Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings 8 servings

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These Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes and Ham are an easy holiday dinner idea that’s also a great recipe for leftover ham! The whole family is going to love this one!

Happy post-Thanksgiving food coma, American friends 😉

cheesy scalloped potatoes and ham in white dish on grey background with blue striped towel on the side

I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday and hasn’t blown their entire savings on Black Friday sales!

Because I’m pretty sure a lot of you are going to be left with a bunch of holiday leftovers, including leftover ham, I wanted to share these Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes and Ham with you today!

I love a good casserole, especially something creamy and comforting like this, because they’re so easy to prep ahead and keep in the fridge until just before your dinner guests arrive (or if you have a 1 year old who happens to be particularly needy between the hours of 4 and 7, this saves you from having to cook dinner one-handed!).

cheesy scalloped potatoes and ham close up with metal spoon stuck in the corner

The fact that I can make everything and do all my clean up long before worrying about setting the table more than makes up for the fact that they require an extra pot or pan.

How to make Scalloped Potatoes:

  • Start with your potatoes. I prefer red potatoes for pretty much everything, because they have a smooth skin and creamy texture. This means that you can peel them… or not… and no one will even notice when they take a bit of these Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes and Ham.
  • The potatoes go into the greased baking dish raw, which is why they require such a long bake time. But hey, it’s not like we have to sit at the oven and watch, so it’s fine by me! Please note that the potatoes cannot be sliced and stored — they will turn brown!
  • The sauce starts with a roux, which means you melt some butter and whisk in some flour to make a paste. Then, you add chicken broth, milk, cream — whatever your liquids are, and whisk and cook to thicken.
  • Then all we need is cheese, beautiful cheese! No explanation required 😉
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Variations of these Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes and Ham:

  • Swap the protein: feel free to use turkey instead of leftover ham, or even sliced sausages, or skip it and serve these cheesy scalloped potatoes as a side dish to this Instant Pot Whole Chicken or these Creamy Italian Instant Pot Chicken Breasts (easily made in the slow cooker or on the stove top as well!).
  • Add some veggies: feel free to add in vegetables to make this a full meal deal. Broccoli (though it will get quite soft), mushrooms, thinly sliced carrots, would all be great choices!
cheesy scalloped potatoes and ham recipe close up from the side with metal spoon stuck in potatoes
  • Spice it up. Feel free to add a splash of sriracha or hot sauce to the sauce — sometimes a little heat is perfect to cut through the richness of the cheesy sauce!

How to lighten up Scalloped Potatoes and Ham:

There are a few ways that these Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes can be lightened up.

  • Swap some of the potatoes for sliced sweet potatoes.
  • Swap the cream for lighter cream or whole milk.
  • Swap the cheese for low fat cheese, or use less.
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Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

5 from 2 votes
These Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes and Ham are made with a rich, velvety sauce, tender potatoes, and a touch of leftover ham. Perfect for holidays or simple weeknight dinners!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Cuisine American
Course Main Course
Servings 8 servings
Calories 541cal

Ingredients

  • 8 medium red potatoes (about 1200 grams or 2½-3lb)
  • 2 cups chopped, cooked ham (160 grams)
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter (60 grams)
  • teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ cup all purpose flour (63 grams)
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided (180 grams)
  • 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Peel potatoes and very thinly slice — I like to use a mandolin for this.
  • Layer potatoes and ham in a lightly greased 9×13" baking dish (I do 3 layers of each, alternating each time) and preheat the oven to 375℉.
  • In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add salt, parsley, thyme, and pepper — cook and stir 1 minute.
  • Whisk in flour until smooth, then gradually whisk in the cream and broth.
  • Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of cheese.
  • Pour sauce over potatoes and ham. Cover with foil and bake for 60-65 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
  • Uncover, sprinkle with remaining 1 cup Mozzarella and Parmesan, and bake 10 minutes or until thickened, bubbly, and cheese is lightly browned.
  • Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

*This recipe was updated originally published in November 2018 but was updated to ensure you get the best results!
*To make ahead, you can cover and refrigerate once completely assembled up to 8 hours. You need to be sure the potatoes are completely covered in sauce or they will brown.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Potatoes: you can use any kind of potatoes in here! I prefer red or golden. You don’t need to peel them — the peel adds lots of great fibre.
Ham: you can use leftover cooked ham, deli ham, or omit for a meatless side — just be sure if you add meat that it is fully cooked.
Seasonings: feel free to mix these up to your tastes! Onion powder, garlic or dried dill are all great in here. 
Broth: if using salted broth, reduce the salt to 1 teaspoon and taste the sauce before pouring over the potatoes.
Cream: heavy whipping cream gives the best flavor and it does not break in the oven. For this reason I don’t usually recommend swapping for a lighter cream.
 

Nutrition Information

Calories: 541cal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 1063mg | Potassium: 1095mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1265IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 214mg | Iron: 2mg
Keywords cheesy scalloped potatoes, make ahead, potato casserole, scalloped potatoes with ham

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  1. Michele H says

    If I use only whole milk, do I need to alter the amount of milk & cream?
    Is it OK to substitute Evaporated Milk for some of the milk?

5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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