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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Video Slideshow
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.
Pam Rode says
I loved this recipe. I did mix milk and heavy cream to make a bit richer. My son in law does not like ham so a quarter of the pan I left out the ham. This is what my mom did when she made fudge, I disliked nuts so she would split recipe and leave nuts out of mine. Yes my son in law is spoiled., but I love as my own.
Bonnie says
How much is one serving for this recipe?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
About 1 1/2 cups. It varies a bit with size of potatoes and dice size of ham.
Peggy says
I am making this recipe now can’t wait to see how good it is thank you for your recipe
Katherine Kelley says
Making this now. Wanted to make your slow cooker version but it was too late in the day, so hoping to make that next time. Thank you for this site, have made quite a few of your recipes over the past few years. My new mandolin was given away as I came close to slicing off the top of a finger 1st time I used it, so will just slice the potatoes with a knife & extend cooking time if they're thicker.
Katherine Kelley says
After tasting the sauce (it was great!) I thought I'd add a little ZING to it with several shakes of powdered ground mustard (maybe a teaspoon or so?). Wow!!! Next time will try a little dijon mustard. Recipe would have been fantastic without the mustard, but the add took it to 8 stars. Will make this again very soon!
Casey says
This recipe was fantastic!
I added 1 bag (6oz) of crispy onions to it halfway through baking. Absolutely delicious! And easy!
Mindy says
Can you make this in a crockpot? It’s sounds delicious
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Mindy,
Welcome to the blog.
While I have never done this particular recipe in a crock pot, you should be able to similar to https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/crock-pot-scalloped-potatoes/
Dan
Chelsee Lipiski says
Question, I am looking to make a bunch of freeze ahead casseroles. Can I freeze this casserole before I bake it?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Chelsee,
Welcome to the blog.
This should freeze well for 3-4 months.
Dan
Dawn says
I am making this right now & my sauce won’t thicken any suggestions?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Dawn,
Welcome to the blog. You caught me online.
I made this yesterday again. A medium boil and continuous mixing after everything is combined for 3-5 minutes does it as long as you have everything right. The sauce is not all that thick, it combines with the cheese in the casserole as it bakes.
Dan
Linda L says
Your website is just what I was looking for, since I'm cooking for one and love to have leftovers. This recipe will be the first that I will make. Believe that I will add asparagus to the casserole. Thanks for taking the time to do this.
Kathy says
Linda, great idea. Did you try this yet? If so did you put the asparagus in raw or blanched?
MF Kean says
Well, they are layered, so maybe the thickness won't be such a factor, and they are cooking in sauce with he moisture in the potato so they should be OK. I'll stick my Thermapen in it after a while.
Thanks much for the prompt reply!
MF Kean says
Dan, I cut this recipe in half, and my mandoline cut the potatoes more like 1/16 than 1/8". Will this affect cooking time?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Cooking time is more a function of the thickness. Assuming a smaller pan, I would say it is never bad to check early so do a "fork tender" check about 75% in but you will probably need most of the time. Also, potatoes are done at 200 degrees or a bit more.
Dan
Cheryl Deger says
Please, potatoes are all so many different sizes... Approximately how many pounds of russets did you use?!? Newbie cook here and weghts are much better then saying medium sized... Thank You...
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Cheryl,
Welcome to the blog.
It is ALWAYS fine to ask. Think of a "large" as the size you get at a restaurant. They will be in the 8 oz range or a bit bigger. Mediums will be in the 6 oz range. So the four mediums are about 1 1/2 pounds.
A final note. When a recipe is a bit non-specific (a large onion, a medium potato, a small carrot, etc) think of it as general guidance but you are free to vary some. A bit more or less potato will be fine here.
Again welcome and always feel free to ask.
Dan
Michelle C says
For this at home stay quarantine, this recipe is in my oven! Just sounds Like a nice comfort food and a friend of mine made it and feel in love so We are giving it a try. One question, what do folks typically serve as a side with this recipe ?
Nancy Quinn says
I usually make broccoli as a side, but this last time I chopped up some fresh spinach and added it to the casserole between layers. It was great. This is exactly the receipe I learned from my mother.
Sue says
I have done fresh green beans sautéed with bacon and garlic.
Cathy Golz says
I have been using this recipe for about a year and a half. My husband requested this today. I thought I had written it down but couldn’t find it. I googled your recipe and actually looked at your name. I showed this to my husband, Rich Golz, aka one of your colleagues, and he said you have been doing this For many years. Love this recipe and will be looking for more of them. Rich says Hello and hopes you are doing well.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Cathy,
Welcome to the blog. Glad you are enjoying the recipe. It is one of our favorites and I will probably make it later this week for our stay at home meals.
Say hi to Rich and all. This has been my hobby for about 10 years and is a great time in retirement which I totally enjoy. I don't miss work at all, especially right now.
Say safe and let me know if you have any questions or requests.
Dan
M Nord says
I have this in the oven now and it is smelling really good. I have couple of questions. I loved that I had the ability to change the number of people serving and the recipe calculated the amounts. Do you have an approximation on the weight of the potatoes? 4 potatoes doesn’t seem like much for 8 people and barely covered the bottom of my 9 x 13” pan so I added a few more. And even though the measurement of the ham went up with the changes in the recipe it kept saying it was about 3/4 pound of ham so I don’t think I got enough ham for the recipe serving 8. Should that have changed too? Thanks for your help.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi M.
Welcome to the blog.
When you change the number of servings, it only calculates the ingredient area. The instructions are text and do not change. So you need to realize that when you adjust.
Dan
Susan from Idaho says
I made this last night, and husband was impressed. He is a "meat & potatoes" kind of man, so this was right up his alley.
I added sliced carrots , which was yums, and frozen broccoli, which was good, but too soft in the end. I'll try russets & sweet potatoes next time. This recipe is a keeper! Thanks!!
PJ says
I’ve made this for decades and I, too dislike potatoes so parboil my mandolined potatoes before assembling Into casserole dish—ensures A tender edible dish