Think perfectly cooked potatoes, flavorful, juicy bites of ham, and cheesy, creamy goodness in one hearty dish—that is what this Scalloped Potatoes and Ham Recipe delivers in every bite. The two things this recipe won't deliver? A bite of half-cooked potatoes and curdled sauce. You're welcome.
This dish is made with simple, wholesome ingredients and it's one you can proudly serve to family and friends. The fact that it's incredibly budget-friendly is just icing on the cake!
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
For the last decade or more, I've been cooking cheesy scalloped potatoes to perfection and serving them at large family functions. We love kid-friendly recipes! Whether it's Christmas dinner or a big family meal, people always line up for seconds. With the potatoes perfectly cooked and phenomenal flavors, how could you not?
The problem with most scalloped potato dishes is that half of the potatoes end up being served borderline raw. And trust this: zero people want to bite into an undercooked potato when you serve up scalloped potatoes and ham. The problem is that most recipes don't call for a long enough cooking time or a high enough oven temperature to ensure all the potatoes actually cook through. Elongating the bake time and cooking the potatoes covered at a high-temperature setting in the center of the oven fixes that problem.
Another reason your scalloped potatoes might not have turned out in the past is the thickness of the slices. The potatoes need to be sliced consistently thin. I use the slicer attachment of my food processor, and it works great!
This Scalloped Potatoes and Ham recipe is made from scratch, but thanks to these reliable tips and our foolproof cooking method, even a novice cook can bake this hearty dish to perfection! Do you love our foolproof cooking methods? Our side dish recipes will please every crowd and leave you feeling like a chef!
INGREDIENTS
- Russet or Yukon Gold Potatoes | You will need about 6 medium-sized potatoes for this Scalloped Potatoes and Ham recipe. You don't necessarily have to peel them, but make sure they are scrubbed well if you don't. The most important thing pertaining to potatoes in this recipe is that you slice them thin and a consistent size.
- Butter | This recipe calls for unsalted butter. Keep a close eye on it while on the stovetop so it doesn't burn.
- Onion | We use yellow onion here but can use white in a pinch.
- Flour | This serves as the thickener for the sauce and also prevents the cheese sauce from breaking and ultimately curdling as it bakes in the oven.
- Milk | Because of its fat content, Whole milk is the choice for this recipe. Half-and-half would work, too.
- Cheese | Monterey Jack and mild cheddar are excellent melting cheeses! Grate cheese from the block rather than buying pre-shredded cheese for better flavor and texture.
- Ham | You can use leftover holiday ham and dice up a ham steak from the meat section in your grocery store, cut into a ½" dice.
HOW TO MAKE SCALLOPED POTATOES AND HAM
Start the Sauce | Melt the butter. Add onion and cook through. Sprinkle in flour. Stir to combine.
Add the Milk | Add milk one splash at a time. Stir after each addition until about two-thirds is incorporated. Stream in remaining milk.
Simmer | Simmer for about five to seven minutes, just until slightly thickened.
Finish Sauce | Add freshly grated cheddar and Monterrey Jack. Add seasoning and stir.
Slice and Dice | Slice potatoes, ensuring they're as thin and consistently sized as you can get them. Dice ham.
Assemble | In a greased casserole dish, add potatoes, ham, and sauce in two layers. Finish with cheese.
Bake | Cover the dish with foil and bake for one hour in the center of the oven. Uncover and bake 20-25 minutes more.
If you want to set it and forget it, follow the steps above for the ham and incorporate it into this crockpot cheesy potatoes recipe!
MORE POTATO RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE
Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 ½ cup whole milk
- 1 cup mild cheddar cheese
- 1 cup Monterrey Jack cheese
- 1 ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 pounds (about 6) medium-sized russet potatoes
- 2 cups chopped, thick-cut ham
- 1 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F and have ready a greased 9x13" casserole dish.
- Add the butter to a large saucepan over medium heat and allow it to melt. As soon as the butter has melted, add in the onion and stir. Sauté for about 5-7 minutes, until the onion is translucent and softened.
- Sprinkle the flour over the onion and stir to coat for about 30 seconds. Add the milk, one big splash at a time, whisking well after each addition. After about ⅔s of the milk has been incorporated, slowly stream in the remaining milk, whisking all the while.
- Allow the mixture to reach a simmer, stirring often. Reduce the heat as necessary to maintain a simmer, and allow to simmer for 5-7 minutes, until the sauce has slightly thickened, stirring occasionally to avoid scalding.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in 1 cup each of the cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, along with the salt and pepper. Set the sauce aside.
- Rinse, peel, and slice the potatoes into thin, ⅛" slices.
- Add half of the sliced potatoes to the bottom of the prepared casserole dish, followed by half of the ham, and half of the sauce. Spread the sauce evenly across the potatoes and ham. Repeat with the remaining potatoes, ham, and sauce in the same order. Top with the remaining cheese and cover with aluminum foil.
- Place the covered dish in the center of the oven and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake for 20-25 minutes more. Sprinkle with parsley, if using, allow to cool slightly, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Source: Potato Types | PotatoGoodness.com
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