Easy Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
My mother used to make scalloped potatoes quite often when I was a kid. I have tried making it a few times in my life, but never was really happy with any of the recipes I have tried. This recipe is one that I saw in my Betty Crocker cookbook and it started with a simple white sauce. I thought I'd give it a try. For my own twist, I added 2 cloves of garlic to give the sauce some more flavor. I was extremely happy with the way this scalloped potatoes turned out, so I thought I'd share the very simple recipe.
You start by making a rue, using equal parts butter to equal parts flour. I use unbleached flour in my cooking now, so the white sauce color is always a bit more off-white. I stopped buying white flour about a year ago and find very little difference in my cooking. I feel better knowing my flour is a little less processed than white flour, so in my mind that is a bit healthier for the family.
Slowly add the milk (you may want to double the amount of milk to 1 cup from a half cup). I used a whisk to keep the lumps in check. Once the milk white sauce was a nice consistency, I added the shredded cheddar cheese and American cheese, continually keep stirring. This sauce is very mild, so if you like it stronger, use more sharp cheddar than American. The American helps keep the texture of the sauce very smooth. In a separate pan, I had the diced onions and diced garlic cooking in 2 Tbsp butter. I sauteed this until the onion was pretty clear, then I added it to the cheese sauce.
Layer your thinly sliced potatoes in a 9 x 13 pan. Pour half the cheese sauce over these and use half the ham. Then layer the rest of the potatoes, cheese and ham. Top with more shredded cheese, bread crumbs and cook covered for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook for 15 more minutes, let cool and serve with a side of sour cream. Enjoy!
Cook Time
Ingredients
- 8 oz (1 cup or so) ham, pre-cooked and chopped
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup American cheese
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 large potatoes, Idaho, sliced thin
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garliic, diced
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 tsp salt and pepper, freshly ground
Instructions
- Wash, peel and thinly slice potatoes (keep 1/8 - 1/4 inch thick). I used my food processor to slice my potatoes, it really makes my life easier. Grease a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish with butter or non-stick spray. Using half the potatoes, layer in the bottom of the dish.
- In a small saucepan, melt 2 Tbsp butter. Add 2 Tbsp flour to make a rue. Slowly add the milk, continually stirring. Add in the cheeses until melted and smooth. Depending on how saucy you like your scalloped potatoes, you may want to double the sauce.
- In another small skillet, melt 2 Tbsp butter. Sautee the onion and garlic over medium heat in the butter until clear. Add these to the cheese sauce.
- Pour half the cheese sauce over the potatoes in casserole dish. Layer half of the ham on top of sauce. Then use the rest of the potatoes and layer on top of the ham. Use the remaining half of the cheese sauce and the rest of the ham. Add some shredded cheese and bread crumbs to the very top of the dish. Bake at 350° covered with foil for a half hour. Uncover for the last 15 minutes and remove from oven after 45 minutes total baking time. Let cool for a few minutes and serve. Garnish with sour cream if you like, that makes it especially delicious!
