Creamy Chicken and Ham Pasta Bake — Quick Weeknight Dinner

This chicken and ham pasta bake is loaded with meat, cheese and a creamy sauce—perfect for using leftover ham from holidays or any meal.

I love a simple, flavorful pasta, and this recipe delivers both. It’s almost a one-pot meal—the only separate pot needed is for boiling the pasta, while the same skillet goes from stovetop to oven. That’s why cast iron is ideal here: it easily transitions from pan-searing to baking.

Short spiraled pasta like rotini works especially well because the sauce and bits of meat cling to every twist. If you prefer macaroni, shells, or penne, they’ll work nicely too.

Flavor profile

This bake brings together chicken, ham and Swiss-style cheese in a rich, creamy sauce—think deconstructed Chicken Cordon Bleu. The combination of chicken, ham, cream cheese and Swiss creates the familiar savory flavors of the classic dish, all melded into a comforting pasta casserole.

What You’ll Need

4 cups uncooked pasta (rotini recommended)

2 tablespoons butter

1½ cups cooked ham, diced

1½ cups chicken breast, uncooked, diced

8 ounces cream cheese

1 cup cream

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ cup panko bread crumbs, plain

1 teaspoon marjoram or oregano

1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded

How to Make

Preheat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat on the stovetop. Melt the butter, then add the diced chicken, marjoram (or oregano), onion powder and garlic powder. Cook about 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

While the chicken cooks, prepare the pasta in a separate pot according to package instructions. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Reduce the skillet heat to medium-low and stir in the diced ham. Cook 3–5 minutes until the ham is warmed.

Lower the heat to low and add the cream cheese, shredded Swiss, cream, black pepper and the drained pasta. Stir continuously until the cheeses melt and the sauce becomes smooth—about 4–6 minutes.

Sprinkle the panko bread crumbs evenly over the top, then transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Bake 10 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the sauce is bubbly.

Tips

If you have leftover cooked chicken, use it in place of raw chicken to save time. Add pre-cooked chicken when the recipe instructs to add raw chicken, but only heat it through—start with the skillet on low-medium heat. You can add the ham at the same time as the cooked chicken.

Using cooked chicken cuts the total time by roughly 10 minutes since you skip the raw chicken cooking step. The short oven time is mainly to brown the breadcrumbs; if you skip the breadcrumbs, the bake will still be tasty, though the crunchy topping adds a Cordon Bleu-like finish that I recommend.

This recipe scales well: double the ingredients for a larger crowd and use a suitably sized skillet or casserole dish. For a lighter version, swap half-and-half for the cream and reduce the amount of cheese, though the dish will be less rich.

I hope you enjoy this creamy chicken and ham pasta bake as much as my family does. Serve it with a simple green salad or steamed vegetables to balance the richness.

More Pasta Recipes to Love:

Homemade Hamburger Helper (quick & easy)

Chicken & Bacon Pasta Bake

Chicken Spaghetti with Rotel (easy & cheesy)

Pepper Jack Mac & Cheese (zesty & creamy)

Salmon & Shrimp Pasta

Panera Broccoli Mac & Cheese (delicious copycat recipe)

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