If you need a cozy dinner made with simple, inexpensive ingredients, this Ham & Cheddar Scalloped Potato Casserole is such a good one.
Thinly sliced potatoes are layered with diced ham and covered in a homemade cheddar cheese sauce, then baked until the potatoes are tender and everything is hot, creamy, and bubbly.
It’s basically everything I want from a comfort-food dinner without needing a huge grocery list.
This is also a great way to use leftover ham, but you definitely don't need to wait until after a holiday to make it. A package of diced ham from the grocery store works perfectly and keeps the prep really easy.
There are a few reasons this one deserves a spot in the dinner rotation:
And while it feels like a side-dish casserole, adding the ham turns it into a hearty enough meal to serve for dinner.
Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Peel 2 pounds of russet potatoes and slice them thinly and as evenly as possible.
Keeping the slices about the same thickness helps everything cook at the same rate.
Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Add ½ small finely diced yellow onion and cook for about 3–4 minutes, until it begins to soften.
Add 2 cloves minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
Sprinkle 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour over the butter and onions.
Stir continuously for about 1 minute.
Slowly pour in 2 cups milk, whisking as you pour to keep the sauce smooth.
Add 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon paprika, and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
Continue cooking for about 3–5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce begins to thicken.
Reduce the heat to low and add 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese.
Stir until the cheese has completely melted and the sauce is smooth.
Taste the sauce before adding any salt. Ham and cheddar can both be pretty salty, so you may not need much.
Arrange half of the 2 pounds sliced potatoes in the prepared baking dish.
Scatter half of the 1 pound diced ham over the potatoes and pour half of the cheddar sauce over everything.
Repeat with the remaining potatoes, ham, and cheese sauce.
Cover the baking dish tightly with foil.
Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes.
Remove the foil and sprinkle the remaining ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese over the top.
Return the casserole to the oven uncovered for another 20–25 minutes, or until the potatoes are completely fork-tender and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Let the casserole sit for about 5–10 minutes before serving.
This gives the cheese sauce a chance to thicken slightly and makes the casserole much easier to serve.
This is probably the biggest thing that can make or break scalloped potatoes.
You want the potatoes fairly thin and, more importantly, evenly sliced.
If some pieces are really thick while others are paper-thin, you'll end up with some potatoes that are soft while others still have a crunch.
A mandoline makes this really easy, but you can absolutely use a sharp knife.
Before pulling the casserole from the oven, poke a potato in the center with a fork. It should slide through easily.
If the potatoes still feel firm, cover the casserole again and give it another 10–15 minutes.
This recipe is really flexible.
You can use:
If you're specifically using a cook-before-eating ham rather than fully cooked ham, follow the package's cooking directions before using it in this recipe.
Absolutely.
Cheddar gives this casserole that classic ham-and-cheese flavor, but you could use a combination of cheeses if that's what you already have.
Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, or even a little mozzarella can work.
I wouldn't go out and buy multiple cheeses specifically for this recipe, though. Plain old shredded cheddar does the job perfectly.
Yes.
Freshly shredded cheese generally melts a little more smoothly, but this is a budget-friendly weeknight casserole, not a cheese competition. 😂
If the bag of shredded cheddar is easier, use it.
Potatoes are doing a lot of the heavy lifting here.
Instead of needing several pounds of meat, we're using 1 pound of ham with 2 pounds of potatoes to create a filling casserole that can feed the family.
You can also:
There's really no need to make the sauce with heavy cream. The flour, butter, milk, and cheddar make it plenty creamy.
Because this casserole already has potatoes, ham, and cheese, I would keep the sides really simple.
Try it with:
A bag of frozen vegetables on the side is honestly all you need to turn it into a complete weeknight dinner.
You can prepare the cheese sauce and slice the ingredients ahead of time, but I prefer assembling the casserole fairly close to baking so the raw potatoes don't discolor.
If you want to get a head start, make the cheese sauce ahead and refrigerate it separately.
Then slice the potatoes, assemble, and bake when you're ready for dinner.
Store leftover Ham & Cheddar Scalloped Potato Casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.
Reheat individual portions in the microwave or cover and reheat in the oven until hot throughout.
This easy Ham and Cheddar Scalloped Potato Casserole combines tender potatoes, diced ham, and homemade cheddar sauce for a cozy, budget-friendly family dinner.
Potatoes are doing a lot of the heavy lifting here.
Instead of needing several pounds of meat, we're using 1 pound of ham with 2 pounds of potatoes to create a filling casserole that can feed the family.
You can also:
There's really no need to make the sauce with heavy cream. The flour, butter, milk, and cheddar make it plenty creamy.
