Looking for a way to put leftover ham to use? Try ham tetrazzini. It’s a hearty and comforting baked pasta dish made with cooked spaghetti, cubed ham, a creamy sauce, and, of course, plenty of cheese to go around!
The hardest part of this recipe is waiting for the noodles to boil and the casserole to bake. Here’s how to make a ham tetrazzini that’s perfect for any night of the week.
Ingredients
- Spaghetti: This ham tetrazzini recipe calls for uncooked spaghetti noodles broken into 2-inch strands. Breaking spaghetti is something we don’t usually recommend, but shorter noodles make sense in this recipe because of the ham cubes. This way, you can more easily pick up the noodles and the cubes of ham with your fork in the same bite.
- Ham: This is a perfect leftover ham recipe, provided the ham you’d like to use up doesn’t have a super-sweet glaze. However, if you don’t have leftover ham to use, cubed ham steak would be great substitute.
- Cream of mushroom soup: Condensed soup makes up most of the spaghetti sauce. When combined with parsley, pimientos, Worcestershire sauce, onion and pepper, it becomes just as flavorful as it is creamy.
- Milk: A little 2% milk loosens the condensed soup and turns it into a sauce that bakes up bubbly in the oven.
- Cheese: Who doesn’t love a cheesy casserole? Shredded sharp cheddar melts and makes the noodles ooey gooey!
Directions
Step 1: Cook the spaghetti
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cook the broken spaghetti strands according to the package directions.
Step 2: Make the sauce
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the cheese, soup, milk, parsley, pimientos, onion, Worcestershire sauce and pepper.
Editor’s Tip: Add a little extra milk if you prefer a thinner sauce.
Step 3: Combine the spaghetti and sauce
Drain the spaghetti, and add it to the soup mixture. Stir to evenly incorporate.
Step 4: Transfer the mixture to the baking dish
Coat a 1-1/2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Spread half of the spaghetti mixture into the dish. Layer with the cubed ham, then top with the remaining spaghetti mixture.
Step 5: Bake the ham tetrazzini
Bake the ham tetrazzini, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly.
Ham Tetrazzini Variations
- Swap out the meat: Use cubed cooked turkey or chicken in place of the ham to make a turkey tetrazzini or a chicken tetrazzini.
- Add the veggies of your choice: Frozen or canned peas, broccoli, canned mushrooms or chopped red peppers would all make lovely additions to the casserole.
- Try a different condensed soup: Try cream of chicken soup instead of cream of mushroom soup for a little different flavor.
How to Store Ham Tetrazzini
Leftover baked ham tetrazzini will last in an airtight container for three to four days when kept in the fridge. Don’t forget to let the casserole (and the dish it was baked in) cool down before wrapping and storing in the fridge. If you have several smaller containers to use, separating the leftovers into smaller portions allows it to cool down faster and makes single servings easier to reheat.
Can you make ham tetrazzini ahead of time?
Like many other baked pasta recipes, this ham tetrazzini can be prepared and assembled the day ahead. Assemble the casserole, and wrap it (unbaked) tightly, then store in the fridge. When you’re ready to eat, pull the tetrazzini out of the fridge while the oven preheats. You’ll likely need to add about 10 minutes to the bake time to account for the time spent in the fridge. Regardless, make sure that the casserole reaches 165° before serving.
Can you freeze ham tetrazzini?
Ham tetrazzini can be made ahead and stored in the freezer for up to two to three months. It’s best if you freeze before baking it. When you want to bake the dish for supper, pull it out of the freezer, and let the dish thaw in the fridge overnight. Then pull the dish out of the fridge and let it sit at room temp while the oven preheats. Bake according to recipe directions, likely adding 10 minutes to the oven time. Again, make sure that the dish reaches 165° before digging in. Check out our guide to how to freeze a casserole for more guidance.
Ham Tetrazzini Tips
What kind of ham should you use to make ham tetrazzini?
The leftover ham from your favorite ham recipe is the ham to use! We’d recommend a simple, savory recipe such as slow-cooker ham (something delightfully fruity like this baked ham with cherry sauce might be too strong in tetrazzini!). Sweet glazes and sauces won’t mesh well with the other savory ingredients in this recipe.
What can you serve with ham tetrazzini?
Ham tetrazzini is already a pretty hearty entree, so it’s best served with a side salad or your favorite garlic bread recipe.
