Easy Baked Mac And Cheese (Corkscrew Pasta With Ham!)
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Cheesy, gooey and delicious, this corkscrew mac and cheese is the ultimate cozy dinner or side dish. Perfect to bring to a potluck, and a great way to use leftover ham, you’ll also love that the noodles cook right in the cheesy sauce to save you a step!
Why We Love Baked Mac And Cheese (With Ham!)
- Rich, Creamy Dish – Baked mac and cheese is cozy comfort food at its finest, it’s rich, gooey and cozy enough for a holiday potluck, but easy enough to meal prep for the week. If you need your mac and cheese to stay warm for a while for a potluck, try my slow cooker mac and cheese version.
- No Boil Method – No need to boil a separate pot of water or drain the pasta, it all comes together right in the baking dish.
- Perfect For Leftover Ham – Have a lot of leftover ham from the holidays or dinner? This is the perfect way to stretch it a little further. Or grabbing a few ham steaks is pretty inexpensive, and delicious!
- Fun Corkscrew Shape – I’ve used Cavatappi pasta which is such a fun corkscrew shape! This pasta is perfect for holding that thick cheese sauce.
I grew up with the blue box, but I remember pretty clearly the first time I tried a baked mac and cheese at a potluck. It was gooey, creamy and a whole other level of cheesiness that I had never had before! This mac and cheese recipe captures that cheesy, first bite feeling, and I know your family is going to love it.
Ingredients For Baked Mac And Cheese
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions below in the recipe card.
- cavatappi pasta – corkscrew shaped, cavatappi noodles are also sometimes called cellentani. You can also swap out another short pasta shape like ziti or penne
- cheddar cheese – shredded from a block, we like to use sharp cheddar cheese for more flavor.
- Monterey Jack cheese – 1 cup shredded from a block, you can also swap in other flavors of cheese like mozzarella cheese, gruyere cheese or even gouda cheese.
- ham – can use ham steak or about 2 cups diced ham, you can use any leftover ham you have or even ham lunch meat. It’s also easy to adjust to slightly more or less ham depending on what you happen to have.
- butter
- paprika
- garlic powder
- salt
- black pepper
- all-purpose flour
- milk – use whole milk or 2% milk for the creamiest pasta
- water
How To Make Creamy Baked Mac And Cheese
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a large 9×13 casserole dish by spraying generously with cooking spray.
- Shred the cheddar cheese and the Monterey Jack cheese. Chop the ham into bite sized pieces. Add the uncooked pasta to the prepared baking dish first, then add the ham and shredded cheese and mix together.
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the melted butter.
- Place the flour into the butter and mix with a whisk to make a roux. Continue whisking the butter and flour continuously for one minute over the heat using a timer.
- Slowly add the milk and water to the pan while stirring to make the cheese sauce. Bring the mixture to a low boil, then turn down the heat to keep the mixture simmering. Keep stirring occasionally, simmering for about 5 minutes.
- Pour the sauce over the uncooked pasta and ham in the casserole dish.
- Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until the pasta is cooked through when tested and the sauce is bubbly. Allow the pasta to sit out of the oven for at least 15 minutes or until the sauce finishes thickening, then serve and enjoy. The sauce may look a little liquidy when you first take it out of the oven, but the pasta will continue to finish soaking up the liquid while resting.
Variation Ideas For Baked Mac And Cheese
Swap the ham– Not into ham? Use cooked chicken, bacon, sausage, smoked sausage, pulled pork, steak, or ground beef instead. If the meat is greasy, blot it with a paper towel first so the mac and cheese doesn’t get oily.
Add vegetables – Small diced veggies like bell pepper, broccoli, onion, corn, or carrot can go straight in. Watery veggies like zucchini, spinach, mushrooms, or frozen vegetables should be sautéed first so the pasta doesn’t turn gummy.
Boost the flavor – Stir in about ½ teaspoon dried mustard for a little extra depth if you like a sharper cheesy flavor.
What To Serve As A Side Dish With Baked Mac And Cheese
I usually go a little easier on myself when making baked mac and cheese, serving a green salad , a tomato and cucumber salad, or a quick vegetable like steamed broccoli or green beans. You can try a side of honey roasted carrots.
If I’m serving baked mac and cheese for the holidays, I’ll add roast turkey tenderloin or crock pot turkey breast with cranberry sauce, our homemade sausage stuffing, green bean casserole and mashed sweet potatoes.
Sometimes I’ll make this recipe after a holiday with leftover ham from our favorite honey orange glazed ham.
How Long Will This Baked Macaroni And Cheese Last?
This baked mac and cheese with ham will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Adding a few splashes of milk when reheating can help to loosen up the pasta if it seems a little dry.
While you can freeze this mac and cheese, because it has a roux (flour and butter) base to the sauce, the sauce will sometimes become grainy or separate when you reheat it. Mac and cheese like my slow cooker mac and cheese that uses Velveeta cheese tend to freeze a little better because the sauce does not split as easily.
More Cheesy Comfort Food Recipes You’ll Love
Mac And Cheese With Broccoli
Baked Ham And Cheese Pinwheels
One Pot Cheeseburger Pasta
One Pot Cheesy Smoked Sausage Pasta Skillet
Baked Mac And Cheese (With Ham!)
Ingredients
- 1 pound cavatappi pasta corkscrew also called cellentani
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese 1 cup shredded from a block
- 4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese 1 cup shredded from a block
- 16 ounces ham can use ham steak or about 2 cups diced ham
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups milk
- 3 cups water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a large 9×13 casserole dish by spraying generously with cooking spray.
- Shred the cheddar cheese and the Monterey Jack cheese. Chop the ham into bite sized pieces. Add the uncooked pasta to the prepared baking dish first, then add the ham and shredded cheese and mix together.1 pound cavatappi pasta, 4 ounces cheddar cheese, 4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, 16 ounces ham
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the melted butter.4 tablespoons butter, ¼ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Place the flour into the butter and mix with a whisk. Continue whisking continuously for one minute over the heat using a timer.3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Slowly add the milk and water to the pan while stirring. Bring the mixture to a low boil, then turn down the heat to keep the mixture simmering. Keep stirring occasionally, simmering for about 5 minutes.3 cups milk, 3 cups water
- Pour the sauce over the uncooked pasta and ham in the casserole dish.
- Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until the pasta is cooked through when tested and the sauce is bubbly. Allow the pasta to sit out of the oven for at least 15 minutes or until the sauce finishes thickening, then serve and enjoy. The sauce may look a little liquidy when you first take it out of the oven, but the pasta will continue to finish soaking up the liquid while resting.
Notes
Nutrition
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