Ham and Cheese Pasta
Ham and Cheese Pasta is a quick and easy dinner for any night of the week. Great for mac and cheese lovers, it’s made with a cheesy white cheddar sauce with chopped ham and caramelized onions.
Homemade Mac and Cheese is always one of the favorite comfort foods and we also love Bacon White Cheddar Pasta for a quick weeknight meal. Add a side salad and some garlic bread for a complete meal.
We’ve been trying to come up with more easy meal ideas that are budget friendly and hearty at the same time and this shells and cheese pasta is just the ticket. Use leftover ham and caramelized onions for a meal that the entire family will want to eat.
🟢 Ingredients Needed:
- Pasta ~ Medium shells, gemelli or macaroni are great options.
- Butter
- Onions ~ Sweet onions or yellow onions.
- Fresh Garlic
- Chopped Ham ~ Leftover ham, ham steak or any diced ham will work.
- Milk
- Cream Cheese
- White Cheddar ~ We used Cabot. Cheddar, Swiss or Gouda are great options.
- Smoked Paprika
- Kosher Salt
- Fresh Ground Pepper
🟢 Step by Step Instructions:
- Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside.
- Dice the onions and mince the garlic.
- Cook the onions in garlic in butter until caramelized.
- Add the chopped ham and cook 2-3 minutes until crisp.
- Make the sauce by combining the milk, cream cheese and shredded cheese in a pan over medium heat.
- Add smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
- Whisk together until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth.
- Mix in the cooked and drained pasta, ham and onions.
- Remove from heat and let the pasta rest 5 minutes before serving.
🟢 How to Store and Reheat:
Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days.
Reheat in a pan over medium heat, stirring in 1 tablespoon of milk. Cook until heated through.
🟢 More Recipes to Make with Leftover Ham:
Baked Ham Penne Pasta is always a favorite with a cheesy garlic sauce, penne pasta and plenty of ham.
Ham Spinach and Mushroom Quiche makes a delicious meal for any meal of the day. A pastry crust filled with fluffy eggs, cheese, ham, spinach and mushrooms. Great for a holiday brunch or weeknight dinner.
One Pot Cheesy Ham Pasta is a quick dinner made with fettuccine, cheesy sauce and spinach for a family friendly dinner.
Breakfast Sandwiches are so easy to make with leftover sliced ham, cheese and fried eggs. A favorite for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Ham Soup is a quick and easy dinner made with chunks of ham, pasta and vegetables in a cheesy broth.
If you would like more ideas, check all of our Best Ham Recipes. Cooking a ham over the weekend is one of our favorite meal prep recipes and the leftover recipes are endless.
Ham and Cheese Pasta is a great dinner to have in your recipe box. It comes together in under 30 minutes and has lots of cheesy flavor that goes so well with the crisp bits of smoky ham.
If you love this recipe as much as we do, please leave a comment and a five star review. Help us share on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
Ham and Cheese Pasta
Ingredients
- 16 ounces pasta: medium shells gemelli or macaroni
- 2 sweet or yellow onions diced
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3 cups shredded white cheddar cheese I like Cabot Extra Sharp
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1/2 pound diced ham
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, cooking until caramelized, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the ham and cook 2-3 minutes until ham starts to crisp. Set aside.
- After cooking and draining the pasta, use the same pan to make the sauce. Add the milk, shredded cheese and cream cheese. Cook over medium heat, whisking until sauce is smooth and thickened.
- Add the smoked paprika, salt and pepper and whisk to combine.
- Stir in the cooked pasta, ham and onions. Cook 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let the pasta rest 5 minutes before serving.
So delicious!! The cream cheese makes it extra creamy!!
Can u eliminate the cream cheese from recipie
Hi Lois,
You can omit the cream cheese, I would substitute 1/2 cup of heavy cream or half and half. I hope you get the chance to try it.
~ Milisa