One Pot Ham and Cheese Pasta Recipe

This One Pot Ham and Cheese Pasta Recipe is the perfect way to use up that leftover holiday ham! A quick and easy recipe full of pasta, swiss cheese, and ham! 

Today’s recipe is sponsored by our friends at Smithfield! They’re helping us keep our holiday entertaining easy, stress free, and delicious.

I LOVE holiday traditions, don’t you?

Every year, the MOMENT Thanksgiving dinner is over, I turn on holiday music and in my spare time, can be found watching every single holiday movie ever created.

Even though I’ve already seen all of them at least 56 times. 🙂

You’ll also find me baking the SAME cookies I bake every year and planning the SAME family holiday meal that we eat every year.

What can I say?

I’m a creature of habit. 🙂

The centerpiece of my family holiday meal every year? The holiday ham, of course! Today, we’re using Smithfield Spiral Sliced Ham and it definitely deserves center of the table status.

Liiiike it’s so juicy and flavorful.

Plus, it makes for KILLER leftovers the next day. 🙂

Enter the leftovers: one pot ham and cheese pasta.

Aka.

The best, easiest, cheesiest, holiday leftover recipe ever.

Please tell me I’m not alone in loving holiday leftovers more than the actual dinner itself.

Especially when recipes like this one pot ham and cheese pasta exist!

I know you *could* just eat the leftovers as is, but personally, I like making the leftovers into something totally new and exciting.

That being said, I have a few rules for leftover holiday recipes:

1. It has to be QUICK & EASY. You just cooked a holiday meal, I KNOW you don’t want to slave over the hot stove again.
2. It CAN’T MAKE A MESS. I need at least a year to recover from the disaster zone that is my kitchen after a big holiday meal . . . right?
3. It has to be DELICIOUS. There’s no point in turning leftovers into something new unless it’s even better than the holiday meal!

Let’s see how this one pot ham and cheese pasta measures up…

1. QUICK & EASY – Literally throw everything into a pot and 20 minutes later you’re golden.
2. CAN’T MAKE A MESS – Holiday hack, I use ONE pot, to cook everything in. Seriously. One pot.
3. DELICIOUS – I mean… Ham. Cheese. Pasta. What’s not to love?!

So.

Let’s make some one pot ham and cheese pasta, shall we?

You’ll start by melting butter in a large stockpot.

Once melted you’ll add in some sliced onions, salt, and pepper. Those will get all tender and delicious then you’ll stir in the rest of the ingredients: diced leftover Smithfield Spiral Sliced Ham, bow tie pasta, garlic, Dijon mustard (this is my secret ingredient, trust me), water (use a little leftover wine too for added flavor if you want!), and salt.

Bring everything to a simmer, simmer until the pasta is perfectly al dente, then stir in parmesan and swiss cheese!

That’s it!

Like I said, this one pot ham and cheese pasta is the best, easiest, cheesiest, holiday leftover recipe ever.

Tender pasta, savory, juicy ham, gooey cheese, and a little tang from the mustard?

Um.

YUMMMMMMMM!!!!!

Happy Holiday Eating!

– Jennifer

P.S. – For more holiday hacks and easy recipes for entertaining, visit Smithfield.com in Smithfield’s Holiday Hub!

P.P.S – During the month of December (hellloooo 31 Days of Smithfield Cheer), Smithfield is giving away a prize every day to members who have signed up for their rewards program, Smithfield Rewards. Along with daily prizes, there will also be weekly prizes AND a grand prize of $5,000! Whhhhhaaaaaat?!

• Log-in or create an account on the Smithfield Rewards page
• Visit the holiday hub

That’s ALL you have to do and you’ll be entered for the chance to win any of the sweepstake prizes (gift cards, a shopping spree, night out for the New Year, etc) Be sure to see Official Rules for more details!

Thanks again to Smithfield for sponsoring today’s post!