What’s more comforting than warm, ooey gooey scalloped potatoes with salty, savory ham sprinkled in and baked to bubbly perfection? Well don’t ask me because this is yet another staple dish that I grew up eating fairly regularly and, in my book, it’s hard to beat.
Ah…the memories associated with this hot dish! I’ll never forget coming home to the delicious aroma of this baking in the oven. Or seeing the heaping helping put on each person’s plate around our table. My mom would always serve this with her homemade apple sauce. And my dad, in true hardworking farmer fashion, would also always pair this with a slice or two of white bread topped with butter and my mom’s homemade strawberry rhubarb jelly. It was so common for neighbors, friends, and family members to join us for meals. Our parent’s house had (and still has to this day) the definition of an open door policy when it comes to sharing meals with those we love.
This dish feeds numerous people and is filling enough even for those who have put in a hard day’s work. As a result, my siblings and I became pretty familiar with helping to prep it by peeling potatoes. As we would stand there peeling at an excruciatingly slow rate our mom peeled a surprising amount using just her kitchen knife. I still cannot fathom how in the world she’s able to cut the potato skin off in such thinly shaved slices; there’s some sort of magic in her knife I swear! Guess the apple fell a little ways from the tree because I, like any self-respecting adult who now spends time in the kitchen, have a favorite vegetable peeler in my utensil caddy that I rely on 😉
I won’t lie, I also prefer to use the slicing attachment on my food processor to uniformly slice the potatoes for this dish but that’s just me (very low patience level and no magic knife skills in sight). One of these days I really need to take a culinary class to hone my knife skills but, until then, I’m thankful for the tools my kitchen offers. Speaking of honing…over the years my family has really experimented with this and found some adaptations that we love and I’m sure you would like as well. My brother’s household found they enjoy this with sausage just as much as with ham. That could be because the sausage we use is also homemade by my amazing parents and it’s the best ever (in my obviously unbiased opinion). For those of you not privy to a hands-down favorite or homemade family sausage, have no fear! A traditional ham, ham steaks, smoked ham, honey baked ham, etc are all delicious! My hubby, kiddo, and I are fans of adding a handful of shredded cheddar cheese into the roux sauce to make an even more decadent version of this recipe. Totally not necessary but just adds a little twist of deliciousness and, let’s be real, adding cheese really never hurt anything 😉
But, I digress… we all know I could go on and on about variations for this recipe just like I have with so many others. Bottom line, whether you use your own magic knife skills, kitchen gadgets/appliances, favorite pork product or variety of cheese, this dish is a winner and is sure to create instant feelings of warmth, comfort, and home!
Scalloped Potatoes & Ham
Simple staple meal great for cold weather or when a warm, filling meal is what's needed!
Ingredients
-4 tablespoons butter
-1 small onion, finely chopped
-1 teaspoon parsley flakes
-1 teaspoon chicken soup base
-1 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon pepper
-1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
-1/4 cup flour
-3 cups milk
-6 cups potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
-1 1/2 cups ham, chopped
Directions
1) In small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat then add chopped onion and sauté until softened (approx 3 minutes).
2) Add in all seasonings and mix well then add flour and stir until smooth.
3) Gradually add milk to mixture, a little at a time to keep it smooth. Once all milk has been added, bring roux sauce mixture to a boil and stir while cooking for 2 additional minutes so it thickens.
***Can add shredded cheese to the sauce if you prefer a cheesy version!***
4) In large bowl, combine potatoes and ham then pour sauce mixture from saucepan into the bowl and mix everything together.
5) Pour mixture into greased/sprayed 9×13″ pan and cover with aluminum foil.
6) Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 80-90 minutes until potatoes are tender.
Handy dandy peeler and food processor make prepping a breeze!
Mmmm roux sauce meets potatoes and ham!
I mean, come on! You know you want to eat this!!
Simplified By Stacie 