This creamy scalloped potato recipe is peppered with salty bites of ham underneath a deliciously crisp crust. This is the perfect side dish when you are looking for stick to your ribs comfort food.

Growing up, I was an incessantly picky eater. I would eagerly station myself at the dinner seat nearest the floor heating vent and proceed to secretly stash away any and all offensive food like a squirrel prepping for winter. This practice transcended multiple years and two different houses. 

Fairly high on my list of detestable foods were scalloped potatoes.  In hindsight I can't think of anything particularly wrong with the preparation or execution of the meal, I was just PICKY.  Thankfully, I have since grown out of this stage of my life, and I now made amends with many of my childhood culinary nightmares, such as this scalloped potatoes and ham recipe.

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

Scalloped potatoes and ham is a popular Midwestern dish featuring tender sliced potatoes swimming in a creamy sauce. Ham and Cheddar cheese are both typically included in this dish, but variations exist without these ingredients.

This versatile dish is often served as an entree but is perfectly suited to be a side dish as well, particularly if ham is omitted.

How to Make Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

Scalloped potatoes and ham is often made with leftover ham, however, you can purchase smaller cuts of precooked ham in your grocers meat department, if you just wish to use it soley for this meal.

The base of the cream sauce for this recipe is a standard roux. Gently melt butter in a saucepan and sprinkle in flour, then continue to whisk for 3-5 minutes, until the mixture starts turning a light brown. The purpose for doing this is to cook out the raw flour taste.

Milk can then slowly be added to the roux, but take your time, if too much is added too quickly lumps can form. Once all of the milk is added, cheese can be melted into the sauce, and everything can be combined with the ham and potatoes.

How Long to Bake Scalloped Potatoes

Bake scalloped potatoes at 350 for 30 minutes, covered with foil, and then remove the foil and continue to cook for 45 minutes, to allow the surface to brown.

Can You Prepare Scalloped Potatoes and Ham in Advance?

Scalloped potatoes and ham can be prepared in advance. Follow the recipe as written until it needs to be baked. Instead of putting the scalloped potatoes in the oven, place the baking dish in the refrigerator until you wish to cook the dish.

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

This creamy and cheesy scalloped potato recipe is peppered with salty bites of ham underneath a deliciously crisp crust. This is the perfect side dish when you are looking for stick to your ribs comfort food.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 590kcal

Author: Fox Valley Foodie

Ingredients

• ▢ ½ cup Butter
• ▢ ½ cup Flour
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher Salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon fresh ground Black Pepper
• ▢ 3 cups Milk
• ▢ 3 cups Ham (cubed)
• ▢ ½ cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
• ▢ 2 lbs Russet Potatoes (sliced ¼” thick)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Melt the butter in a large sauce pan on medium low heat and stir in flour to make a roux. Add salt and pepper and stir frequently to prevent burning. You will want to continue to cook the roux for 5 minutes to ensure the flour taste is cooked out of it.
• Gradually start incorporating the milk. Stir in a little bit at a time to ensure it is fully blending with the roux.
• Continue to cook the milk mixture until it thickens then add the chopped ham and cheese.
• Pour this mixture over the sliced potatoes in a large bowl, toss to combine, and then add the scalloped potatoes to a 13x9 baking dish.
• Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes and then continue to bake uncovered for an additional 45 minutes to allow the crust to form on top of the scalloped potatoes.

Notes

Tip: Using a mandoline for slicing the potatoes really makes the prep work hassle-free! (affiliate link)

 

IF YOU LIKED THIS RECIPE you will love my Buttermilk Ranch Potatoes au Gratin recipe too!

Nutritional Information

Calories: 590kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 1394mg | Potassium: 781mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1000IU | Vitamin C: 6.4mg | Calcium: 233mg | Iron: 2.3mg

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This recipe was originally published on FoxValleyFoodie.com February 18, 2015.

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