These ham and scalloped potatoes are a classic comfort dish that is full of delicious cheesy goodness! The ham and potatoes are baked in a homemade cheddar cheese sauce to create the most tender potatoes for a tasty and hearty dinner at home.
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
If you loved our amazing Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes recipe, you’re going to be OBSESSED with these ham and scalloped potatoes.
Made in under an hour using simple ingredients, you won’t have to put much effort into this delicious comfort food. The combination of salty ham and cheesy potatoes is simply heavenly, and we’ll show you just how to get the perfect results.
why you’ll love ’em!
- They are simple to make and easy to love.
- Make for the most ooey gooey cheesy potatoes!
- The ham steak takes this dish to a whole other level of flavor.
- It’s a classic family favorite everyone will enjoy!
Featured Ingredients
- Russet potatoes: russet potatoes work well for scalloped potatoes because they are high in starch and help create a thick and creamy cheese sauce. A few other types can be used, like Yukon gold potatoes. Just be sure the potatoes are sliced to the same thickness.
- Ham steak: we used a ham steak for this recipe, but you can use leftover ham or any other cut of ham you’d like!
- Butter: the base of the cheese sauce is a bit of butter.
- All-purpose flour: the flour helps to thicken the cheese sauce.
- Heavy whipping cream: the whipping cream makes a rich sauce. You can also use whole milk or 2% milk.
- Garlic powder: garlic powder is an excellent flavor enhancer, so don’t skip it!
- Cheddar cheese: you can use mild cheddar cheese or sharp cheddar cheese. Freshly shredded cheese is best.
Tutorial
How to Grate Cheese
Whether you have a box grater at home or find yourself in need of grated cheese and no grater, we’ve got you covered on how to grate cheese without a cheese grater!
How to Make Ham and Scalloped Potatoes
PREHEAT THE OVEN
Preheat the oven to 400℉.
ASSEMBLE HAM + POTATOES
Next, place the sliced potatoes into a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Top the potatoes with the diced ham. Set aside.
MAKE A ROUX
Heat the butter in a pan over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the flour and whisk together. Cook for 1 minute.
Once the roux has cooked, whisk in the heavy cream. Make sure to scrape the bottoms and sides to ensure the roux has mixed in completely. Cook until the cream has thickened, about 2 minutes.
ADD CHEESE + SEASONING
Then add in the salt, garlic powder, pepper, paprika, and 2 cups of cheddar cheese. Stir together until the cheese is melted.
POUR + BAKE
Pour the cheese mixture evenly over the potatoes and ham, topping it with the remaining cheese.
Bake your scalloped potatoes uncovered for 45 minutes.
SERVE + ENJOY
Before serving, allow the scalloped potatoes to rest for 10 minutes. Enjoy your cheesy potatoes!
Top Tips for Perfect Scalloped Potatoes
- The easiest way to get uniform slices of potato is to use a mandolin. Our favorite mandoline is this Kyocera mandoline.
- Feel free to change up what type of cheese you use. Pepper jack cheese, white cheddar, or a mixture of a few kinds of cheese would be delicious.
- Allow the top of the scalloped potatoes to become crispy and brown. It really makes the dish.
FAQs
What is the difference between cheesy scalloped potatoes and au gratin potatoes?
Scalloped potatoes are made with thinly sliced potatoes and a cheesy cream sauce. Au gratin potatoes are made with layers of potatoes and cheese.
Do scalloped potatoes cook better covered or uncovered?
Potatoes will cook faster if they are covered. Cover the scalloped potatoes for most of the bake and uncover the potatoes to get the top nice and golden brown.
How do you keep milk from curdling in scalloped potatoes?
Using fresh cream or milk always helps. We also used russet potatoes that are high in starch, so they help to thicken the sauce of the scalloped potatoes rather than a lower starch potato which doesn’t aid in thickening the dairy, which can cause curdling.
Recipe Pairings for Ham and Scalloped Potatoes
These scalloped potatoes are filling! So we recommend sticking to a light and healthier side to get the perfect balance of comfort, flavor, and nutrition. Here are some of our favorite side dishes from our sister site, Fit Foodie Finds, that we know you’ll love:
- Crispy Air Fryer Broccoli
- Easy Sauteed Green Beans
- Grilled Asparagus in Foil
- Fresh Zucchini Salad
- Kale and Fennel Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Storage
Let the ham and scalloped potatoes cool completely and then store them in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
To reheat: Transfer the ham and scalloped potatoes to an oven-safe container and then bake them at 350ºF until warm and gooey.
Ham and Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients
- 5 medium russet potatoes sliced thinly (~⅛ inch)
- 8 oz. ham steak diced
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 12 oz. shredded cheddar cheese divided (~3 cups)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉.
- Place the sliced potatoes into a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Top the potatoes with the diced ham. Set aside.
- Heat the butter in a pan over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the flour and whisk together. Cook for 1 minute. Once the roux has cooked, whisk in the heavy cream. Make sure to scrape the bottoms and sides to ensure the roux has mixed in completely. Cook until the cream has thickened. About 2 minutes.
- Add in the salt, garlic powder, pepper, paprika, and 2 cups of cheddar cheese. Stir together until the cheese is melted.
- Pour the cheese mixture over the potatoes and ham. Top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 45 minutes uncovered.
- Allow the scalloped potatoes to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Tips & Notes
- A smaller cast iron skillet can be used, but the cooking time may need to increase. In this case, you may also need to cover the skillet with tin foil to make sure the cheese doesn’t burn.
- Yukon gold potatoes can be subbed for the bakers.
- This can be baked in a baking dish instead of a casserole dish, but you will lose the crispy sides and bottoms the cast iron provides.
