Schinkennudeln is an easy German recipe for ham and noodles. This version, which includes Swiss cheese and is baked in the oven until bubbly, is inspired by the one served at the Germany booth at the Epcot Food & Wine Festival at Walt Disney World.

A square piece of cheesy German ham and noodle casserole on a white plate.

Schinkennudeln, meaning "ham noodles," is a classic German comfort food that is beloved by children and adults alike. There are many variations to this basic dish of German ham pasta.

Some are finished on the stovetop with a mixture of eggs and cream (or just eggs) tossed with the noodles while others are baked in the oven to set. The name schinken nudelauflauf means "ham and noodle casserole" in German and can refer to the baked casserole version of this dish.

Some recipes include cheese and/or onions while others do not. Additionally, some of the auflauf (casserole) and even stovetop versions are finished with breadcrumbs on top, while others skip it.

This recipe for schinkennudeln is baked in the oven and includes Swiss Emmental cheese for an extra decadent touch. It's inspired by the popular baked noodles served at the Germany booth at Epcot's International Food & Wine Festival.

I like to think of it as German macaroni and cheese with ham, but the focus is actually more on the ham and noodles than the cheese, which instead acts as a sidekick. This recipe is the perfect balance between each of these humble yet delicious ingredients.

Ingredient notes

Ingredients for schinkennudeln German ham and noodles on a grey concrete background.

Noodles: Use wide or extra wide egg noodles for this schinkennudeln recipe. You could also try elbow macaroni, rotini, fusilli, or gemelli as a few other options that would work well.
Ham: I use a simple Polish ham from my supermarket deli sliced a little thicker than normal for this recipe, but any basic baked ham should be fine. I would avoid flavor infused hams like honey hams, etc. as that can strongly impact the flavor of the casserole.
Cheese: Use Swiss cheese (Emmental) and be sure to grate it yourself rather than purchase pre-shredded cheese which contains added starches to keep the cheese from clumping together. Alternatively, you may substitute half the Swiss cheese with sharp white cheddar like they do at Walt Disney World when they serve schinkennudeln at the Germany booth at Epcot's International Food & Wine Festival.
Milk: You can use milk, heavy cream, half-and-half or light cream, or any combination based on what you have in your fridge (I use a combo of milk and heavy cream). The milk component is very flexible here. I've seen some recipes also use sour cream. Feel free to substitute some of the milk with sour cream if you'd like to add a hint of tanginess.

Closeup of a piece of baked noodle casserole with chopped ham and melted cheese.

How to make it

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Boil egg noodles in salted water until al dente. Then drain and return the noodles to the empty pot and set aside off the heat.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet over medium-high heat melt the butter and add the chopped ham and onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion has softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Cooked chopped ham and onions in a stainless steel skillet.

To the pot of drained cooked egg noodles stir in the cooked onion and ham, cream or milk, eggs, seasonings, and half the grated Swiss cheese (PHOTOS 1-2).

Before and after photos of stirring ham and cheese into a pot of egg noodles.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.

A mixture of egg noodles, ham, onions, and cheese in a rectangular casserole dish.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

A partially baked casserole of ham and noodles.

Remove from the oven and top with the remaining grated cheese.

A rectangular casserole topped with grated white cheese.

Return to the oven, uncovered, for another 15 minutes until melted and bubbly.

Allow the schinkennudeln casserole to set and cool for about 10 to 15 minutes before cutting into it to serve.

Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.

A rectangular ham and noodle casserole topped with melted cheese.

Expert tips

The ratio of cheese to noodles is a good balance (since the focus is really the ham and the noodles), but you can make this recipe even cheesier if you'd like by increasing the amount of cheese both mixed into the noodles and sprinkled on top.

Ham and Swiss cheese is a tried and true combination, and you really can't go wrong with them here. With that said, you could swap out half the Swiss cheese for white cheddar if you'd like (like they do at Disney), or try another type of good melting cheese that you enjoy.

Even though this cheesy ham and noodle casserole is perfect for lunch or dinner, something about the combination of ham, cheese, and eggs makes me want to enjoy it for breakfast. Why not?

A piece of noodle casserole with a fork on a plate next to a casserole dish.

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