Ham and Potatoes Au Gratin is cheesy, hearty, and full of sliced potatoes and smoky ham. This classic comfort food recipe is my favorite way to use up leftover Easter ham.
If you like our tater tot ham casserole, you'll love this recipe, too.
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Every time that you have leftover holiday ham, do you find yourself scouring the internet looking for leftover ham recipes? That's where these cheesy au gratin potatoes come into play.
With only a few simple ingredients that are all easy to find at your local grocery store. And a little bit of effort you can have a hearty meal that your whole family will love in no time at all.
Don't worry though, you don't have to wait until after a holiday dinner to make this ham recipe. Pick up a package of diced ham at the grocery store so you can share this potato dish with your family and friends any night of the week.
These cheesy and creamy au grain potatoes will be a huge hit with even the picky eaters in your house.
🧂 Ingredients
You only need a handful of easy ingredients to make this cheesy ham and potatoes casserole!
This is meant to be a brief overview of this great recipe. For step-by-step instructions and a full printable recipe card with ingredients, please scroll down to the teal box below.
- potatoes
- diced ham
- unsalted butter
- all-purpose flour
- salt
- black pepper
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- milk - whole milk works best, but you can use any type of milk that you have on hand.
- shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- grated Parmesan cheese - I recommend that you use freshly grated Parmesan cheese instead of the canned kind.
- fresh parsley
🔪 Instructions
- Melt butter in a saucepan, then mix in the flour and seasonings, and cook until bubbly.
- Whisk in the milk and cheese and stir until smooth.
- Layer the sliced potatoes, ham, and cheese sauce in the casserole dish. Cover and bake for 45 minutes.
- Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of the potato casserole and return to the until golden brown.
🥄Equipment
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Here is what you will need to make this easy recipe:
- Medium Saucepan
- Casserole Dish
- Whisk
- Aluminum Foil
For a list of some of my favorite items to use when cooking, and why I chose them, please visit my Kitchen Resource page.
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💭 Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions (and answers!) readers often ask about this recipe.
The main difference between the two is that scalloped potatoes are made with a cream sauce, and an au gratin recipe like this is made with a cheese sauce.
A high-starch potato such as russet potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes is best for an au gratin potatoes recipe.
If your cheesy scalloped potatoes are watery, then most likely you use a potato that has a higher water content such as red potatoes or new potatoes. High-starch potatoes are best.
⭐ Tips
✔️ So, that you get tender potatoes in this simple dish, make sure that you slice the potatoes as evenly as possible. A mandoline slicer or a sharp knife works best to get even cuts.
✔️ I've found that I get the best results from the cheesy sauce when I grate my sharp cheddar cheese instead of using the pre-shredded kind. The anti-caking agent can prevent the sauce from being as smooth as you would like for this au gratin dish.
🍲 Storage
To Store: Leftover Ham and Potatoes Au Gratin should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. (These are my favorite airtight containers.)
To Reheat: Microwave individual portions in 30 second intervals until heated throughout. Or, you can also reheat the entire casserole in the oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly.
To Freeze: Assemble the casserole but do not bake. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and then foil before placing in the freezer.
To Thaw: When ready to eat, thaw in the fridge overnight and then bake according to recipe instructions.
✏️ Make Ahead
Are you looking for ways to save a little time for dinner on busy weeknights? Feel free to assemble this casserole all the way to the baking step, cover it with aluminum foil or plastic wrap, and store it in the fridge until you are ready to bake it.
Just keep in mind that if you baking it straight from the fridge you may need to add some additional cooking time to make sure the potatoes are done.
📖 Variations
The first time you try any new recipe we recommend that you make it just as it is written on the recipe card since that is how the recipe has been tested. However, the next time you make our recipe, you might want to try one of these ideas:
- Instead of cheddar cheese, you can use different types of cheese. Swiss cheese or Monterey jack cheese always works great with potato recipes.
- Don't have leftover ham? You can also dice up a ham steak to use in your casserole.
- Want a crispy topping on your potatoes? Mix two tablespoons of melted butter, and ½ cup of bread crumbs and sprinkle on top in the last 15 minutes of the cooking time.
Out of something you need? Check out our free ingredient substitutions printable!
🍴 Serving Suggestions
Want to turn this into a complete meal? I love to pair it with a side salad or with these garlic green beans. You could also pair these buttery rolls with ham casserole for a family-friendly side dish. No matter what you choose to serve with this ham casserole your family will rave about it.
For more ideas, check out our ham side dishes article.
😋 Similar Recipes
Next time you're looking for a delicious recipe using ham, try our ham and cheese croissants or ham pot pie.
Not ready to make this easy ham and potatoes casserole recipe yet?
When you do make it, please come back and comment and leave me a 5-star rating below! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ham and Potatoes Au Gratin
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Ingredients
- 4 cups potatoes peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 ½ cups diced ham
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 cups milk
- 1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh parsley chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Prepare a 9x13 inch baking dish with butter or non-stick cooking spray, and preheat the oven to 375 degrees f.
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once fully melted stir in the flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.¼ cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- Cook the flour mixture, stirring constantly until the mixture is bubbling.
- Gradually whisk in the milk, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens.2 cups milk
- Take the saucepan from the heat, and mix in 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, and the parmesan cheese. Stir until smooth.1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Place a layer of potatoes and ham in the bottom of the casserole dish. Using about ⅓ of the potatoes and ham.1 ½ cups diced ham, 4 cups potatoes
- Pour ¼ of the cheese sauce over the potato layer, and then repeat building layers until all ingredients are used.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese over the top of the casserole.1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
- Remove the foil and return to the oven for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the top is golden brown and bubbly.
- Allow the casserole to cool slightly before garnishing with fresh parsley and serving.Fresh parsley
Equipment
- Medium saucepan
- Aluminum Foil
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