Ham and Potato Casserole
on Oct 03, 2023
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Do you have a bag full of potatoes that are about to go bad in your pantry? Put them to use in this creamy, savory Ham and Potato Casserole. With just a handful of low cost ingredients this dish can be assembled in no time.
Packed full of potato, ham, and a creamy cheese sauce, this easy-to-make casserole is sure to be a hit. By softening the potatoes before adding them to the casserole, you get a texture similar to funeral potatoes. As the casserole cooks, the spices marinate in the cheese sauce to give every bite an explosion of flavor.
Ham and Potato Casserole
This quick and convenient recipe uses inexpensive, easy-to-find ingredients, making it accessible to everyone. The best part is that it’s incredibly versatile and can be customized with your favorite cheeses and spices to suit your taste buds. Whether you’re in a hurry or just craving a delicious meal, this dish can be thrown together in a jiffy, offering both convenience and flavor in one delightful package.
Ingredient Notes
- Salted Butter—Or unsalted butter with a pinch of salt.
- Spice Mix—A savory blend of minced onion, red pepper flakes, white ground mustard, garlic powder, and paprika.
- White Onion—Diced.
- Flour—Helps to thicken the cheese sauce.
- Heavy Cream—Acts as the base of the sauce and gives the casserole a creamy texture.
- Cheddar Cheese—You can use mild, medium or sharp cheddar cheese. Either pre-shredded or freshly grated.
- Russet Potatoes—Washed and diced.
- Deli Ham—Diced.
How to Make Ham and Potato Casserole
- Preheat the oven. While the oven is preheating, cook the potatoes in a pot of boiling water until soft and tender. Drain the potatoes and set them aside.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet and then add the spices and onion. Cook the onions until soft and translucent.
- Add the flour and stir until it evenly coats the onion. Add the cream and cook until bubbly.
- Add the cheese and stir until the cheese is completely melted.
- Transfer your mixture to a 9×13 inch baking dish with the potatoes and ham. Fold the ingredients together until homogenous.
- Bake until bubbly.
- Serve and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
We typically use medium russet potatoes in our ham and potato casserole. These hearty potatoes are great at absorbing whatever flavors or spices you add to them. However, you can also use yukon gold potatoes. These slightly sweet potatoes add a nice balance to the sharpness of the cheese sauce and savoriness of the ham. Both of these potatoes are great options and work great in this casserole.
The key to developing creamy cheese sauce is a combination of forming a rue and using a nice fat like heavy cream. When adding your flour, make sure that there are no dry pockets anywhere in the pan or pot. As the flour mixes with the butter coating the onions it will form a rue that will work with the heavy cream to thicken as the cheese melts.
Of course! If you are short on time, this is a great dish to prepare ahead of time. You can prepare the sauce, potatoes, and ham and throw everything together in the baking dish. Once everything is in the dish, cover it with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days before cooking.
How to Store Your Leftover Casserole
You can store your casserole in the fridge for up to 5 days. Simply cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap or transfer any leftovers to an airtight container. When you are ready to reheat your leftovers, place a serving on a microwave safe dish and microwave it for about 2 minutes, stirring halfway through. It is important to note that when reheating your leftovers, the casserole may lose a little bit of moisture; however, it will still taste delicious.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- For some extra texture, you can sprinkle the top of your casserole with panko or plain breadcrumbs before throwing it in the oven.
- If you enjoy a little bit of spice in your food, you can add a few drops of tabasco sauce at the same time you are melting your cheese. This will give the cheese sauce a little bit of heat. You can also add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.
- It is not necessary to peel your potatoes before dicing them, but you are more than welcome to if you would like. As long as they have been scrubbed you are good to go.
- We typically make this casserole in a glass baking dish, so if you are using a ceramic or metal baking dish you may need to lower your cook time by about five minutes.
More Recipes
- Broccoli Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Sloppy Joe Casserole
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
- Taco Casserole
If you’ve tried this Ham and Potato Casserole recipe or any other recipe on Bless This Mess, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some pictures of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories.
Ham and Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 pounds russet potatoes, diced
- ¼ cup salted butter
- ½ white onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon white ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ⅓ cup flour
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups medium cheddar cheese
- 8 ounces sliced deli ham, diced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large pot, cover the potatoes with water and place over high heat. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Allow the potatoes to cook for 15 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes and set them aside. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Once the butter is completely melted, add the onions and spices. Cook the onions for about 5 minutes, or until soft and translucent.
- Stir in the flour until it evenly coats the onions. Add the heavy cream and continue cooking the mixture on high heat until the cream begins to form bubbles.
- Once the cream begins to form bubbles, stir in the cheese until it is completely melted.
- Transfer the cheese sauce to a 9×13 inch baking dish along with the diced potatoes and sliced ham. Fold the ingredients together until the potatoes and ham are completely covered in sauce.
- Cook the casserole for 20-25 minutes, or until bubbly.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- This casserole can be stored in the 9×13 inch pan covered with plastic wrap or transferred to an airtight container. Either way it should be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- We prefer to use medium cheddar cheese, but any kind of cheddar will work just fine.
- It is not necessary to peel your potatoes before dicing them, but you are more than welcome to if you would like.
- For some extra texture, you can sprinkle the top of your casserole with panko or plain breadcrumbs before throwing it in the oven.
- If you enjoy a little extra spice in your food, you can add a few drops of tabasco sauce at the same time you are melting the cheese. This will give the cheese sauce a little bit of heat.
Nutrition
Ham and potato casserole is a hearty and comforting dish that brings together the delicious flavors of ham, potatoes, and creamy cheese sauce. It’s a crowd-pleaser that’s easy to prepare, making it a go-to choice for a satisfying meal any tim
