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This cheesy, easy scalloped potatoes and ham recipe is a classic Southern dish that requires just 10 minutes of prep time and only a handful of simple ingredients. Thinly-sliced potatoes cook in a rich and creamy garlic sauce with leftover ham and plenty of sharp cheddar cheese. Serve them alongside a simple green salad, collard greens, or flaky buttermilk biscuits!
Table of Contents
- How to Make Scalloped Potatoes and Ham | 1-Minute Video
- Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- What are Scalloped Potatoes?
- Ingredients
- How to Make Quick and Easy Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
- Serving Suggestions
- Preparation and Storage Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Expert Tips
- Scalloped Potatoes and Ham Recipe
If you’re looking for even more potato recipes, be sure to try great grandmother’s potato pancakes, a pan of these crispy seasoned oven roasted potatoes, my grandmother’s easy potato salad, and Aunt Bee’s 3-ingredient cheesy potato casserole, too!
How to Make Scalloped Potatoes and Ham | 1-Minute Video
I was born and raised in Virginia, which means that a classic Southern ham is a staple on our Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas tables. Whether we’re enjoying a casual brunch with relatives or a more formal dinner later in the day, I can guarantee that the smoky meat will be involved. And you know what that means? My mom’s leftover cheesy scalloped potatoes and ham to follow!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Easy. Instead of making a roux with butter, flour, and heavy cream, this particular recipe takes advantage of a shortcut that I learned from Southern Living magazine many years ago: simmering the potatoes in the creamy sauce. The starches from the potatoes thicken the sauce, and the whole thing goes into the oven to finish. It’s simple, and works beautifully every time!
- Affordable. From leftover ham to the humble potato, this dish comes together with minimal, budget-friendly ingredients.
- Flavorful. With salty ham, plenty of cheese, and a rich, garlicky cream sauce, every bite of these cheesy scalloped potatoes pack a powerful punch. They’re satisfying enough to offer for a main dish, or equally good as a side dish.
- Cozy and Comforting. Cheese and potatoes are classic comfort food! This wholesome, old-fashioned recipe will warm your loved ones from the inside out.
Made this tonight with leftover ham from Christmas dinner and it worked great. Kids loved it and husband was thrilled with it. Thanks for helping us get rid of some leftovers!
– Laura
What are Scalloped Potatoes?
Whenever I think of leftover ham, I immediately imagine my mom’s old fashioned scalloped potatoes and ham recipe. Without fail, this was the dish that she prepared for us after Christmas and Easter to enjoy the leftovers from the holiday meal.
This dish comes from the French “gratin,” which is a culinary technique in which an ingredient is topped with a browned crust, often using breadcrumbs, grated cheese, egg, or butter. In North America, Potatoes gratinéis often referred to as scalloped potatoes, potatoes au gratin, or au gratin potatoes. These terms are used interchangeably to describe similar dishes that include layers of potatoes that are baked with a cream sauce.
We stir in flavorful cooked ham and finished with sharp cheddar cheese on top, creating a more satisfying main dish casserole with a little bit of extra protein. Add a salad or green vegetable on the side for an easy meal that’s cozy, warm, and incredibly decadent!
Ingredients
This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for these old fashioned scalloped potatoes and ham. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Salted butter: adds flavor and richness to the cream sauce.
- Heavy cream: the base of the sauce. You can use whole milk or half-and-half instead, but I find the heavy cream yields the best mouthfeel and thick texture. Heavy cream is also less likely to curdle or separate when cooked.
- Garlic: infuses the cream sauce and potatoes with flavor as they simmer together in the pot.
- Salt: to enhance the other flavors in the dish and give the potatoes a more complex flavor.
- Yukon Gold or russet potatoes: both work well in this recipe. Russet potatoes have the most starch, and therefore yield the creamiest sauce. By contrast, Yukon Gold (shown here) hold their shape the best and have a nice buttery texture, but the sauce will be slightly thinner.
- Sharp cheddar cheese: for that rich, flavorful, cheesy topping. We love the classic combination of a sharp cheddar cheese paired with smoky ham, but you can substitute with just about any good melting cheese that you like. Try a combination of cheddar and Gruyere or Swiss, or sprinkle Parmesan or feta cheese on top.
- Ham: use leftover ham from a previous meal, or buy diced, smoked ham from the meat department at your local grocery store.
How to Make Quick and Easy Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
I first discovered this technique for cooking the potatoes with the butter, cream, and garlic in a saucepan or Dutch oven on the stovetop from a Southern Living recipe. The potato slices are tender and infused with all of the great flavor before they even go into the baking dish, the starches released by the potatoes help to thicken the sauce, and the cream reduces and thickens as it simmers. Plus, the recipe is so easy (without any cream of mushroom soup)! There’s no need to make a roux with flour or to spend any extra time carefully layering the potatoes in the dish.
You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the quick version:
- Cook the peeled, sliced potatoes in the butter, cream, garlic, and salt until tender.
- Stir in the ham.
- Transfer to a baking dish, and sprinkle cheese over top.
- Bake the potatoes in a 400°F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese on top is golden brown.
- Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving, then garnish with fresh parsley, chives, or other herbs, if desired.
Serving Suggestions
While scalloped potatoes are often served as a side dish alongside hearty options like meatloaf or a roast chicken, the addition of ham makes them a perfect main dish casserole. Here are a few great sides that go well with the cheesy scalloped potatoes and ham:
- Aunt Bee’s 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits,Sweet Potato Biscuits, orFlaky Buttermilk Biscuits
- Southern Collard Greens
- Carrot Salad
- Easy Creamed Spinach Casserole
- Creamed Peas
- Green Bean Casserole
- Skillet Cornbread, Honey Cornbread, Corn Muffins, Old-Fashioned Corn Sticks, or Sweet Cornbread Muffins
- 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins
- Homemade Crescent RollsorSoft Dinner Rolls
- Dutch Oven No-Knead BreadorEasy Baguette
- Wedge Salad,Classic Caesar Salad,House Salad with Candied Pecans,or aGreen Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette
- Roasted Cabbage
- Homemade Applesauce
- Roasted Broccoli
- Southern Style Green Beans or Arkansas Green Beans
- Tomato Salad
- Okra and Tomatoes
- Fruit Salad
- Cucumber Dill Salad
- Vinegar Coleslaw or Creamy Coleslaw
- Roasted Asparagus
- Creamed Spinach
- Southern Fried Apples
- Three Bean Salad
Preparation and Storage Tips
- This scalloped potato recipe is a great dish to prepare in advance. You can assemble the casserole a day or two in advance (but don’t bake), allow the potatoes to cool to room temperature, and then cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, allow the dish to sit on the counter at room temperature for about 30-60 minutes, and then bake according to recipe instructions.
- Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- To reheat the potatoes, allow the dish to come to room temperature. Bake in a 325°F oven just until warmed through (about 20-30 minutes). You can cover the dish loosely with foil to prevent excessive browning, if necessary.
- Do not freeze the scalloped potatoes, since the texture of the potatoes will be mushy when they thaw and the cream sauce may “break” or separate.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What’s the best kind of cheese for scalloped potatoes and ham? We love the classic combination of a sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese with the salty ham and creamy potatoes. That said, Gruyere cheese is another popular choice. Some folks like to sprinkle a bit of Parmesan cheese on top, too.
- Why are my scalloped potatoes and ham watery? There should be a little bit of extra sauce in the pan (so that the potatoes aren’t dry) when they’re done baking, but the dish should not be watery. If you find that your sauce is too thin, it’s likely because you didn’t simmer the potatoes and sauce long enough on the stovetop, or you didn’t use potatoes with enough starch in them (we recommend gold potatoes or russet potatoes for that reason).
- Which is better — scalloped or au gratin? This is totally a matter of personal preference, since they’re both delicious! While the terms are often used interchangeably to describe two similar dishes that include layers of potatoes and cream, “au gratin” is defined ascovered with breadcrumbs, whereas “scalloped” refers tobaked with milk or a sauce.If you prefer the more decadent, crispy breadcrumb topping, then au gratin potatoes might be your favorite.
- Why do they taste bland? If your scalloped potatoes taste bland, you likely didn’t add enough salt to the cream sauce. The potatoes need quite a bit of salt to add depth of flavor and to enhance the taste of the other ingredients. The sauce is traditionally very simple; however, if you’re looking for a more of a flavorful punch, you can add cayenne or crushed red pepper flakes, or herbs such as chives, thyme, or parsley. Grated nutmeg is also a classic addition to cream sauce.
Expert Tips
- Slice the potatoes to about ⅛-inch thick, keeping them all uniform so that they cook in the same amount of time. A hand-held mandolin slicer makes this task very quick and easy, but a sharp knife will also work!
- Use leftover baked ham from a previous meal, or purchase a package of diced ham from the grocery store. I do not recommend using thinly sliced deli ham.
- Yukon Gold potatoes or russet potatoes work best for these scalloped potatoes, since they are high in starch and therefore yield a creamy sauce.
- I recommend heavy cream for the best texture, and because it’s less likely to curdle or separate when heated. Whole milk or half-and-half will also work, but they may have a grainier, less decadent texture in the sauce.
- All of the ingredients in these scalloped potatoes are naturally gluten-free — just double-check the brands of ham, cheese, and butter that you’re using to make sure that there’s no sneaky gluten in there.
- Two pounds of scalloped potatoes with ham will serve about 4-6 people as a main dish. To feed a larger family, double all of the ingredients (for example, use 4 pounds of potatoes and a pound of ham, etc.) and bake the potatoes in a deep 9 x 13-inch casserole dish.
More Popular Leftover Ham Recipes
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For even more inspiration, check out this convenient collection of 15 recipes for leftover ham!
Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
5 from 44 votes
Prep: 10 minutes minutes
Cook: 45 minutes minutes
Resting Time 10 minutes minutes
Total: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 573 kcal
These cheesy potatoes are a classic Southern dish with only 10 minutes of prep — and a great way to use up leftover ham!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) salted butter
- 2 cups (1 pint) heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 large cloves)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 lbs. Yukon Gold or russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 cup (4 ounces) grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 ½ cups (about 8 ounces) cooked, diced ham
- Optional garnish: fresh chopped chives, green onions, or parsley
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Grease an 11 x 7-inch baking dish; set aside.
In a Dutch oven or other large heavy-bottomed pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Whisk in cream, garlic, and salt. Add peeled, sliced potatoes.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer (uncovered) for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the sauce thickens. Gently stir the potatoes periodically as they cook. Add the ham to the potato mixture.
Transfer the potato mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese.
Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- Slice the potatoes to about ⅛-inch thick, keeping them all uniform so that they cook in the same amount of time. A hand-held mandolin slicer makes this task very quick and easy, but a sharp knife will also work!
- Use leftover baked ham from a previous meal, or purchase a package of diced ham from the grocery store. I do not recommend using thinly sliced deli ham.
- Yukon Gold potatoes or russet potatoes work best for these scalloped potatoes, since they are high in starch and therefore yield a creamy sauce.
- I recommend heavy cream for the best texture, and because it’s less likely to curdle or separate when heated. Whole milk or half-and-half will also work, but they may have a grainier, less decadent texture in the sauce.
- All of the ingredients in these scalloped potatoes are naturally gluten-free — just double-check the brands of ham, cheese, and butter that you’re using to make sure that there’s no sneaky gluten in there.
- Two pounds of scalloped potatoes with ham will serve about 4-6 people as a main dish. To feed a larger family, double all of the ingredients (for example, use 4 pounds of potatoes and a pound of ham, etc.) and bake the potatoes in a deep 9 x 13-inch casserole dish.
- Recipe adapted from Southern Living.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/6 of the recipeCalories: 573kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 17gFat: 44gSaturated Fat: 27gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 149mgSodium: 1095mgPotassium: 733mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1594IUVitamin C: 31mgCalcium: 208mgIron: 2mg
Keyword: cheesy scalloped potatoes, leftover ham, Scalloped Potatoes, scalloped potatoes and ham
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, Southern
Author: Blair Lonergan
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This recipe was originally published in April, 2017. The photos were updated in March, 2024.
