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One Pot Ham and Cheese Pasta Recipe

by Jennifer Debth December 25, 2020

4.86 from 132 votes

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This One Pot Ham and Cheese Pasta Recipe is the perfect way to use up that leftover holiday ham. A quick and easy recipe that’s loaded with pasta, cheese, and loved by kids and adults alike!

General
Ingredients
How to make
Get the recipe
Step-by-step video
Frequently Asked Questions
What ham to use
What pasta to use
Variations
Pairing suggestions
How to store
Nutrition information

Please tell me I’m not alone in loving holiday leftovers more than the actual dinner. However, I do have a few rules for holiday leftover recipes:

Has to be quick and easy.
Can’t make a mess.
Must be DELICIOUS!

Enter this one pot ham and cheese pasta! It’s super quick and easy, made in one pot for easy cleanup, and it’s SO GOOD!

Ingredients

Savory, juicy leftover ham, tender pasta, gooey cheese, and tangy mustard…I mean come on. It doesn’t get better than that!

Unsalted Butter – melted and used to sauté the onion.
Yellow Onion – adds texture and a sweet, caramel-y flavor when sautéed.
Salt and Pepper – enhances other flavors and adds a little hint of spice.
Ham – any cooked and cubed ham will work great. Try using leftovers of my honey dijon crockpot ham or ham with pineapple sauce!
Pasta – I use bow tie pasta, because I love the texture mixed with the diced ham, but any smaller pasta shape would be fine (cooking time may vary).
Garlic – rounds out the other flavors with it’s subtle nuttiness.
Dijon Mustard – gives the pasta a tangy kick of flavor.
White Wine – adds a light and sweet flavor to the pasta. Serving this to kiddos? Replace with white grape juice, water, or broth.
Water – used to cook the pasta and serves as the base for the cheese sauce.
Salt – enhances other flavors.
Swiss and Parmesan Cheese – melted together to form a tangy, nutty, creamy cheese sauce.

Pro tip

Why water instead of broth? Broth adds more flavor, yes, but because salt levels can vary so much with ham (hello saltiness), I wanted YOU to be in control of the salt. So today, we’re using water and salt, to taste, instead of broth.

How to make

Literally throw everything into a pot and 20 minutes later, you’re golden!

Melt butter in a large stockpot then add in onion, salt, and pepper. Cook until the onion is tender.
Mix in cubed ham, pasta, garlic, mustard, white wine, water, and additional salt.
Simmer until the pasta is cooked al dente, stir in Swiss and parmesan until melted, then serve and enjoy!

Pro tip

The sauce will be somewhat thin and loose, but thickens as the pasta sits.

What ham to use

Depending on the leftovers I have, I either use ham from my honey dijon crockpot ham or ham with pineapple sauce recipe! However, any ham will work.

Pro tip

Whatever you use, make sure it’s fully cooked and diced so it mixes well into the pasta.

What pasta to use

Any short cut pasta will work. I love using bow tie pasta in this recipe, but macaroni, rotini, penne, shells, etc. should work! Keep in mind, if you change the pasta, cook time may also change.

Variations

Make it creamier. Replace 1/2 cup of the water with heavy cream.
Spice it up. Sprinkle in a dash of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes for an extra kick.
Add veggies. Toss in some frozen peas for a little “pop” of color, texture, and nutrients.

What to serve with ham and cheese pasta

Meat (check!), pasta (check!) . . . give me some veggies, a roll, and a salad and we’re good to go!

How to store

Leftover ham and cheese pasta will keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 1-2 months.

To reheat, thaw in the fridge if frozen then microwave or heat on the stove with a splash of white wine until warmed through.

Happy Holiday Eating!

– Jennifer

This post was originally published December 14, 2017 and has been updated to provide more detailed content.