My ham tetrazzini is a super creamy, comfort food casserole that your family is sure to love! It’s great to make with leftover ham from the holidays, Sunday supper, or anytime you want a special comforting meal.
If you don’t have leftovers, simply buy ham steak at the supermarket and dice it up! Most people are more acquainted with chicken tetrazzini. This version with ham adds another level of delicious flavor with the smoky, salty bits of pork.
If you love casseroles as my family does, I hope you’ll try my classic ham casserole, scalloped potatoes and ham, and my chicken cordon bleu casserole. I promise you they’re all hamtastic!
Ham Tetrazzini Ingredients
- Butter: This fat will add great flavor. It will bind with the flour to create a roux to thicken the sauce.
- Olive Oil: Most of the sauce is made with butter. The oil is added to increase the smoke point.
- Ham: This is the perfect recipe to use up leftover ham. If you’re craving this and don’t happen to have any leftover ham, buy ham steak. It’s great in this recipe.
- Salt + Pepper: Add the right balance of seasoning.
- Mushrooms: Use cremini mushrooms or white mushrooms.
- Onion: I use yellow.
- Garlic: Mince or rough chop.
- Thyme: I use fresh. I love the flavor it imparts on this casserole.
- Wine: If you don’t have wine in your home, you can use chicken broth. The wine really gives the sauce a lovely flavor.
- Flour: All-purpose white flour. Works with the butter and olive oil to create a roux to thicken the sauce.
- Milk: I use whole milk to add creaminess.
- Heavy Cream: Brings a velvety lusciousness to the sauce.
- Broth: Adds great flavor to the sauce without it becoming too rich.
- Nutmeg: Adds just a touch of warm spice.
- Linguine: I love Linguine in this dish. The noodles catch just enough of the sauce. You can switch up the pasta if you’d like. Spaghetti is another great choice.
- Peas: Peas are a very divisive vegetable! If you hate them, leave them out. I really like them in this recipe. They add a nice pop of color and are a tasty, creamy addition.
- Parsley: Adds a pop of herbal freshness.
- Mozzarella: Adds the ooey-gooey cheesy factor!
- Panko Bread Crumbs: I like to add a sprinkle of these to the top of the casserole for a bit of color and crunch. I melt a tablespoon of butter in a nonstick skillet then add the Panko, toasting over medium heat, stirring constantly until the crumbs are golden and toasty.
Storing + Freezing
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? This casserole stays well for up to 4 days in the fridge when stored properly. The pasta will absorb the sauce so you may need to thin the sauce with a small amount of milk.
- Can You Freeze This? This is best served freshly made. The pasta will lose its texture and the sauce doesn’t freeze well either.
- Make Ahead: Prepare and chop the ingredients beforehand.
- Food Safety: If you’d like more food safety info check out this article.
Serving Recommendations
I always enjoy bread with dinner. I love homemade crescent rolls or my super buttery, garlic and herb parker house rolls (these are to-die-for delicious!!!).
To round out the meal with vegetables I like to serve these with my Arkansas green beans (my kids’ favorites!), roasted broccoli, or brown sugar glazed carrots.
How To Make Ham Tetrazzini
- Saute mushroom in butter.
- Stir in the onion, garlic, and thyme. Stir in the wine and cook until it evaporates. Set aside.
- Add butter to the same pot. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter. Whisk.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in milk, heavy cream, and broth until smooth. Stir in nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
- Add the cooked ham, onion mixture, and cooked linguine to the sauce. Add the peas and parsley. Mix.
- Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Top with cheese and bake. Top with panko crumbs and parsley.
***See the full instructions below.
More Delicious Ham Recipes
- Ham And Bean Soup
- Mississippi Sin Dip
- Creamy Ham Salad
- Black Eyed Pea Soup
- Ham Balls
- Impossibly Easy Ham And Swiss Pie
- Ham And Cheese Pinwheels
- Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Ham Tetrazzini
My ham tetrazzini is a creamy, comfort food casserole that your family will love! It's great to make with leftover ham from the holidays or Sunday supper!
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons butter divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 4 cups cooked ham cut into cubes
- 2 3/4 teaspoons salt divided
- 1 1/4 teaspoons black pepper divided
- 1 pound white mushrooms sliced
- 1 large yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups whole milk, at room temperature
- 1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 12 ounces linguine
- 3/4 cup frozen petite peas, thawed and at room temperature
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 2-3 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons toasted Panko bread crumbs, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Spray generously a 13x9x3-inch baking dish with a nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large pot, add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Stir in mushrooms (1 pound), 3/4 teaspoons of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper then cook over medium-high heat until the mushrooms are golden brown and the liquid has evaporated.
- Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the pot and stir in the onion (1 large), garlic (1 tablespoon), and thyme (1 tablespoon) then continue to cook until the onions are translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in wine (1/2 cup) and cook until it evaporates about 2 minutes. Transfer the mushroom mixture to the bowl.
- Add 3 more tablespoons of the remaining butter to the same stockpot with the heat on medium-low. Sprinkle the flour (1/3 cup) over melted butter and whisk constantly for 1-2 minutes to remove the flour taste. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in milk (4 cups), heavy cream (1 cup), and broth (1 cup) until smooth.
- Stir in nutmeg (1/8 teaspoon), remaining 2 teaspoons salt, and remaining 3/4 teaspoons black pepper. Turn up the heat to high and bring it to a boil. Immediately reduce to a simmer and continue to cook, whisking often, until the sauce thickens about 8-10 minutes.
- Cook the linguine (12 ounces) according to package instructions, in well-salted water (2 tablespoons salt), until al dente. Drain well.
- Add the cooked ham and onion mixture and drained linguine to the sauce along with the peas (3/4 cup), and parsley (1/4 cup). Mix well until the sauce coats the pasta and the mixture is well blended.
- Place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Top with cheese (2 cups) and dot with butter and bake in the preheated oven, uncovered, for about 25 minutes or until heated through and golden brown on the top.
- Sprinkle top with parsley (2-3 tablespoons) and Panko crumbs (2 tablespoons) to garnish and serve.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 687kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 127mg | Sodium: 1918mg | Potassium: 808mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1564IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 358mg | Iron: 3mg
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Quite labor intensive but totally worth the effort.
It was a creamy savory delight! Great way to use ham leftovers. Feeds a crowd 😊
Thanks, Maureen! Yes, it kinda need time 🙂 I’m glad you like this recipe! Thanks for the positive feedback and rating!
I have lots of leftover ham! This will be our dinner this week!
Yaaay! Thank you. Enjoy, Kris 🙂