Warm up your winter with my family’s favorite cheesy ham and potato casserole. Comfort food at its finest, this recipe combines creamy potatoes, savory ham, and gooey cheese!
Love casserole recipes? Try funeral potatoes, cheesy scalloped potatoes or easy cheesy potatoes, too!
Table of Contents
Cheesy Ham Potato Casserole
This cheesy ham and potato casserole combines the creamy goodness of potatoes with salty ham, and gooey cheese. It’s easier than scalloped potatoes and ham but heartier than ham and potato soup!
It’s a cozy, satisfying breakfast, brunch, or even dinner that never fails to make my family go crazy for it, and I’m sure it’ll do the same for you!
Why This Recipe Works
- Easy to make: This ham casserole recipe is perfect for busy weeknights when you need a satisfying meal or an easy side dish without the fuss.
- Customizable. This dish allows for ingredient swaps wherever needed to suit your family’s tastes.
- Prep it in advance. Then refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake! A convenient option for gatherings and holidays.
Ham Potato Casserole Recipe Ingredients
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Potatoes: Go for starchy potatoes like russet potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes. They’ll give you that dreamy, creamy texture.
- Ham: You can use leftover baked ham or any ham of your choice, including honey baked ham.
- Flour: I use all-purpose flour for thickening the sauce.
- Seasoning: I keep it simple with Kosher salt and ground black pepper.
- Sauce: A combination of milk and broth (chicken broth, beef, or vegetable broth) form the creamy base of the sauce.
- Cheddar Cheese: Shred your own sharp cheddar cheese for the best results and add more depending on your tastes!
- You’ll also need: Butter, onions, garlic, and fresh parsley.
Substitutions and Variations
- Cheese: Use a different type of cheese to make the cheese sauce. Use something that melts easily like Gruyere or Colby Jack.
- A different protein: It won’t exactly be a ham and potato casserole without the ham, but you can use bacon crumbles instead. Diced chicken, breakfast sausage or even make tuna noodle casserole instead.
- Short cuts: If you’re making this for an Easter or Christmas meal when you’ve got even less time than usual, by all means, use pre-cut potatoes or hash browns to make this cheesy potato casserole.
How to Make Ham and Potato Casserole
Get ready to create the best ham and potato casserole with cheese that your family and friends will adore. It’s a dish that never fails to impress and satisfy.
- Prepare the cheesy sauce: In a small saucepan soften the onions and garlic, then whisk in the flour, salt, and pepper.
- Create the creamy sauce: Slowly whisk in the broth, followed by the milk, until your sauce is smooth. Bring it to a light simmer and add half a cup of cheddar cheese. Stir the mixture until it thickens.
- Layer and bake: Pour half of the creamy sauce over the potatoes in the baking dish. Then, place the remaining potatoes over the top and spread the remaining ham over them. Finally, cover it all with the remaining sauce.
- Bake to perfection: Cover your dish with foil and pop it in the oven for 45 minutes. After that, remove the foil, sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, and bake for a few more minutes until hot and bubbly.
Expert Tips
- Evenly diced. When dicing your potatoes, aim for uniform slices. This ensures even cooking throughout the casserole.
- If you like it spicy, serve it with your favorite hot sauce or add some diced green chiles to the creamy sauce.
- Meal prep. This casserole is fantastic for meal prep. You can make it 24 hours in advance and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! Just omit the ham and make sure to use vegetable broth. You can also add other veggies like spinach, chopped broccoli, peas, or diced bell peppers for additional flavor.
The potatoes will be fork tender, the cheese will be brown and the sauce will be bubbling.
Yes, cover the casserole dish with foil for the first 45 minutes of baking, then remove the foil and cook for another 15 minutes to allow the cheese to brown.
Serving Suggestions
This classic cheesy ham and potato casserole pairs great with so many different sides. Serve it alongside a crisp and refreshing wedge salad for a balanced meal.
Another great option is to whip up a batch of flakey, buttery homemade biscuits or cornbread to serve on the side. And let’s not forget breakfast! If you have leftovers, serve them with fluffy scrambled eggs for a satisfying morning meal.
Make Ahead and Storing
You can make this dish 24 hours in advance and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake it. You can also bake the casserole for about 50 minutes, remove from it the oven, and let it cool. Once cooled, refrigerate overnight.
When ready to serve the next day, remove the dish from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the cheese is golden and bubbly.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave until it’s warm and bubbling.
More recipes with ham that you may like include ham and cheese sliders, ham and bean soup, and ham and cheese breakfast pie!
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Ham and Potato Casserole
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds potatoes , peeled and diced, divided
- 2 cups diced ham , divided
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup chopped onions
- 1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup milk
- ¾ cup broth (chicken, beef, or vegetable)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese , divided, plus more if desired
- Chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8×8-inch or a 7×10-inch baking dish.
- Line 1/2 of the diced potatoes on the bottom of the pan. Spread 1 cup ham evenly over the top.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook the butter and onions 4 minutes, or until the onions are softened. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute. Whisk in flour, salt, and pepper. Cook 1 minute more. Reduce heat to medium low.
- Slowly whisk in the broth. Whisk in the milk until smooth. Bring to a light simmer and add 1/2 cup cheese. Stir until thickened. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Pour 1/2 the sauce over the potatoes. Place the remaining potatoes over the top. Spread the remaining 1 cup ham over the potatoes. Cover with the remaining sauce.
- Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese over the topre and bake 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender and the cheese is bubbly.
- Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle fresh parsley. Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: American, Casseroles, Christmas, Dinner, Easter, Pork, Thanksgiving
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is also the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook. Here you will find easy family-friendly recipes for every occasion.
Can I use frozen hashbrowns in place of the potatoes?
Yes you definitely can, you’ll just have a slightly different texture :)
Could you use frozen diced potatoes to save time?
Yes, you can, just allow them to thaw slightly :)
this has been such a great dish to prep for breakfast, and then I just add one or two over easy eggs and its fantastic! thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe!
That’s a yummy addition! So glad you love the recipe!!
This is the ultimate comfort food dish. My husband is already asking me to make it again and I don’t blame him. It was so good.
The yummiest! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I love how cheesy this is! Such an amazingly comforting meal!