Ham & Asparagus Casserole

Name: Ham & Asparagus Casserole
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings.
Ingredients: 3-3/4 cups uncooked yolk-free whole wheat noodles; 2-1/2 cups cut fresh asparagus (1-inch pieces); 1 medium onion, chopped; 1 tablespoon reduced-fat butter; 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme; 1/8 teaspoon pepper; 1 cup fat-free milk; 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1-1/2 cups cubed fully cooked lean ham; 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley; 1/3 cup french-fried onions; 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

"I love to try out new recipes on my family. I'm always looking for ways to incorporate some of my favorite vegetables in with my main dishes, and this one was a success!" Rachel Kowasic - Connellsville, PA

Ingredients

3-3/4 cups uncooked yolk-free whole wheat noodles
2-1/2 cups cut fresh asparagus (1-inch pieces)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon reduced-fat butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup fat-free milk
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1-1/2 cups cubed fully cooked lean ham
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/3 cup french-fried onions
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add asparagus. Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain and set aside.
In a large skillet, saute the chopped onion in butter until tender. Combine the flour, thyme and pepper; gradually whisk in milk and broth until smooth. Add milk mixture to the skillet. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in lemon juice.
Drain noodles; add the ham, parsley, sauce and asparagus. Transfer to a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with fried onions and cheese.
Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Uncover and bake 5-10 minutes longer or until golden brown.

Editor's Note

This recipe was tested with Land O'Lakes light stick butter.

Nutrition Facts

1-1/2 cups: 343 calories, 8g fat (3g saturated fat), 27mg cholesterol, 946mg sodium, 50g carbohydrate (8g sugars, 7g fiber), 22g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1-1/2 starch, 1 fat.

Originally published as Ham and Asperagus Casserole in Healthy Cooking June/July 2009

Reviews

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Average Rating:

Cwazykitty

Feb 13, 2018

I added 1/2 tsp each of Italian seasonings and celery salt and 1 cup of sharp white cheddar cheese to the sauce. That helped with the blandness. I also cooked the asparagus with the noodles to have 1 less pot to wash as mentioned in other comments. With the modifications we thought it was good.
annlindblad

Jan 6, 2017

Was a bit bland and dry. I added grated cheddar on top of the leftovers. Peter added pimento cheese to melt on top.
jbennett

Feb 9, 2016

I really liked this recipe because it used up some leftover ham. Thankfully we live in an area where fresh produce is readily available year-round so the baby asparagus I used didn't cost very much. I decided to split the casserole up and use two 8x8 pans so I wouldn't have to figure out how to get a 13x9 pan in the frig for the next night's leftovers. Also I decided to layer the ingredients--I put the egg noodles in the bottom, put the asparagus on next, and then the sauce with the ham and other ingredients. I would put more french-fried onions and cheese on it the next time. The instructions said that the prep time would take only 25 minutes; I needed closer to two hours before the casserole went in the oven and I was very glad I started cooking early enough.
muffbear74

May 28, 2015

We liked it, but also thought it was a bit bland; may try adding some other seasonings next time. I also appreciated chin-chilla's tips on saving on number of dirty dishes.
heaty89

Apr 15, 2015

This recipe was just ok for me. It was kind of bland, I'm glad I didn't use low sodium chicken broth. If I was to make this recipe again I would not use thyme, and would use other seasonings to give it some more flavor. Also it was also a little too dry as well.
ConnieK

May 17, 2014

Very good and simple to make. Great way to use up leftover ham! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Joscy

Feb 6, 2014

OMGoodness ~ this looks sensational. Also looks quite versatile. Definitely saved recipe. Looking fwd. to making not too far in future. Since we are empty nesters, a 4 serving sized casserole is ideal for us! Thank you so much for sharing ~ Sincerely, Joscy
chin-chilla

Dec 9, 2013

Made this for dinner and the kids and hubby loved it. Was easier than I thought it might be, and easy to adjust to your tastes. I used pinko instead of fried onions. My only complaint was how many dishes I had to dirty but decided on few tips to limit like tossing veggie in with pasta and mixing flour and broth all in the skillet.
daisey5

May 11, 2013

Very good.
lildeb69

Apr 8, 2012

This was good but I think next time I would add more liquid as it was a little dry.