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    🏠Home » Recipes » Casserole Recipes

    Old Fashioned Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

    Feb 9, 2022 | Last Updated Mar 27, 2022 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

    Recipe Table of Contents    
    4.43 from 364 votes

    Scalloped potatoes and ham is classic old-fashioned comfort food with creamy sauce, melted cheese, and thin slices of tender ham and potatoes. This hearty dinner is the perfect use for leftover ham.

    scalloped potatoes and ham on a fork

    Table of Contents
    • Scalloped vs. Au Gratin Potatoes
    • 🥔Ingredients
    • 👨‍🍳How to Make Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
    • ⏰How Long to Cook Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
    • 👨‍🍳How to Make a Scalloped Potatoes and Ham for Two
    • 🔪How to Making Ahead
    • ❄️How to Store Leftovers
    • 📖Scalloped Potato Recipes
    • 🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • 📖Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    Introduction

    Homemade scalloped potatoes with ham are one of our favorite comfort foods. With these easy step-by-step photo instructions, you get perfect results the first time and every time.

    As usual, I read way too many recipes, but most were very similar. The inspiration piece will be a Pioneer Woman recipe on Food Network. But I could use several others as inspiration also. 

    A few changes to simplify the instructions, add step-by-step pictures, decrease the fat some, and, most importantly, change the cooking time.

    I know this is cooking for two, and I have included instructions for a half recipe. But this full-size recipe fits our lifestyle. Since it is the whole meal for us, we will eat a double serving, plus we love leftovers.

    My Rating

    My rating system. Great 5 out of 5

    I had initially rated this a solid four, but the evolution of the recipe with 25+ repeat cookings has made it to the five range. Low 5 but still a 5 for me—excellent comfort food.

    Scalloped vs. Au Gratin Potatoes

    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 or Au Gratin or Scalloped Au Gratin.

    Take the cheese out and just use a white sauce and you have Scalloped but not Au Gratin. Now you know.

    So, this could also be called Au Gratin potatoes and ham. I was brought up calling this scalloped, so I'm using that, but Au Gratin may be more correct.

    🥔Ingredients

    The Potatoes

    All potatoes will cook about the same, so use what you want and have available, but usually, Russet potatoes are used. Russets have thick skin and are generally peeled.

    This recipe needs about 1 ½ to 2 pounds of sliced potatoes. A medium Russet potato is 6-8 oz.

    Other potatoes, like Yukon Gold potatoes, are commonly used, and since they have thinner skin, I like to leave the skin on but remove it if you want.

    The Ham

    Any ham that is "bit size" will work well. The amount of ham you use is flexible. For this full-size recipe, about ¾ pounds which will be approximately 3 cups of sliced ham, is suggested but a bit more or less is acceptable.

    Dice ham will also work, but I find sliced ham more traditional.

    The Cheese

    Mild cheddar cheese is excellent in this recipe, but Monterey Jack or Gruyere are also commonly used. But use the cheese you like or love.

    👨‍🍳How to Make Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

    How to prepare the potatoes.

    Scrub and peel the potatoes if using Russets. Slice the potatoes thin—I prefer about ⅜ inch thick but no thicker than ¼ inch thick.

    I always use a mandolin and suggest you use one too if you have one—it is tough to cut this amount of potatoes consistently. If you use a mandolin, please follow the manufactures safety instructions to prevent an unscheduled trip to the emergency room.

    How to make a thick sauce for scalloped potatoes and ham.

    Make a roux with butter and flour, then slowly add milk while whisking. Use the same butter for cooking the onion before making the roux, and you can leave the cooked onion while making the roux.

    For more details on roux, see How to Make Gravy from Scratch.

    How to assemble scalloped potatoes and ham.

    Make three layers of first potato slices, then cheese and ham, then sauce. On the top layer, double the cheese, and place on top of the casserole.

    ⏰How Long to Cook Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

    Most reference recipes suggest total cooking times of 60-70 minutes. While it is "done," there is still a little firmness in the potatoes that my wife and I don't like.

    I have done this 20 plus times, and I now do about 2 hours of total cooking time.  So I have changed the instructions, but feel free to cook for the original recommended 40 minutes covered and 25 minutes uncovered if you want firmer potatoes.

    Your casserole is done when the potatoes are "fork tender" to your liking.

    👨‍🍳How to Make a Scalloped Potatoes and Ham for Two

    Make a smaller version of scalloped potatoes and ham for two or one. This is an easy recipe to cut in half, but the work doesn't decrease that much. With the decrease in size, the serving number decreased from eight to four. Leftovers are good refrigerated for four days or frozen for 3-4 months.

    1. Use a 6X9 or 8X8 pan for a half recipe.
    2. In the recipe card, adjust the number of servings to 4. That will do the math an change the ingredient amounts displayed. WARNING- this does not adjust the instructions, so you will need to follow the amounts in the ingredients and not the instructions.
    3. Cooking time will be a little shorter, so check a bit early for fork tender.

    🔪How to Making Ahead

    Assemble completely and seal airtight. Refrigerate for 2-3 days. Or freeze for 2-3 months.

    If frozen, thaw completely in the refrigerator overnight before baking.

    ❄️How to Store Leftovers

    For short-term storage of leftovers, seal well and refrigerate for 3-4 days. For longer-term storage, freeze for 3-4 months.

    Reheating in the oven is preferred. If frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

    📖Scalloped Potato Recipes

    Old Fashion Scalloped Potatoes

    Crock Pot Scalloped Potatoes

    Also, see What to Do With Leftover Ham for ham ideas.

    This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

    101's Best Recipes, Casserole Recipes, Comfort Food Recipes, Potato Recipes
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    🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

    ham with potatoes and casserole ingredients

    Preheat oven to 350° convection or 375° conventional.

    mandlolin with potato slices

    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 manufactures safety instructions.

    chopped onion on a white board

    Chop 1 small onion. Chop or slice your ham into bite-size pieces.

    sprinkling flour into cooked onion and butter to make roux

    Over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons 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.

    adding milk to roux with whisk in sauce pan

    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.

    coating a casserole pan with butter

    Prep a 9 by 13 inch casserole dish with a coat of butter.

    pouring sauce over layer in the casserole

    Add about ⅓ of the potatoes—top with ⅓ of the ham, ½ cup cheese of choice, and ⅓ of the sauce. Repeat two more times but use a full cup of cheese on the top layer over the ham.

    casserole covered with foil

    Cover with aluminum foil.

    browned scalloped potatoes and ham out of the oven

    Bake for 90 minutes, then uncover and cook another 20-25 minutes until nicely brown and bubbling.

    scalloped potatoes and ham on white plate

    Allow to sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

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    📖Recipe

    Scalloped Potatoes and Ham on a fork

    Old Fashioned Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    Scalloped potatoes and ham is classic old-fashioned comfort food with creamy sauce, melted cheese, and thin slices of tender ham and potatoes. This hearty dinner is the perfect use for leftover ham.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    4.43 from 364 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 25 minutes
    Cook Time: 2 hours
    Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
    Servings #/Adjust if desired 8 servings

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Convert to Metric
    • 4 russet potatoes - medium cleaned and sliced thin. Peeling optional
    • 1 onion - small chipped
    • 4 tablespoon butter
    • 4 tablespoon 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.
      ham with potatoes and casserole ingredients
    • 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 manufactures safety instructions.
      mandlolin with potato slices
    • Chop 1 small onion. Chop or slice your ham into bite-size pieces.
      chopped onion on a white board
    • Over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan melt 4 tablespoons butter and add the onion. Cook until clearing—about 3-4 minutes.
      cooking chopped onion with butter in a sauce pan
    • Sprinkle in 4 tablespoons flour and mix well. Continue to cook and whisk for about 2 minutes until browning some.
      sprinkling flour into cooked onion and butter to make roux
    • 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.
      adding milk to roux with whisk in sauce pan
    • Prep a 9 by 13 baking dish by coating it with butter.
      coating a casserole pan with butter
    • Add about ⅓ of the potatoes. Top with ⅓ of the ham, ½ cup of cheese, and ⅓ of the sauce. Repeat two more times, but use a full cup of cheese on the top layer.
      coating casserole pan with butter
    • Cover with aluminum foil.
      casserole covered with foil
    • Bake for 90 minutes, then uncover and cook another 20-25 minutes until nicely brown and bubbling.
      browned scalloped potatoes and ham out of the oven
    • Allow to sit for about 10 minutes before serving.
      scalloped potatoes and ham on white plate
    See the step-by-step photos in the post. Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print.

    My Private Notes

    Click here to save your own private notes only you will see. These will print and be saved for your next visit.
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    Recipe Notes

    Pro Tips:

    1. Easy to cut in half. See the instructions below.
    2. Use a mandolin to slice the potatoes to save your fingers and time. But be careful with the mandolin.
    3. Use potatoes of your choice, but I like Russets.
    4. Cheese of your choice. I use cheddar or Monterey Jack.
    5. The original recipes ( many of them) suggest total cooking times of 60-70 minutes. While it is done, there is still a little firmness in the potatoes which my wife and I don't like. I have cooked this 30+ times, and I now do a total of almost 2 hours total cooking time.  So, I have changed the instructions but feel free to cook for the original recommended 40 minutes covered and 25 minutes uncovered if you want firmer potatoes.
    6. I scale this up or down depending on how much leftover ham I have.
    7. Good refrigerated for 3-4 days, and can be frozen for 3-4 months.

    Instructions for half size:

    1. Use a 6X9 or 8X8 pan.
    2. In the recipe card, adjust the number of servings to 4. That will do the math and change the ingredient amounts displayed. WARNING- this does not adjust the instructions so you will need to use the amounts in the Ingredients, and not the Instructions.
    3. Cooking time does change a little, so check it a bit early.

    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

    Calories : 402 kcal (20%) | Carbohydrates : 28 g (9%) | Protein : 22 g (44%) | Fat : 22 g (34%) | Saturated Fat : 12 g (60%) | Cholesterol : 73 mg (24%) | Sodium : 1065 mg (44%) | Potassium : 757 mg (22%) | Fiber : 2 g (8%) | Sugar : 6 g (7%) | Vitamin A : 645 IU (13%) | Vitamin C : 7 mg (8%) | Calcium : 337 mg (34%) | Iron : 2 mg (11%)
    Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
    Course : Main Course
    Cuisine : American

    © 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.

    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.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ronda

      April 25, 2022 at 10:43 am

      In the directions it says bake 90 min. In step 5 you say 40 minutes. Could you clarify please. Thanks. Will be trying this recipe soon. Also i use red potatoes.

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        April 25, 2022 at 10:52 am

        Hi Ronda,

        Welcome to the blog.

        The Tips at the bottom of the recipe card just provide options or clarification. #5 is just pointing out that if you want a firmer potato you can go with the original suggested cooking time.

        "I have changed the instructions but feel free to cook for the original recommended 40 minutes covered and 25 minutes uncovered if you want firmer potatoes."

        So I suggest what I state in the instructions but you can modify the cooking time if you want.

        Hope that clarifies it.

        Dan

    2. Sharon

      April 23, 2022 at 9:43 am

      I love this recipe! I'm making it again today with leftover ham. I don't have quite enough of milk. Can I mix in plain almond milk?

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        April 23, 2022 at 10:12 am

        Hi Sharon,

        Welcome to the blog.

        Yes, cooking wise, most places where we use milk, other liquids would do and the same in this recipe. There is thickening with the flour and cheese adding creaminess.

        If we need to depend on the "milk" for nutrition. I'm not a big fan of almond milk. The nutrition of almond, coconut, or rice milk are all very lacking nutritionally—not much more than expensive colored water in my opinion. If you need an alternative to cows milk, soy would be the better choice nutritionally speaking.

        Dan

    3. Shannon S.

      November 06, 2021 at 4:41 pm

      5 stars
      Highly recommend!

      Reply
    4. Mallory

      August 12, 2021 at 11:42 pm

      5 stars
      Love this recipe! Only change is we like to brown the ham/ we use turkey ham. So we brown it up with butter and extra pepper! So good ! I make it often and it’s always spectacular

      Reply
      • Sue

        April 22, 2022 at 6:23 pm

        4 stars
        We enjoyed this very much and will definately make it again! The only thing I will change is next time I won’t put any salt in. The cheese and ham are salty enough. Thank You.

    5. Elizabeth

      May 18, 2021 at 2:57 pm

      5 stars
      Love this recipe!!!! The only thing I did different is I boiled my potato slices for about 5 min. Shortened the cooking time down to 30 minutes. Perfect!

      Reply
    6. Deborah L

      April 25, 2021 at 11:02 pm

      5 stars
      Dr Dan, Delicious! And relatively fast using my mandolin. I did not have enough milk so used a can of F/free Evap milk and the rest of the milk I did have. Made the sauce taste a little richer. I think the next time I will increase the ham a little bit and double the onion. I also added some diced red pepper leftover as the onion sauteed. Would increase it next time. The suggestion for Dijon Mustard to the béchamel sauce was spot on. I added a heaping tsp. Thanks for a delicious addition to the 'leftovers library'.

      Reply
    7. Reita Beck

      April 12, 2021 at 7:58 am

      5 stars
      This is awesome - the best recipe yet!! I will be looking no further for a good scalloped/ham recipe!! Thank you!! Great blog - keep up the good work!!

      Reply
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