stress over what cheese to use.. get creative! Mix and match your favorite cheeses.
  • When you add your flour to the butter, be sure to continuously whisk them together to make a roux and to ensure your flour will not stick to your pan.
  • Be sure to remove your pasta from cooking 2 minutes prior to the time stated on your pasta box. This helps the pasta from getting mushy when cooked in the oven.
  • You can substitute the broccoli with cauliflower or even use a mixture of them both.

DOES YOUR HAM HAVE WATER ADDED?

Some ready to eat ham (like ham steak) will say on the label that water has been added. 

You can certainly use it in this cheesy ham casserole but I would suggest you take a minute and sauté the ham to get rid of the extra moisture before adding the ham to this recipe.

Simply cook it over medium high heat for a few minutes and then drain away the excess liquid. 

MORE MUST HAVE EASY DINNER IDEAS

Enjoy!!

Broccoli Ham and Cheese Casserole is a classic family favorite.

Did You Make This Recipe?

I would love for you to leave a rating and a comment below! Let me know, how’d you do?! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Leftover Ham and Broccoli Casserole

Broccoli Ham and Cheese Casserole
This Leftover Ham and Broccoli Casserole is a family favorite recipe. Tender bites of broccoli tossed with ham and pasta in a homemade cheese sauce.. yes, please! When it comes to the perfect leftover ham casserole recipe, this easy dinner recipe wins any night of the week!
Heather
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Serving Size 8

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 4 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 3 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • 16 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 2 cups pre-cooked ham diced or cubed
  • 3 cups raw broccoli florets about 1 head of broccoli
  • 16 ounce rotini pasta

Breadcrumb Topping

  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter

Instructions

  • Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9 x 13 pan with non-stick spray.
  • In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon of melted butter and 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese. Stir to combine and set aside.
  • While you are making your cheese sauce, start a large pot of salted water to boil. Once boiling, cook your rigatoni macaroni pasta per your package instructions, minus 2-3 minutes. Add broccoli in with your pasta and cook for 2 minutes until tender crisp. Once pasta and broccoli are cooked, drain your pasta and set aside.
  • To make your cheese sauce, add your butter to a large skillet and melt over medium high heat and once your butter is melted, add in the flour.
  • Whisk together and continue whisking while your flour cooks for 1-2 minutes before slowly pouring in the milk and chicken stock. Whisk together to combine and break up any flour clumps.
  • Add in spices, salt and pepper and bring almost to boil, stirring often. Turn heat down to medium and stir in the Parmesan cheese and the sharp cheddar cheese and continue to stir until all of your cheese has melted.
  • Pour your cooked pasta, broccoli and diced ham into your cheese sauce and stir to combine. Move your casserole to your prepared baking pan, sprinkle the top of your casserole with the breadcrumb mixture and bake for 20-25 minutes.
  • Remove your Broccoli and Cheese Casserole from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. I know waiting is hard but that molten lava cheese sauce needs time to cool a bit and set up ???? Trust me, wait the 10 minutes!

Notes

PRO TIPS FOR PERFECT CASSEROLE

  • Fresh broccoli can be substituted with frozen broccoli but be sure to let it thaw first and pat it dry before adding it with the other ingredients.
  • Crispy fried onion pieces, Ritz crackers, saltines and breadcrumbs make great toppers for this Broccoli and Cheese Casserole if you are looking for a bit of crunch.
  • You can easily add in rotisserie chicken, leftover turkey or cooked bite sized chicken pieces to this recipe instead of ham if you want.
  • Don’t stress over what cheese to use.. get creative! Mix and match your favorite cheeses.
  • When you add your flour to the butter, be sure to continuously whisk them together to make a roux and to ensure your flour will not stick to your pan.
  • Be sure to remove your pasta from cooking 2 minutes prior to the time stated on your pasta box. This helps the pasta from getting mushy when cooked in the oven.
  • You can substitute the broccoli with cauliflower or even use a mixture of them both.

Nutrition

Serving: 6g | Calories: 846.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 53.4g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 52.2g | Saturated Fat: 26.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9.3g | Cholesterol: 173.4mg | Sodium: 1776.7mg | Potassium: 198.2mg | Fiber: 6.8g | Sugar: 6.5g | Vitamin A: 1485IU | Vitamin C: 2.2mg | Calcium: 632mg | Iron: 0.7mg

Update Notes: This post was originally published in March of 2016 but was republished with an updated recipe, new photos, step by step instructions and tips in July of 2023.

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