A heaping helping of cheesy scalloped potatoes and ham is big-time comfort. A truly delicious special event side dish or weeknight main course!
Scalloped potatoes and ham remind me of cozy nights around the dinner table with family and friends. The recipe is traditional for me in every sense of the word, whether I am whipping it up for a holiday gathering or a comforting meal on a cold night.
I could eat potatoes every meal of the day. If you love them as much as I do, try my au gratin potatoes, melting potatoes, and crack potatoes next and check out all my ham recipes!
Let’s make these!
What I Love Most About This Recipe
- It’s easy to make
- The flavor is out of this world
- It’s comforting and filling
- Makes a great side or main dish
What Are Scalloped Potatoes and Ham?
Cheesy scalloped potatoes and ham are a wonderful, cheesy casserole that is made up of perfectly cooked russet potato slices along with tender ham, and topped off with a gooey cheddar cheese sauce.
Oh, it’s so good. I’ve never met anyone who has not tried this at least once in their lives, but if you haven’t had it, this recipe is the best place to start!
Also, it goes wonderfully with wine. Just throwing that out there.
What Ingredients Do You Need To Make Scalloped Potatoes and Ham?
- Butter
- Garlic
- Russet Potatoes
- Ham
- Salt & Pepper
- Heavy Cream
- Cheddar Cheese
Recipe Notes for Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream is used in my recipe for added thickness, richness and an incredible flavor. If you want to lighten it a bit, you can sub the heavy cream for more whole milk, but it’s entirely possible that your consistency will be off.
Serving Recommendations
Following in the footsteps of the popular Betty Crocker scalloped potatoes and ham, my recipe, though different, works wonderfully as a main dish. I like to serve it up with warm crescent rolls, Lion House rolls, or quick Bisquick biscuits, a crisp green salad…steamed or roasted veggies like roasted green beans!
How Do You Make Scalloped Potatoes and Ham?
- In a saucepan, heat cream, salt, and pepper over medium heat. Set aside.
- Layer half of the sliced potatoes in the baking dish.
- Add half of the diced ham.
- Pour half of the heavy cream over the potato and ham layer. Repeat with the rest of the ingredients.
- Sprinkle extra black pepper on top. Loosely cover with aluminum foil and bake. Remove from oven, then sprinkle cheese evenly on top.
- Bake until cheese is melted and golden brown.
***See the full instructions below.
How Do You Make The Sauce for Scalloped Potatoes?
In a saucepan, heat the cream, salt, and pepper over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the salt, until bubbles form around the edges.
What Is Scalloped vs. Au Gratin?
The difference is cheese. “Scalloped potatoes” are sliced potatoes in a casserole cooked in a sauce. Au Gratin means “with cheese”, so Potatoes Au Gratin are sliced potatoes with cheese.
What Cheese To Use?
As long as it has some flavor, you’ll find that you can use most cheeses in this recipe. Use anything from Monterey Jack to Gruyere, but cheddar is preferred. Pioneer Woman scalloped potatoes call for a nice, sharp cheddar and I have to agree. It is delicious in this recipe!
How To Boil Potatoes
It might not seem like it, but the way you boil potatoes can make a difference in how they taste after the fact, as well as the difficulty in cooking! To get the best out of your potato boiling experience, you’ll want to start by using potatoes close in size so they cook through at the same rate.
Next, leave the skins on! This will prevent mushy potatoes. Use waxy potatoes like red or Yukon gold. A waxy potato holds its shape and has a creamy consistency. Start with cold water in the pot and bring it to a boil.
How to Store and Make Ahead
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- Can You Freeze This? Scalloped potatoes with ham and cheese are actually easy as heck to freeze. You can freeze your leftovers by placing them in a freezer-safe container and tossing them in the freezer. Portion as you like and take them out when you’re ready to thaw and heat!
- You can also make up a big old batch, and then freeze them (without cooking) flat in Ziploc bags! Easy storage, and a great meal to freeze for a future occasion.
- Make-Ahead Tips: Yes, of course, you can! I like to make it in its entirety and then hold off on baking. Before it’s time to go in the oven, I cover it tightly and place it in the fridge, no longer than 24 hours.
- When you’re ready to bake it, preheat the oven and bake that perfect cheesy scalloped potatoes and ham casserole until bubbly.
- Remove from the oven, sprinkle cheese (again, lots of it) evenly over the top and pop it back in until melty. You can also make it in the slow cooker!
- Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link.
More Potato Recipes…
- Crock Pot Cheesy Potatoes
- Easy Hamburger Hash
- Hashbrown Casserole
- Parmesan Potatoes
- Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
- Country Potatoes
- Sausage Green Bean Potatoes
- Crack Potato Soup
- Buttered Potatoes
- Funeral Potatoes
Scalloped Potatoes And Ham
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 large clove garlic, cut in half
- 3 pounds Russet potatoes peeled
- 2 cups ham, cubed into 1/2 pieces
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
Instructions
- Set the oven rack to the lower third of the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Generously butter (1 tablespoon) a 9X13 inch baking dish and rub the inside of the dish with the cut side of the garlic (1 large). Set the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet.
- In a saucepan, heat the cream (3 cups), salt (1 1/2 teaspoons), and pepper (1/2 teaspoon) over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the salt, until bubbles form around the edges. Set aside.
- Slice the potatoes (3 pounds) thinly then layer half the sliced potatoes and half the diced ham in the prepared baking dish, then pour half the heated cream over the potato and ham layer.
- Repeat with the rest of the ingredients, ending with a layer of sauce. Sprinkle extra black pepper on the top.
- Loosely cover with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven until potatoes are bubbly and tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours.
- Remove from oven, sprinkle an even layer of cheese (2 cups) over the potatoes, and cook just until melted and golden brown. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream is used in my recipe for added thickness, richness and an incredible flavor. If you want to lighten it a bit, you can sub the heavy cream for more whole milk, but it’s entirely possible that your consistency will be off.
OMG, I never thought to add ham to my scalloped potatoes! What a GENIUS idea!!! You always have the best recipe Kathleen, thank you!
Thanks so much Lindsey! You are too sweet! I hope you enjoy the Scalloped Potatoes and Ham 🙂