This is a delicious side that can be made with or without ham. If you have leftover ham from a large dinner, this is a perfect recipe in which to put it to good use!A real comfort dish that heats well as leftovers, too.
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes +/- Ham
A crowd-pleasing comfort side, but substantial enough to pass as a main dish when adding ham to the mix. Perfect for using that leftover ham from a whole or half cut. This recipe is nearly verbatim from its original source, which is at the end of the recipe; I've added clearer and more detailed instructions.
Equipment
- Mandolin or food processor with slicing blade
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup butter
- 1 small onion, diced
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp dried thyme leaves (or several sprigs of fresh thyme)
- 3 cups whole milk
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 3 lbs potatoes (peeled or unpeeled), sliced ⅛" thick (your choice, but Yukon Gold and Russet are both good choices)
- salt
- pepper
- 2 cups diced, cooked ham optional
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease a deep 9" x 13" casserole dish or pan.
- Using a Mandolin slicer (or food processor or just a knife), slice all potatoes into ⅛" wafers and let soak in cold water until needed.
- Cook onion, fresh thyme*, and butter over medium low heat in a heavy pan until the onion is tender. Add flour and cook for 1-2 minutes.*If using dried thyme, incorporate at the same time you add the flour.
- Turn heat to low and add the milk a bit at a time, whisking between each addition. The mixture will thicken, but as you continue adding and whisking, it will smooth out. Stir in the chicken broth, salt & pepper to taste, then increase the heat to bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and set aside.
- Drain the potatoes then layer ⅓ of them into the casserole dish/pan. Top with ⅓ of the ham (optional), followed by ⅓ of the sauce. Sprinkle ½ cup of the cheese on top. Repeat layers ending with the sauce. (Reserve the remaining 1 cup of cheese for later.)
- Cover the casserole snugly with foil and bake for 50 minutes.
- Uncover and bake 25-35 minutes longer, or until potatoes are tender.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese on top and bake 15 minutes or so until cheese is lightly browned and bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, if desired.
Notes
Original recipe:
https://www.spendwithpennies.com/scalloped-potatoes-and-ham/
Note: The photo with this recipe was for a small casserole that I was able to freeze (after cooking) because the big dish I was using couldn't hold the entire contents of the recipe. I let thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheated at 325 degrees for about 30-40 minutes.
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