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    Home » Pasta

    Creamy Pasta Casserole

    Published on September 14, 2013 by theseasidebaker Last Modified on April 24, 2019 / 10 Comments

    11.3K shares
    Jump to Recipe

    I don't know about you, but when back to school time hits it usually takes me about 2 months to get into the groove. The first month, mornings and afternoons are a flurry. Even more so now that I have a very opinionated, not so keen on waking up early little girl in Kindergarten.

    Creamy Pasta CasseroleSo it takes me about a month to get the morning routine down. The afternoon routing, however, is a bit more tricky. After having to sit in after school traffic (at my daughter's school there is seriously only one way in and one way out) for about an hour between the two schools, I have to rush them off to soccer practice. My son started club soccer this year so we have practices and games like everyday!!! And you know once the baby sees the park next to the field he is going to scream until I get him out of the car! Needless to say, we have had many pizza nights recently.

    Creamy Pasta Casserole

    I have two solutions for crazy night meals. Either you get something started in the crock pot and the crack of dawn, or you make a simple casserole. Casseroles are perfect because you cook everything together! The carbs, protein, and veggies....bam! All served up in a heaping scoop! Serve it with a side salad and you have a delicious meal.

    This casserole is one of my favorites. It is something my host father (when I was an exchange student) used to make. To this day, when I return to Switzerland and visit him, he always makes this dish for me. It is perfectly creamy and delicious. In his recipe he uses about a cup of butter and heavy whipping cream. I decided to lighten it up slightly and used a margarine spread with 0g trans fat per serving and replaced the whipping cream with fat free half and half.

    Creamy Pasta Casserole

    Why You'll Love This Creamy Pasta Casserole

    • Make Ahead Ease. You can prep the veggies and pasta in the morning, assemble and refrigerate. Thirty minutes before you are ready to eat put it in the oven, make you salad and bath the kids, and snap...dinner is ready!
    • Easily Customizable. You can tailor this recipe to suit your family's taste. Use chicken or turkey instead of ham. Or add some Southwestern flair with green chiles and salsa. The options are virtually endless.
    • Great for Meal Prep. Casseroles are king when it comes to meal prep. Put it together in advance and then store in the freezer. How great is it knowing you've got a hearty, healthy meal ready whenever you need it?!

    country crock Collage

    More Delicious Recipes Like Creamy Pasta Casserole

    If  you love this Creamy Pasta Casserole, then you'll want to try my recipes for Easy Broccoli Rice Casserole, Spiralized Zucchini Breakfast Bake, and this Easy Chicken Pot Pie.

    Print
    Creamy Pasta Casserole {#quickfixcasseroles}
    Prep Time
    25 mins
    Cook Time
    30 mins
     
    Servings: 8 people
    Calories: 430 kcal
    Author: Jackie
    Ingredients
    • 1 pound pasta (any small shape)
    • 1 large onion , diced
    • 2 garlic cloves , diced
    • 1 tablespoon margarine (or butter) spread
    • 2 peppers (any color), diced
    • 2 medium to large tomatoes , diced
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper
    • ½ pound ham , sliced thin or 1 pound of cooked bacon, chopped
    • 1 tablespoon margarine (or butter) spread
    • 1 cup half and half
    • 1 cup shredded Gruyere or Monterey Jack cheese
    Instructions
    1. Prepare your pasta 'al dente' as directed on the back of the package.
    2. In a large skillet, melt margarine (or butter) spread.

    3. Add onions and garlic to hot skillet and cook until slightly caramelized.
    4. Add diced peppers, diced tomatoes, and ham (or bacon) to skillet.
    5. Season with salt and pepper.
    6. Cook for 5 minutes on medium high heat, stirring occasionally.
    7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
    8. Once pasta has cooked, drain and add 1 tablespoon margarine (or butter) spread.
    9. Add the vegetables to the pasta and stir to combine.
    10. Pour the pasta and veggies into a large 11x15in baking dish.
    11. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the pasta and veggies.
    12. Pour the half and half over the pasta.
    13. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
    Nutrition Facts
    Creamy Pasta Casserole {#quickfixcasseroles}
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 430 Calories from Fat 153
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 17g26%
    Saturated Fat 7g44%
    Cholesterol 46mg15%
    Sodium 516mg22%
    Potassium 405mg12%
    Carbohydrates 47g16%
    Fiber 2g8%
    Sugar 3g3%
    Protein 20g40%
    Vitamin A 755IU15%
    Vitamin C 29.6mg36%
    Calcium 223mg22%
    Iron 1.2mg7%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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    11.3K shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jackie

      September 24, 2013 at 8:28 pm

      Hi

      What kind of Ham did you use in this recipe.

      Reply
      • theseasidebaker

        September 26, 2013 at 7:55 am

        Hi! In the pictures above I used actual ham (had some leftovers) but I have successfully made this with the ham you find in the lunch meat section.

        Reply
    2. Laura

      November 25, 2013 at 5:47 pm

      Hi! In step 7 of the recipe, itsays to preheat the ovento 375F. Then at the end the recipe says to bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Which temp should I be using? Thanks!

      Reply
      • theseasidebaker

        November 26, 2013 at 6:21 am

        Oh my I will fix that pronto. I would bake it at 375. Let me know how it turns out!

        Reply
    3. Jennifer

      December 01, 2013 at 4:33 pm

      Absolutely dee-lish. We used gruyere and the flavour was perfect. We've made it again tonight using chicken (and to be honest a little bit of bacon -- because bacon works well with everything 🙂 and we tossed in tiny pieces of broccoli.

      Reply
      • theseasidebaker

        December 01, 2013 at 9:29 pm

        I am so glad you liked it!!! It is a family favorite in our house too! I completely agree bacon goes with everything!

        Reply
    4. Danielle

      May 23, 2014 at 9:56 pm

      Hi, what is half and half?

      Reply
      • theseasidebaker

        May 25, 2014 at 6:49 pm

        Hi! Half and half is hall cream half milk.

        Reply
    5. Kathy B

      January 14, 2016 at 1:02 pm

      At what step in the recipe are you adding the half & half? I don't see it listed in the instructions?

      Reply
      • Kathy B

        January 14, 2016 at 1:17 pm

        Ooops, I found it! My printer had cut it off. Before I realized it had did that, I had added the heavy cream (in place of half & half because you only live once 🙂 to the pan after Step 6 and let it thicken a bit. Then turned off the heat and added the shredded cheese, came out great!

        Reply

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