This Broccoli Cheese Casserole is a family favorite!  Pasta, broccoli and tender ham is tossed in a quick and easy from scratch cheese sauce.  This casserole is then topped with breadcrumbs and baked until bubbly and golden.   The kids love this dish just as much as I do.

Spooning out a serving of Broccoli Cheese Casserole with Ham

©SpendWithPennies.com

As we all know, life can be very busy! With the kids activities, managing a house and working, there is never a wrong time for a great casserole! This one comes together in just a few steps and can be prepped in the morning before you head out the door.  When you get home after a long day, all that’s left to do is pop dinner into the oven!  Plus it’s full of cheesy goodness with some veggies snuck in there!  Yum right?!

Pouring sauce over Broccoli Cheese Casserole with Ham

Broccoli and cheese is as natural a pairing as PB & J…  they just should ALWAYS go together.  I’ve paired them in a broccoli cheese soup or with rice and about a million other ways too.  And of course I am a huge fan of macaroni and cheese in any way, shape or form.

In this easy broccoli cheese casserole recipe I’ve added ham and fresh broccoli to turn a traditional mac & cheese into a complete meal!  This recipe calls for a quick from scratch sauce which is so worth the effort, it takes only about 5 minutes!

Overhead shot of Broccoli Cheese Casserole with Ham in a baking pan

I top this recipe with breadcrumbs but you can use anything from Ritz crackers to just plain cheese as a topping.  Of course leftover ham works perfectly in this dish but if you don’t have ham on hand, cooked chicken works well in this recipe too.  It’s fairly versatile, as long as you’re using 2 cups of cooked meat (ham/chicken etc) and 3 cups of veggies, it’s going to be great!     Broccoli Cheese Casserole with Ham on a white plate

It is comforting, filling and completely delicious! The easy clean up of this one dish meal makes it a recipe that is near and dear to my heart! Being able to create a meal this yummy and clean it up in a matter of moments makes it nothing short of an ideal recipe!

image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text
Broccoli Cheese Casserole with Ham
5 from 70 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
Or to leave a comment, click here!

Broccoli Cheese Casserole with Ham

This Broccoli Cheese Casserole is a family favorite! Pasta, broccoli and tender ham is tossed in a quick and easy from scratch cheese sauce. This casserole is then topped with breadcrumbs and baked until bubbly and golden.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Author Holly Nilsson

Equipment

an empty white 9x13 inch baking dish
9 x 13-inch Casserole Dish
buy hollys book

Ingredients  

  • 12 ounces dry macaroni
  • ¼ cup butter
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ cups milk
  • 1 cup light cream
  • ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
  • ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 3 cups broccoli florets
  • 2 cups cubed cooked ham

Topping

  • 1 cup bread crumbs
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 400°F.
  • Cook macaroni according to package directions. Add broccoli in the last 2 minutes to cook it tender crisp. Drain and run under cold water.
  • Melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Whisk in flour and let it cook for 2 minutes while stirring. Slowly whisk in the cream, milk, and seasonings. Cook over medium heat while stirring until thickened. Remove from heat and add in the cheeses. Stir until melted.
  • Toss cheese sauce, pasta, broccoli, and ham together. Pour into a greased 9×13 pan. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over macaroni.
  • Bake 20 to 25 minutes or just until hot. Do not over cook.

Notes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook macaroni according to package directions. Add broccoli in the last 2 minutes to cook it tender crisp. Drain and run under cold water. Melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Whisk in flour and let cook 2 minutes while stirring. Slowly whisk in cream, milk, mustard powder and onion powder. Cook over medium heat while stirring until thickened. Remove from heat and stir cheeses until melted. Toss cheese sauce, pasta, broccoli, and ham together. Pour into a greased 9×13 pan. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over macaroni. Bake 20-25 minutes or just until hot. Do not over cook.
5 from 70 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 617 | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 970mg | Potassium: 356mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1220IU | Vitamin C: 30.4mg | Calcium: 611mg | Iron: 2.1mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Dinner
Cuisine American

More Recipes You’ll Love

Ranch Buffalo Pasta Bake loaded with pasta, chicken, and cheese in a creamy buffalo ranch sauce

Ranch Buffalo Pasta Bake

Hashbrown Casserole being served from a casserole dish

Copycat Cracker Barrel Hash Brown Casserole

Cheesy Beef & Macaroni Casserole shown close up

Cheesy Beef and Macaroni Casserole

Broccoli Cheese Casserole with Ham with a title

share:

PinFacebookTweetYummly

Categories:

, , , ,

Like our recipes?
Follow us on Pinterest!

Follow us on Pinterest

Recipes you'll love

About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
See more posts by Holly

Follow Holly on social media:

pinterest facebook twitter instagram

Free eBook!

Subscribe to receive weekly recipes and get a FREE Bonus e-book: Quick & Easy Weeknight Meals!

You can unsubscribe anytime by clicking the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of emails you receive.

Latest & Greatest

5 from 70 votes (53 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. Pam Wyatt says:

    Drizzle melted butter on the crushed ritz topping!5 stars

    1. Spend With Pennies SN says:

      Delicious idea, Pam!

  2. Cindi says:

    This was a super forgiving recipe as I didn’t have everything, but used what I had on hand, and it was so delicious that it is going into our rotation. I used presliced smoked ham that I cut into squares, frozen broccoli florets, sharp cheddar and sliced American cheese, and I completely forgot to add the parm to the dish, but I did remember to add it to the topping. I used the grated cheese in the green cannister instead of shredding a block because I didn’t want to open a new block and was feeling lazy, so I took a shortcut. I cut this in half and baked it in a loaf pan which was completely full so the next time, I will use an 8×8 or cut the recipe down further for our small family of two. We have enough left for two more meals. I will definitely make this again! Thank you for sharing this great dish.5 stars

    1. Spend With Pennies SP says:

      Thank you so much for leaving a comment, Cindi!

  3. Dawn Klein says:

    Made this tonight on a chilly winter night. It was delicious and three adults loved it. Great comfort food.5 stars

  4. Jackie says:

    so wonderfully cheesy! I used two cups shredded Mexican cheese and one cup of gruyere /swiss blend.
    turned out perfect. I would say any meat would be great in here as long as you add a little bit of salt to compensate.5 stars

  5. Karen says:

    This was delicious and family loved it. I used rotini because that is what I had. Definitely will be making this again.5 stars

  6. Lynda Janzen says:

    Hello, how many cups of dry macaroni? I’m in Canada, and we use metric measurements here and I also don’t have a scale.

    Thank you!5 stars

    1. Spend With Pennies AO says:

      This will be approximately 3 cups of dry macaroni. Enjoy Lynda!