This easy Ham and Potato Casserole recipe uses a delicious combination of browned potatoes, sautéed onions and thick cuts of ham all coated in an easy gruyere cheese sauce. This is the perfect recipe for brunch, Easter, Christmas, or even just a lazy Sunday at home!
Ham and Potato Casserole Recipe
This recipe is a little different from other versions you’ll find because we take a few extra minutes to sauté the potatoes which gives them a golden brown crust. The difference this makes in flavor is huge! We do the same with the onions and potatoes, but we use the same pan for all steps which saves some cleaning time. Once the ham and cheese have a nice golden touch, we coat it in a white cheesy gruyere sauce. The end result is a golden bubbly hearty casserole!
Important Ingredients
- Potatoes: For this recipe, I recommend using red potatoes. I like red potatoes for a couple reasons! 1) They remind me of breakfast hashbrowns. 2) The peel is left on which saves a step. 3) They brown up really nicely in some olive oil and butter! Of course, red potatoes are not the only potato that works. You could also use Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes if thats’ all you have on hand. If using those, we recommend peeling them before sautéing.
- Ham: I used leftover ham. If you don’t have leftover ham, or a full spiral ham, simply purchase ham steaks from your local grocer.
- Gruyere: The gruyere cheese is what gives this casserole such a restaurant quality flavor. I usually purchase mine at Trader Joes and grate it myself. You could use smoked gouda, Monterey Jack, or sharp cheddar as a substitute. No matter the cheese you use, shred it yourself. Pre shredded cheese has additives which make it far less gooey once it’s melted.
Making Ham & Potato Casserole
This is a pretty simple recipe to make and you don’t have to be a master chef to make it perfectly. I do recommend (with any recipe) making sure you have all of the ingredients readily available before you get going. This is especially helpful when you make the cheese sauce, as you need to continuously whisk it to avoid burning!
- Brown potatoes in butter and olive oil. Once pototoes have a nice crispy finish, transfer to a 9×13 inch casserole dish sprayed with nonstick spray. Don’t clean pan, leave on medium heat.
- Add ham and onions to pan. Cook until onions are translucent and ham has a light brown crust. Transfer to casserole dish with potatoes.
- Use a paper towel to wipe pan clean of residue (use tongs to hold paper towel for safety, the pan will be hot). Melt butter in pan. Add flour. Whisk to combine until a roux is formed. Turn heat to low. Slowly add milk to pan, while simultaneously whisking. Continue to whisk until sauce thickens. Add salt, pepper, dijon mustard, and shredded cheese. Continue to whisk, and turn heat off.
- Pour cheese sauce over ham, onion and potatoes. Stir with a spoon to combine. Top with additional shredded cheese.
- Cover casserole dish with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake for additional 20 minutes, until top is golden bubbly. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Leftover Ham Recipes
I used leftover ham that I had frozen for this recipe. It made me super happy to use it up! I still had some ham leftover, so if you do too, here’s some more leftover ham recipes.
If you’re using a fresh ham and want to maximize it, here’s a good article about how to save it & make it last.
We’re big fans of easy casserole dishes for holidays. They’re simple, casseroles work great for a serve yourself buffet, and most of all, serving casseroles is easy on the host!
Here’s more favorite casserole recipes for holidays we love:
- Healthy Breakfast Casseroles
- Croissant Breakfast Bake
- Chili Cornbread Casserole
- Eggs Benedict Casserole
- Blueberry & Cream Cheese Casserole
What do you think about this recipe? Have questions? Comment below! Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, and connect with us on Instagram and tag your @Laughingspatula recipes with #laughingspatula,while you’re at it…We love to see your pics!
Enjoy! – Kathi and Rachel
Ham and Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp granulated garlic
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 lbs red potatoes (washed and cubed)
- 2 cups ham (rough chopped into 1 inch chunks)
- 3/4 cup onion (diced)
Cheese Sauce
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 cup gruyere cheese (1/2 cup for sauce, 1/2 cup reserved for topping)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare a 9x13 inch casserole dish with nonstick spray. Set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
- Combine 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Once bubbling, add chopped potatoes, salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. Once potatoes start to turn golden brown in exterior , transfer to casserole dish.
- In same pan, combine ham and onion. Sauté until onion is translucent and ham has a slight brown. Transfer to casserole dish with potatoes.
- Using tons to hold paper towels, wipe pan clean of residue.
- Melt 3 tbsp of butter plus 3 tbsp of flour in pan on medium heat. Once a roux forms, gently whisk in milk. Continue to whisk until a thick sauce forms. Add dijon mustard, salt, pepper and gruyere cheese. Turn heat off, and continue to whisk for additional 1-2 minutes.
- Pour Cheese sauce mixture over ham, potatoes & onion and stir with a spoon to fully combine. Top with remaining 1/2 cup of shredded gruyere.
- Cover casserole dish with foil, and bake for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, remove foil, and bake for 20 minutes, or until top of casserole is golden bubbly.
- Allow to cool before serving for about 10 minutes. Top with chives or parsley if desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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