Creamy Ham Macaroni Recipes

HAM AND PEAS PASTA WITH GARLIC PARMESAN CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well. To make the garlic parmesan cream sauce, melt butter in the skillet skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in chicken broth, thyme and basil. Cook, whisking constantly, until incorporated, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in half and half and Parmesan until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more half and half as needed; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in spaghetti, ham and peas, and gently toss to combine. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

HAM AND CHEESE PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Make pasta: Put a big pot of salted water onto boil on high heat for the pasta (4 quarts, 2 tablespoons salt). While the pasta water is heating, prep the other ingredients. Once the water has reached a rolling boil, add the pasta and stir so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Let the water return to a rolling boil and cook, uncovered, for 9 to 10 minutes, until the pasta is "al dente", cooked through but still slightly firm to the bite.
• Make roux: Melt the butter in a large (3 to 4 quart), thick-bottomed pot on medium heat. Add the minced garlic. Let the garlic sizzle for a few seconds. Add the flour and whisk so that any lumps are dissolved. Let the roux (flour and butter) bubble and cook for a minute or two.
• Make the sauce: Slowly add the milk and cream, a quarter cup at a time, whisking until incorporated after each addition. Increase the heat to medium high. Add 1⁄4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg and 1⁄2 teaspoon of ground black pepper. (You may want to increase these later to taste.) Add 1⁄2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Add half of the shredded Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, whisking until melted and incorporated into the sauce. Add 3/4 teaspoon of salt (again, you may want to increase this to taste). Stir in 1 cup of water (can use pasta cooking water if you want).
• Preheat oven to 400°F
• Combine pasta with sauce, ham, parsley, onion greens: Drain the cooked pasta and add it to the sauce. Add the ham. Add the chopped parsley and onion greens or chives. Gently stir to combine. Taste, and add more nutmeg, salt, pepper, or Italian seasoning to taste.

MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH HAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente; drain and reserve. Meanwhile, in a 5-quart heavy pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in flour to coat onion. In a slow steady stream, whisk in milk until there are no lumps.
• Cook, whisking often, until mixture is thick and bubbly and coats the back of a wooden spoon, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in cayenne, if using, and 1 cup each yellow and white cheddar cheese. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Toss pasta with cheese mixture; fold in ham. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or individual dishes. Set aside.
• In a food processor, pulse bread until large crumbs form. Toss together with remaining 1/4 cup each white and yellow cheddar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Top pasta with breadcrumb mixture. Bake until top is golden, about 30 minutes.

ONE-POT HAM AND VEGGIE PASTA

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add ham and onion; saute for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper; cook for 2 minutes.
• Whisk together chicken broth, half-and-half, and flour in a bowl until smooth; pour into the pot. Stir in farfalle pasta, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
• Add peas and carrots. Cook until pasta is cooked through, about 8 more minutes. Stir in Parmesan cheese and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

PASTA WITH 15-MINUTE HAM, PEA, AND CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook farfalle in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente; drain, reserving 2 Tbsp. pasta cooking liquid.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high. Add shallots and 1/2 tsp. salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes (do not brown). Add ham, peas, and cream. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in lemon zest, 2 Tbsp. parsley, and 1/2 tsp. pepper.
• Return pasta to pot. Toss with sauce and reserved pasta cooking liquid; season with salt and pepper. Divide among plates, then top with parsley and Parmesan and season with more pepper.

CREAMY HAM, LEEK & MUSHROOM SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Stir in the leeks, 2 tbsp water and some seasoning, cover, then cook for 5 mins over a medium heat until softened. Add the mushrooms and garlic, then cook for 3 mins more. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to pack instructions, then drain, reserving a little of the cooking liquid.
• Stir the soft cheese into the leek and mushroom mixture, adding enough of the reserved pasta liquid to give a sauce-like consistency. Add the ham, basil leaves and Parmesan, then toss in the spaghetti.

CREAMY HAM PASTA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, saute the celery, pepper and onion in butter until tender. Stir in the soup, milk and salt. In a very large bowl, combine the soup mixture, ham and mushrooms. Drain pasta; add to soup mixture and toss to coat., Transfer to two greased 13x9-in. baking dishes. Top with cracker crumbs. Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Bake the remaining casserole, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown., To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until heated through.

CREAMY HAM & MUSHROOM PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Cook the pasta according to pack instructions, then drain. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6, then melt a little butter in a large saucepan. Fry the mushrooms for a couple of mins, then scoop out and set aside. Use some kitchen paper to wipe out the pan.
• Melt the remaining butter in the pan, then add most of the onions and soften for 1 min. Stir in the flour for another min, then gradually stir in the milk until you have a lump-free sauce. Increase the heat and bubble the sauce, stirring for a few mins to thicken. Turn off the heat, stir in the ham and most of the cheese, then season to taste.
• Tip the pasta and mushrooms into a large ovenproof dish, then pour over the sauce and mix well in the dish. Scatter over the remaining cheese and spring onions, then bake for 10 mins until golden.