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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.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Main Dish, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

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

Equipment

  • Mandolin or food processor with slicing blade

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease a deep 9" x 13" casserole dish or pan.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.)
  6. Cover the casserole snugly with foil and bake for 50 minutes.
  7. Uncover and bake 25-35 minutes longer, or until potatoes are tender.
  8. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese on top and bake 15 minutes or so until cheese is lightly browned and bubbly.
  9. 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.