This easy Ham and Asparagus Casserole with egg noodles, a creamy cheese sauce and a buttery panko breadcrumb topping is a delicious all-in-one dinner for any night of the week. And it's a great way to use leftover ham!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- You can turn leftover ham into a completely new and different meal.
- It's a perfect recipe for spring when asparagus is in season and at its best.
- The meat, veggie and noodles are all in one dish, so you don't need to make any side dishes.
- It's easy and comes together quickly. Then just bake and enjoy...it's ready to eat in under an hour!
For years, my go-to holiday ham recipe for Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas has been my Maple-Mustard Glazed Spiral Ham. We always have a ton of leftovers, so it's what I use most often to make this casserole.
If you don't have any leftover ham, no problem! Just pick up a large ham steak and cube it up. It's every bit as good.
And you know what? If you're not feeling like making a big-ol' ham for your holiday dinner or you've only got a small family to feed, this casserole would be an easy and excellent choice instead!
Ingredients and Notes
Note: Ingredient amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Egg noodles - I use wide; extra-wide are also good for this dish
- Asparagus (fresh) - trim off and discard the tough stem ends
- Butter - I use salted; you can also use unsalted
- Onions
- Garlic
- Flour (all-purpose)
- Milk (whole)
- Chicken broth (or stock) - I use roasted chicken base mixed with water
- Dried thyme
- Parmesan cheese - freshly grated so it melts nicely into the sauce
- Salt and pepper
- Ham (cooked) - this can be leftovers from a whole ham, or you can get a pre-cooked ham steak and cube it up
- Panko breadcrumbs - I use seasoned for extra flavor; you can use plain panko instead
- Fresh chives or parsley - for garnish (optional)
- Cooking spray - for greasing the baking dish (not pictured)
Substitutions & Variations
Not into asparagus? Try fresh peas, broccoli or green beans instead. Since they will only be in the oven for a short period of time, be sure to cook them first to just under your desired level of doneness. Same goes for frozen veggies.
Fresh thyme can be used instead of dried. The general rule is to use 3 times the amount of fresh herbs as dried (so here it would be 1½ teaspoons of fresh), but use the amount that you prefer.
A different type of cheese can be used instead of parmesan for the sauce. Gruyère and cheddar are good options.
You can use regular breadcrumbs instead of panko; they just won't be quite as crispy.
How to Make Ham and Asparagus Casserole
Cook the egg noodles according to the package directions; add the asparagus during the last minute of cooking time. Drain and set aside.
Sauté the onions in butter in a large skillet over medium heat until softened. Add the garlic; sauté for one minute.
Add the flour. Stir to combine and cook for one minute.
Add the milk, chicken broth, thyme, salt, and pepper; whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until lightly thickened.
Turn off the heat and add the parmesan cheese; whisk until melted and combined.
Add the egg noodles, asparagus and ham; stir until well-combined.
Transfer the mixture to a greased 2-quart baking dish. Mix together the panko breadcrumbs and melted butter; sprinkle evenly over the top of the casserole.
Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbly and the top is lightly golden brown. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- To use your time most efficiently, start making the sauce while the noodles and asparagus are cooking.
- We're only cooking the asparagus in boiling water for one minute. It will still be crisp at this point, but this will keep it from getting mushy as it continues to cook in the oven.
- I like to use roasted chicken base mixed with water as my broth (Better Than Bouillon is my favorite (#notsponsored)). I think it adds so much more flavor than many boxed or canned broths or stocks, which can be somewhat bland.
- Freshly-grated parmesan cheese will melt so much better in the sauce than pre-shredded or pre-grated versions which can contain anti-clumping agents or other additives that affect the way it melts.
- I saved a few pieces of ham and asparagus to put on top of the casserole so you can see what's in there instead of just breadcrumbs on top. This is optional (and, honestly, I don't do it when I'm not taking photos).
- Best when served fresh. I don't recommend making it ahead, as the noodles will soak up a lot of the sauce, and it won't be as creamy.
Leftover Storage & Reheating
Once cooled, store leftover ham and asparagus casserole covered or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
The noodles will soak up some of the sauce as it sits in the fridge, so leftovers won't be as creamy. But it still tastes great!
The best way to reheat this casserole is in the oven. Place the desired amount of leftovers in a greased baking dish. Add a splash or two of water to keep it from drying out too much. Cover with foil and bake in a preheated 325° oven until heated through. Remove the foil toward the end to help crisp up the breadcrumbs.
You can also use the microwave to reheat the casserole. Place each serving on a microwave-safe dish and cook until heated through.
Serving Suggetsions
Since this casserole is an all-in-one dish that already has everything in it, you don't really need to serve it with any side dishes. But, if you want to stretch it out, you can serve it with a tossed salad and/or dinner rolls.
I hope you try this Ham and Asparagus Casserole recipe and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
More Recipes Using Leftover Ham to Try
If you make this recipe, I'd love to know how it went. Please leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
📋Recipe
Ham and Asparagus Casserole
Ingredients
- cooking spray, for greasing the baking dish
- 8 ounces wide egg noodles, or extra-wide
- 1 pound fresh asparagus, trim off and discard the tough stem ends; cut the spears into 1-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 cup diced onions
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup chicken broth or stock, I use roasted chicken base mixed with water
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or to your preference (I use kosher salt; if using table salt, you may want to use less)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, or to your preference
- 12 ounces cooked ham, cut into ½-inch cubes
- ½ cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs
- fresh chopped chives or parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Spray a 2-quart (or 2½-quart) baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
- Cook the egg noodles in a pot of boiling salted water according to the package directions. Add the asparagus pieces one minute before the end of the cooking time (the asparagus will still be crisp after this time, but not cooking it too much at this point will help prevent it from getting mushy, as they will continue to cook in the oven). Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat (I use an 11 or 12-inch skillet), melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onions and sauté, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic; sauté, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
- Add the flour; stir to combine, and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.
- Whisk in the chicken broth, milk, thyme, salt and pepper until the flour is incorporated and the mixture is smooth (except for the pieces of onion). Increase the heat and bring to a boil; then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until lightly thickened, about 2 minutes (it should coat the back of a spoon).
- Turn off the heat and add the parmesan cheese; whisk until it melts. Taste and adust the seasoning, if needed (keep in mind that the ham will add some saltiness).
- Add the noodles, asparagus and ham to the sauce in the skillet; stir until everything is well combined and coated with the sauce.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
- Place the panko breadcrumbs in a small bowl. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter (either in the microwave or on the stove). Add the melted butter to the panko and stir until well combined. Evenly sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the casserole.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbly and the panko on top is lightly golden brown. Enjoy!
Notes
- Best when served fresh. I don't recommend making it ahead, as the noodles will soak up a lot of the sauce, and it won't be as creamy.
- To use your time most efficiently, start making the sauce while the noodles and asparagus are cooking.
- Freshly-grated parmesan cheese will melt so much better in the sauce than pre-shredded or pre-grated versions which can contain anti-clumping agents or other additives that affect the way it melts.
- Step-by-step photos are in the post.
Suze says
I substituted brown rice for noodles as I was making for gluten-free friend. I also omitted salt as chicken broth, freshly grated Parmesan cheese and ham are salty enough
Recipe came out great and I would make again! Thank you
Michelle says
Thanks for sharing your variation, Suze! So glad you enjoyed it!