Wok's For Dinner: Country Ham & Macaroni Casserole

I found this recipe over at my friend Melissa's Bargain Blog, and she got it from Sandy (Bettyinthekitchen), who posted it at the Baby Center Cooking for Your Family board. My kids love macaroni & cheese and this seemed liked it would be an instant hit.

Country Ham & Macaroni Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb country ham slices or regular smoked ham in one piece

1 large onion, diced

1 lb elbow macaroni (I used shell-shaped pasta)

2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese (8 oz)

1 cup sour cream

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) margarine, melted

1 cup dry plain bread crumbs

Directions:

Heat oven to 400º. Bring 4 quarts water and ham to boiling in large pot. Once water begins to boil, remove ham to a plate. Add onion and pasta to pot. Return water to boiling; cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Coarsely chop ham, discarding any fat and bones. Drain pasta and onion; return to pot. Add ham, cheese, sour cream and soup. Scrape into a 13x9x2 baking dish. Pour melted margarine over top. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake in heated 400º oven 30 minutes or until heated through and top is golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

If freezing: Prepare in two 8x8 casserole dishes, bake one and freeze one (unbaked) for another day. If freezing, top with crumbs and margarine right before baking.

I only had enough ham and pasta to make one 8x8 casserole-size dish, which worked out perfectly. I went ahead and mixed the margarine with the bread crumbs, then put them on top of the ham mixture. I covered my casserole dish with foil and stuck it in the freezer, then let it thaw in the fridge for 48 hours before baking as directed.

This was really good. It had an interesting flavor, thanks to the sour cream. The kids absolutely loved the meal. Hubs wasn't as excited about it. He expected there to be mashed potatoes, not pasta (I don't know why, the menu on the fridge said "Ham & Macaroni" not "Ham & Potatoes." Oh well, the rest of us loved it!