This dish was a favorite when I was a girl - well, I’m still a girl but you know what I mean. I remember my mom had this baking while we were at church on Sunday mornings. We would get home and the savory smell would hit me when we walked in the door. This is an easy and economical meal, the left overs are fabulous, too. Served with a crisp salad, a perfect weeknight or weekend meal.
Scalloped Potatoes & Ham
A few times a year I buy a large Honey Baked Ham. We end up eating much of it with Swedish Bread, the extra’s go into split pea and ham soup, and this scalloped potato and ham dish. I use every last morsel off that original ham purchase. It’s not hard to do!
Click her for the Classic Bechamel sauce you will need.
And there’s the video. Cheers!
Savory Scalloped Potatoes & Ham
Ingredients:
- 3 cups of Classic Bechamel sauce
- 2 1/2 to 3 pounds potatoes, sliced very thinly - a mandarin works best if you have it
- 3 cups chopped ham - a rough chop
- 1 medium onion chopped finely
- 1/2 cups of cheese - I like sharp cheddar & also Guyreye
- Salt & Pepper to taste, also SPIKE if you have it
- Crunchy topping - I like French’s onions or you could use crushed crackers
Directions:
- Turn on your oven to 350F.
- Prepare a large baking sheet and line with tin foil.
- Then spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray
- Add most of the cheese to the béchamel sauce and stir to melt over medium heat. You want to reserve a small handful to top once the casserole is nearly done cooking in the oven.
- Add a ladle of béchamel sauce to the bottom of the dish
- Layer in 1/3 of the potatoes, a sprinkle of onion and 1/2 of the ham.
- Add some sauce to just barely cover.
- Repeat the layers, 1/3 potato, sprinkle onion, remaining ham and some more sauce. Make sure you leave enough sauce for to top at the end.
- By the time my ingredients are nearly gone, I’m usually running out of casserole room. By now you should only have 1/3 of the potatoes left and some sauce (maybe left over onion that you didn’t use). Layer in the last of the potatoes, press down ever so gently and top with the remaining sauce. Try not to over fill the casserole dish (a constant struggle of mine).
- Wrap foil tightly on top to cover, then place on your foil lined baking sheet. Put it in the oven for at least an hour.
- After an hour, I’ll pull it from the oven, take off the foil and test with a knife so see how far along the potatoes are. The potatoes should yield and the knife slips in and out pretty easily. If it doesn’t put it back in and check every 15 minutes or so until the potatoes are cooked through. Pull from the oven, take off the foil covering, add a sprinkle of cheese and your crunchy topping. Put back in the oven uncovered to brown up. Pull when golden brown.
- Let rest about 30 minutes before serving, this will let it set up a little.
