Scalloped Potatoes and Ham is a classic old-fashioned comfort food with creamy sauce, melted cheese, and slices of tender ham and potatoes—perfect for leftover ham.
🥔Ingredients
Potatoes
Ham
Cheese—mild cheddar cheese or other
White Sauce—butter, onion, milk, all-purpose flour, salt, and black pepper
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Featured Comment from Deanna I:
"5 stars. This recipe brought back great memories! It is actually better than my mom's."
This homemade scalloped potatoes and ham recipe is our favorite cheesy casserole we have made many times. A traditional recipe is perfect for using leftover ham from Easter or other holidays.
It is much easier to make from scratch than you would think using common ingredients with easy step-by-step photo instructions.
Make a half recipe for more of a "for two" size recipe if you want, but most people will have two servings, and the leftovers are wonderful.
👨🍳How to Make Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
1. Preheat oven to 350° convection or 375° conventional.
2. Scrub, peel, and slice 4 medium russet potatoes— 1 ½ to 2 pounds. Slice thin—about ⅜ inch thick. A mandolin is recommended if you have one. If you use a mandolin, please follow the manufacturer's safety instructions.
3. Chop 1 small onion. Chop or slice your ham into bite-size pieces.
4. Over medium-high heat, in a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter and add the onion. Cook until clearing—about 3-4 minutes.
5. Sprinkle in 4 tablespoons flour and mix well. Continue to cook and whisk for about 2 minutes until browning some.
6. Add 3 cups of milk slowly while continuing to whisk. Whisk and cook until thickening well—about 3-4 minutes. During this part, add 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
7. Prep a 9 by 13 inch casserole dish with a coat of butter.
8. Add about ⅓ of the sliced potatoes—top with ⅓ of the ham, ½ cup of shredded cheese, and ⅓ of the sauce. Repeat twice, but with the top layer, add the cheese last and double to a full cup.
9. Cover with aluminum foil.
10. Bake for 90 minutes, then uncover and cook another 20-25 minutes until nicely brown and bubbling. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes before serving—do not skip this step.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
⏲️How long to cook scalloped potatoes and ham
It takes about 2 hours to get potatoes "fork tender" with no firmness to the potatoes.
Most reference recipes suggest a total cooking time of 60-70 minutes. While it is "done," the potatoes still have some firmness. Feel free to cook for the original recommended 40 minutes covered and 25 minutes uncovered if you want firmer potatoes.
✔️Tips to get it right every time
About the ham
This recipe is the perfect way to use leftover baked ham. If it has a sweet coating, like a honey glazed ham, rinse the sweet coating off under some running water.
Any ham that is "bite size" will work well. The amount of ham you use is flexible. About ¾ pounds and approximately 3 cups of sliced ham are suggested for this full-size recipe, but more or less is acceptable.
Dice ham will also work, but sliced ham is more traditional.
About the potatoes
Russet potatoes are usually used and should be peeled. Thinner-skinned potatoes like red or Yukon Gold potatoes may be used and don't need to be peeled. This recipe needs about 1 ½ to 2 pounds of sliced potatoes. A medium Russet potato is 6-8 oz.
Slice the potatoes about ⅜ inch thick but no thinner than ¼ inch thick. Use a mandolin if you have one, and please follow the manufacturer's safety instructions to prevent an unscheduled trip to the emergency room.
This recipe is for raw potatoes, not frozen potatoes, which will have an inferior texture. It is worth the little work to peel (optional) and slice.
Cheese choices
The cheese choice is a personal choice. Usually mild cheddar cheese, but sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Gruyere is also commonly used. Mixing in some mozzarella cheese will add some creaminess.
While shredded cheese will generally be fine, if you get grainy results, shred your own from a block of cheese.
Other tips
The white sauce is a classic roux recipe and is easy to make with the instructions. For more details on making a roux, see Making Gravy from Scratch.
Do not skip letting the casserole rest for 10 minutes, which allows the sauce to set up and not be runny.
Other Recipes you will love
Check out this slow cooker version of Crock Pot Scalloped Potatoes, where you can add ham. Or try this 50-year-old recipe for Old Fashion Scalloped Potatoes. Also, see What to Do With Leftover Ham for ham ideas.
Or try some other easy casserole recipes, like Tuna Noodle Casserole, Crock Pot Chicken Pasta, or Chicken Broccoli Casserole.
⬇️How to make this a "for two" friendly recipe
This recipe is easy to cut in half, from 8 to 4 servings, but the work doesn't decrease much.
- Use a 6X9 or 8X8 pan for a half recipe.
- Adjust the number of servings in the recipe card from 8 to 4. That will do the math and change the ingredient amounts displayed.
- The amounts listed in the instructions do not adjust, so you must follow the quantities in the ingredients and not the instructions.
- Cooking time will be slightly shorter, so check early for fork tender.
How can I make scalloped potatoes and ham ahead?
Assemble completely and seal airtight. Refrigerate for 2-3 days. Freezing uncooked may change the texture and is not recommended. So, fully cook and cool before freezing for 1-2 months.
Serving
Serve ham and scalloped potatoes as a dinner entrée but will also work as a side dish. Since it is a heavy starch, serve it with a fresh green salad or a simple hot vegetable like corn, beans, or peas.
How to store leftovers?
For short-term storage of leftovers, seal well and refrigerate for 3-4 days. For longer-term storage, freeze for 1-2 months.
Reheating in the oven is preferred. If frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
❓FAQs
Scalloped is anything baked in a casserole with a sauce that could be cheese or any other sauce. Au Gratin means “with cheese.” So this recipe could be called Scalloped Potatoes, Au Gratin potatoes, or Scalloped Au Gratin potatoes.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.
📖 Recipe
Old Fashioned Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
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Ingredients
- 4 russet potatoes—medium - peeled and sliced thin.
- 1 onion - small chipped
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons flour - ¼ cup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 3 cups milk
- 2 cups shredded cheese of choice - Monterey Jack or cheddar are good choices
- ¾ pound ham - dice or cut into small bite size bites. About 3 cups. A bit more or less is fine.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° convection or 375° conventional.
- Scrub, peel, and slice 4 medium russet potatoes— 1 ½ to 2 pounds. Slice thin—about ⅜ inch thick. A mandolin is recommended if you have one. If you use a mandolin, please follow the manufacturer's safety instructions.
- Chop 1 small onion. Chop or slice your ham into bite-size pieces.
- Over medium-high heat, in a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter and add the onion. Cook until clearing—about 3-4 minutes.
- Sprinkle in 4 tablespoons flour and mix well. Continue to cook and whisk for about 2 minutes until browning some.
- Add 3 cups of milk slowly while continuing to whisk. Whisk and cook until thickening well—about 3-4 minutes. During this part, add 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
- Prep a 9 by 13 inch casserole dish with a coat of butter.
- Add about ⅓ of the sliced potatoes—top with ⅓ of the ham, ½ cup of shredded cheese, and ⅓ of the sauce. Repeat twice, but with the top layer, add the cheese last and double to a full cup.
- Cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake for 90 minutes, then uncover and cook another 20-25 minutes until nicely brown and bubbling. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes before serving—do not skip this step.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Easy to cut in half. See the instructions in the post.
- Use a mandolin to slice the potatoes to save your fingers and time. But be careful with the mandolin.
- Use potatoes of your choice, but I like Russets.
- Cheese of your choice. I use mild cheddar or Monterey Jack.
- The cooking time is longer than some other recipes. Discussed in the post.
- I scale this up or down depending on how much leftover ham I have.
- Make ahead and refrigerate for 2 days before baking. Freezing before baking is not suggested.
- Leftovers are good refrigerated for 3-4 days and can be frozen for 1-2 months.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
© 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.
The inspiration recipe is a Pioneer Woman recipe on Food Network but highly modified by my old memories. Some of the changes are simplifying the instructions, decreasing the fat, and, most importantly, changing the cooking time for the perfect texture.
Editor's Note: This recipe was originally published on April 12, 2014. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Diana says
I am making today for Christmas dinner. Can't wait@
DrDan says
Hi Diane,
Welcome to the blog. Sorry for the delayed response.
Hope it worked well for you.
Thanks for the note and hope you had a great holiday.
Dan
Pamela Olstad says
We loved it. I added a clove of garlic and used 3/4 cup of heavy cream and then the rest of 2% milk. Very good.
DrDan says
Hi Pamela,
Welcome to the blog. Sorry for the delayed response.
Glad it worked well for you.
Thanks for the note and hope you had a great holiday.
Dan
Casey says
Hi! I don’t know if anyone will even see this comment.its It’s nearly 2019 and this post was 2016!
I am making this recipe and freezing it (cooked) to give to my mom for her freezer for Christmas (along with meatballs, lasagna, and chicken Alfredo). But how would you advise reheating?
THank you!
DrDan says
Hi Casey,
Welcome to the blog.
All comments are reviewed and all posts (with 2 exceptions) are "active" meaning comments are allowed, encouraged and usually replied to.
This recipe is good in the refrigerator 3-4 days. It freezes well and is good for at least 3-4 months and probably a lot longer.
Reheat like lasagna. It will depend on the size and if still frozen. I prefer to thaw and reheat covered in the oven until about 145-150.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Donald says
Great recipe, I mixed gruyere, Monterey jack, white cheddar and mild cheddar and used cubed ham...it was so cheesy and delicious.
DrDan says
Hi Donald,
Welcome to the blog.
We do love this recipe. We always buy a bigger ham than needed to have leftovers of this. Then I make a huge one for 2-3 meals.
Thanks for the note and Happy Holidays.
Dan
Lisa Mosier says
Looks yummy, I’m about to try it. Does it freeze well?
DrDan says
Hi Lisa,
Welcome to the blog.
This is good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and will freeze well.
Dan
Roxanne says
I used a stick of garlic herb butter to saute the onions. My best try at scalloped potatoes yet. Don't know that I need to try any new recipes. Used the food processors slice feature for the potatoes for the first time. Tyat was a big help too.
Linda says
Can you prepare as directed and refridgerate over night and bake the next day?
DrDan says
Hi Linda,
Welcome to the blog.
Yep, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days should be fine.
Dan
Connie T says
Hi!
My recipe is the same as yours! Yummylicious!! I do one thing a bit different to save a little time though.
After cooking the butter, flour, onion, milk, and seasonings, (I use a larger pot), I put all of the sliced potatoes and ham chunks (and cheese if you're using cheese) right into the pot and mix it all together. That way, the sauce is evenly mixed and the you can just pour the whole mixture into your baking dish. Top with more cheese...or not. I love the creaminess of this dish by cooking the sauce first, rather than some recipes that just "sprinkle" the flour in on the the layers.
DrDan says
Hi Connie,
Welcome to the blog and sorry for the late reply.
I will try your modification soon.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Deb says
After mixing all ingredients together and cooking it stove top, how long did you bake it in the oven?
mark berkley says
DIDNT LIKE THAT I HAD TO SCROLL THRU ALL THIS DRIBBLE ONLY TO NOT FIND THE PRINT AND THEN PRINTED THE WHOLE THING WONT BE BACK
DrDan says
At the top of the all recipes, including this one, there are two links "Jump to Recipe" and a direct "Print Recipe" link.
Also, in the recipe card, is a print button. It looks like a printer.
They don't work if you disable java script.
Dan
Kierstan says
Geez buddy why don't you start a blog so that people can easily look up recipes and get paid pennies from what little advertising you can get. You don't have to be an ass. Maybe a nice suggestion would have come off better.
DrDan says
Hi Kierstan,
Welcome to the blog and thanks for the defense.
There are always a few. The worse ones I just delete. All his points were his own fault and I thought I would just point that out.
Happy holidays and again thanks.
Dan
Kim Faubert says
Delicious!! Thank you for sharing! My husband and I both agree...a solid 5 star recipe. This is one of those rare occasions we are actually looking forward to the leftovers. I’m so pleased to have found your website, now just need to decide on what to try next!
DrDan says
Hi Kim,
Great hearing from you. You can see I'm "working hard" in retirement...
Hope NOCH works out for you, it should be a good fit.
Dan
Barb says
Thank you for all of the time and effort you take to research and put together these deliscious meals. Much appreciated.
DrDan says
Hi Barb,
Thanks for reading and the note.
Dan
Jody Siebel says
Good Morning Dr. DAN, BOY IS IT A comfort to find your recipes. I love to cook and find new recipes but sometimes get board with the usual, like we always have this, type thing. Yours will be getting A lot of attention now that I found them. Let's see, I think the scalloped potatoes and ham will be in order. I can already smell it and haven't even started anything yet.🤣 can't wit for supper considering we are to get between 3-6 inches of snow today..will help me deal with going to work tonight. Have a great day!! And thank you for homeatyle cooking!!
DrDan says
Hi Jody,
Welcome to the site. About this recipe, please note the cooking time comment in the recipe, it is a big change from the common recommended time. It is all about the potato texture.
You might want to hope over to the top recipe category https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/category/101s-top-posts/ This are my personal recommendations, It is a good place to start since I'm almost to 500 recipes now.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Phyllis Maeder says
How do I find your recipes?
DrDan says
Hi Phyllis,
All my recipes (almost 500) are on this site free. If you are using a desktop, portable or some tablets then go to the menu bar near the top and click on recipes. On a mobile device or narrow tablet, there is a button labeled menu in the upper left of the screen that stays there.
Let me know if you have other questions.
Dan
Jane Huizenga says
I just found your page, and I am so excited to use your recipes, I can tell your a cook because of your amazing way of cooking and seasoning food! It is like we were separated a birth and now I am completely energized to make a lot of variety for my family and friends.
DrDan says
Hi Jane,
My wife clammed the "separated at birth" status over 40 yrs ago so we would need to be triplets.
Welcome to the site and let me know if you have questions or issues.
Dan
Linda says
Can you use left over baked potatoes to shorten the cooking time?
DrDan says
I suspect you would end up with mush. The sauce, cheese and ham need some simmer time.
Cindy says
Making this for dinner tonight with left over ham .I always thought the potatoes should be less firm so I'm going to try it your way and cook it longer than most recipes say to .