Potatoes Au Gratin with Ham

A white casserole dish filled with layers of thin sliced potatoes, ham, and cheese, with a wooden spatula scooping a serving out.

Potatoes au gratin with ham is a cheesy potato casserole layered with diced ham. It's the perfect main course for your next family meal or for using up that leftover holiday ham!

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 15

Servings servings

Author Heather

Ingredients

2.5 pounds (1134 g) yukon gold potatoes or russet potatoes
1 small onion diced
4 cloves garlic minced
¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter
¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
8 ounces (227 g) chicken broth
16 ounces (454 g) milk
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups (226 g) freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
12 ounces (340 g) cooked ham chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350℉. Lightly grease a 9x13 casserole dish and set aside.
Scrub and rinse potatoes, optionally peel (if desired), and slice to ⅛" thickness. I recommend using a mandoline slicer if you have one available. Set aside.
In a saucepan over medium heat, add butter. Once melted, add onions and cook until they begin to brown and turn translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds. Add flour and stir to coat and create a paste. Cook for one minute.
Whisk in broth and milk. Continue whisking until no lumps remain. Cook sauce for another 3-4 minutes, or until thickened slightly. Remove from heat. Add salt, pepper, and thyme, stirring to incorporate.
In prepared 9x13 pan, arrange ¼ of sliced potatoes in the bottom of the dish, overlapping slightly. Top with ⅓ of your chopped ham. Pour ¼ of sauce over ham. Repeat once more, adding another layer each of potatoes, ham, and sauce. Next, add half of the shredded cheddar cheese in an even layer. Add two more layers of potatoes, ham, and sauce (for a total of four layers each of potato, ham, and sauce), and top with remaining shredded cheese.
Cover casserole with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes can easily be pierced through with a fork in the center of the casserole. The thicker your potatoes are sliced, the longer it will take for them to cook through.
Optionally, turn on broiler for 2-3 minutes to lightly brown cheese on top before serving.

Video

Notes

Using salty ham?: If your ham is very salty, you may want to reduce the listed salt slightly.
Use freshly grated cheese: Freshly shredding cheese from a block adds a creamy, smooth consistency to your casserole. Pre-shredded bagged cheese is often coated in an anti-clumping powder that becomes grainy when melted.
Storage: Leftover casserole will keep for up to 4 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Make ahead: Casserole can be assembled ahead and stored in the refrigerator overnight before baking. Cover potatoes with plastic wrap, pressing down to keep out as much air as possible. Exposed potatoes may discolor slightly overnight. While oven is preheating, bring casserole to room temperature on the counter top, then bake as directed above.
Bake ahead: Casserole can be baked, cooled, and stored in the refrigerator overnight. To reheat entire baked casserole, bake, covered, at 350F for 30 minutes, or until heated through in the middle.

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