Ham Tetrazzini

Hi all! It's been a bit since we tried something new.  I love Turkey Tetrazzini, so figured a ham recipe would be a shoe-in.  Having made it once, it needed a lot of adjustments. The original recipe asked for only 2 cups of cooked ham, 2.2 oz of sliced olives, 1/4 cup chopped onion and 1/8 tsp garlic powder. Well, that didn't work for me.  I don't buy garlic powder, so used a minced garlic clove.  I also didn't have any half-and-half on hand, so I used 1 cup leftover whipping cream with 3 cups of 2% milk.  Mom thinks it needs more salt and pepper.   While I prefer fresh mushrooms, I had to sub with 8 oz of canned ones. 

As in the case of most casseroles, you need to serve a salad on the side.  Other than onion, I wouldn't add more vegetables to this (you can never have too much onion, IMHO).   This is a good recipe to make ahead (even the day before) because the flavors have time to meld.  It reheats in the microwave without a problem since you aren't trying to brown it. 





Ham Tetrazzini
From Southern Living Cookbook

1 (7 oz) package spaghetti
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 cups half and half
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 clove minced garlic
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
3 cups diced cooked ham
1 (8 oz) can sliced ripe olives, drained

Cook spaghetti 2-3 minutes less than package directions, omitting salt. Drain well and set aside.

Saute mushrooms and onion in butter in a large skillet until tender. Add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk and half and half, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir in seasonings and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.

Spoon half of spaghetti into a lightly greased 12x8x2 inch baking dish. Pour 1/3 of sauce over spaghetti; sprinkle with half of each of ham and olives. Repeat layers, ending with sauce over last layer of olives. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese over casserole. Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.  Yields 6 servings.

Microwave:  Instead of the oven, you can use a casserole with cover. Microwave at HIGH for 6 to 8 minutes or until thoroughly heated, giving dish a half-turn after 3 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.