As a kid, we would have Scalloped potatoes quite often, but the ones I looked forward to the most were the ones we had after Easter and Christmas. The Au Gratin potatoes recipe that we had during these occasions included ham on top, not just bacon. My Dad always bought a big ham for us during the holidays, which made the dish even more special.
Ham and cheese creamy Au Gratin Potatoes.
Growing up in Amish country, my Dad was known for his generosity. During the holidays, he would buy hams, cases of apples, and oranges for our Amish neighbors and extended family. Even though we lived on a dairy farm and were not wealthy, my Dad made sure that everyone had a nice dinner during the holidays. He knew that some of our neighbors had a lot of kids to feed, and he didn't want anyone to go hungry.
Easy to make Au Gratin Potatoes recipe
My mom was an amazing cook. However, some of her dishes were high in calories, like her scalloped potatoes that had butter in some layers and filled with cream. To reduce the calorie content, we decided to eliminate the butter and use 1% milk instead. Our modified version of scalloped potatoes tastes nearly as good as my mom's original recipe. Amy suggested adding a sharp cheddar cheese to the scalloped potatoes, which resulted in the best Ham Au Gratin Scalloped potatoes we have ever tasted. So, we added cheddar cheese to our recipe and enjoyed the delicious combination of ham, potatoes, and cheese.
Serve with Turkey Meatloaf
I enjoy having scalloped potatoes as a side dish with Turkey meatloaf. If you're looking to cut down on calories, you can remove the cheddar cheese and follow the recipe as directed. This will result in scalloped potatoes that are similar to the ones my mom used to make, minus the cream and butter. Trust me, they're still delicious and I actually prefer them over the au gratins. Additionally, if you don't have ham, you can substitute it with bacon on top. Simply layer the potatoes, onions, flour, and cheese, and then add the cooked bacon on top.
The ingredients are simple
Key for the potato is to buy Russet potatoes and I suggest buying the Cracker Barrel Sharp Cheddar cheese. I don't know why, but that cheese is just really good in this dish
The hardest steps in this recipe are slicing the potatoes and Onions and Shredding the Cheese!!!!
To layer the casserole dish, start with a layer of potatoes on the bottom, then add a layer of onions. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of flour per layer, along with ⅛ teaspoon of salt and pepper. Next, add ½ cup of the cheese, followed by a layer of ½ cup of ham.
Repeat these layers of potato, onion, flour, salt, pepper, ham and cheese until the casserole dish is full.
Top the dish with a final layer of ham and cheese.
After completing the layering, pour the milk into the casserole dish
Place in the oven and bake at 375 degrees for 60 minutes
The au gratin dish is ready when the potatoes are soft and the cheese is golden and bubbling.
We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do.
Ham Au Gratin Potatoes easy, fast, delicious
A Few Things We Use
Ingredients
- 14 ounces Russet Potato
- 1 Large Onion
- 1 ½ Cups Ham
- 1 ½ Cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese I like Cracker Barrel
- 3 Tablespoons Flour
- 1 ½ Cups 1% Milk
- Salt and Pepper to taste (about ⅛ teaspoon salt per layer)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Next, slice the potatoes.
- Slice the Onions
- Shred the Cheese
- Layer casserole dish starting with the potatoes
- Add sliced Onions
- Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of flour on top of the onions
- Add ⅛ teaspoon of salt and black pepper per layer. Add more pepper for extra spice.
- Add a layer of ham - about ½ cup per layer.
- Sprinkle on ½ cup of shredded cheese. Start the next layer.
- Continue layering starting with potatoes, then onions, flour, salt and pepper, then ham
- Finish with a layer of cheese
- Slowly pour milk in. I usually pour on the sides and just a little on the top. The milk works with the flour to thicken and become very creamy
- Place in a 375-degree oven and bake for 60 minutes. Check after 45 minutes, some ovens cook faster. You can tell this is done when it's bubbling. Also, poke with a fork to make sure the potatoes are cooked through. The potatoes are done when they are soft and it's easy to poke with a fork. The fork will easily go through the potatoes. Bake in at 375 degrees and for an hour. When it starts bubbling, it should be done. Poke the potatoes with a fork to check if they are cooked through. If the potatoes are soft and easy to poke through, then they are done. The fork should easily go through the potatoes when they are cooked.
- So yummy!!!! Enjoy
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