Ham and Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese

I had some leftover ham and knowing how much my family loves leftover ham in their macaroni and cheese I quickly threw together a casserole for dinner.



This was such a quick and easy dinner idea and it was so delicious!  I added some mozzarella cheese which is something I have never put in my macaroni and cheese before but we loved the added stringiness of it.

To make this dish you will need:
16 ounces shells
1 1/2 cups diced ham
16 ounce bag broccoli florets
2 1/4 cups Monterey Jack Cheese; shredded
1 1/4 cups mozzarella cheese; shredded
1 Tbsp mustard
1 1/2 cup milk
4 ounces cream cheese
1 tsp. dried minced onion
1 tsp. garlic salt

For the topping:
1/2 sleeve club crackers
1 Tbsp melted butter

Once the water came to a boil I added my box of shells, the pre-cooked and diced ham (though it does not need to be cooked I just had leftovers), and the frozen  bag of broccoli florets.


Once the water had come back up to a boil, I set the timer for the amount of time the pasta box called for and then drained everything when the timer went off.


In my empty pan I combined the cheeses, milk, mustard, onion, and garlic.  I stirred constantly until the cheese was all melted and then added the pasta, meat, and veggies into the pot.


I removed it from the heat and once everything was nicely coated in my cheese sauce I poured it all into a lightly greased 13x9 pan and spread it all nice and smooth.



I just love how the shell shapes fill up with cheese-- YUM!

In a small glass dish I microwaved and melted the butter then added my crushed cracker crumbs to make a nice crunchy topping.


I slid the whole thing into a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes until my crackers were golden brown and the sauce was bubbling. 



We served it up in bowls and I watched the boys devour it all; broccoli included!



We had few leftovers and even those were gone the next day.  That is always a sure sign I made a wonderful new recipe that is sure to become a family favorite.

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Comments

  1. Annette VMay 6, 2018 at 5:51 PM

    I make one similar with peas instead of broccoli (as I can't eat that). :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mother of 3May 7, 2018 at 7:04 AM

      I usually do make it with peas and cheddar cheese but I had to make do with what was on hand and we just loved this version.

      Delete
  2. The Lazy GastronomeMay 6, 2018 at 6:01 PM

    Now THAT's what's for dinner around here! Looks delicious! Thanks for sharing at the What's for Dinner party!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Teresa BMay 9, 2018 at 12:00 PM

    I have a feeling this is going to be a favorite at our house. Thank you for sharing the recipe at The Really Crafty Link Party. Pinned.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mother of 3May 9, 2018 at 3:26 PM

      I hope it does become a favorite! Thanks so much for the pin and for hosting.

      Delete
  4. JessMay 10, 2018 at 1:09 PM

    This sounds so amazing! :) YUM!

    I would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, tips, and tricks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/

    Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sum of their StoriesMay 12, 2018 at 12:22 PM

    Ooo yum, the cracker crumb topping sounds delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  6. CarleeMarch 4, 2019 at 7:40 PM

    My whole family is going to love this! It is going on our dinner menu soon.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Miz HelenMay 12, 2020 at 5:18 PM

    Your Ham Broccoli Mac and Cheese looks like a delicious casserole! Hope you are having a great week and thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday,483.
    Come back soon!
    Miz Helen

    ReplyDelete

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