Creamy Scalloped Potatoes with Ham

It has been gloomy, windy and chilly here recently with leaves and temperatures falling. Warm, soothing comfort food is definitely needed. 

I've recently seen others share their recipes for scalloped potatoes and ham and this brought back great memories of my mother's ham and scalloped potato recipe and those dinners growing up at home. My mother's recipe, although very good, was a bit bland as many recipes of that era were, so I set off to find a recipe with something just a little different. I found one with a mixture of celery, carrot and green onions that sounded delicious. I decided to substitute leek for the green onions since they were on sale.

My husband and I loved it! Who doesn't love the look a browned and beautiful potato casserole on a cold, wet day?  Yessirree...pure comfort. 

I find slicing potatoes with a good mandoline with hand protector makes easy work out of making scalloped potatoes!

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Creamy Scalloped Potatoes with Ham

Inspired by About Southern Food

Printable Recipe

Note: My recipe includes more vegetables and more sauce than the original recipe and it needed a longer baking time which I shared below.

3 pounds peeled potatoes, thinly sliced with a mandoline or sharp knife, about 6 to 8 cups
5 tablespoons butter or margarine
3/4 cup chopped celery
9 green onions, with 3 inches of green top, or 1 small leek, white and light green part - chopped
3/4 cup chopped carrots
2 cups diced cooked ham - I used 1 pound Boar’s Head ‘Sweet Slice’ ham cut it into 2, ½-inch slices at the deli counter, which I diced into 1/2 pieces
5 tablespoons flour
2-1/2 to 3 cups milk
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium low heat. Add celery, green onions, and carrots.  Sauté, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender then add diced ham. 

Add flour, stirring until well blended. Gradually add 1-1/4 cups milk, stirring constantly. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly. 

Add 1 cup cheese. Cook until cheese is melted; add more milk if mixture is very thick.

In a 2-quart casserole, place a layer of the potatoes, a layer of sauce, then repeat layers. Bake at 325° for approximately 75 to 90 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.

Serves 4 to 6

Potato and Fennel Gratin...Ode to a Tuber - Part Ten!

Ina Garten is my new go-to person for fennel recipes. Her Onion and Fennel Soup Gratin, which I just made last week was so good I decided to try her Potato Fennel Gratin recipe.


Ina's recipe calls for a buttered casserole dish for baking the gratin. I decided to use the same pan that I used to saute the onions and fennel since the handles were safe to go in the oven. One pan to clean was the bonus!


I also think the stainless steel helped conduct the heat better, giving the gratin a wonderful crusty top. I also have a fondness for crusty potatoes!

This would be a delicious side dish with almost anything meat, fish or poultry!  Thanksgiving?

Potato-Fennel Gratin
Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Recipe found Here
Printable Recipe

My adapted recipe serves 4

1 fennel bulb
1/2 very large onion, thinly sliced (like Vidalia or other sweet onion)
1 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream (I substituted 1/2 cup of fat free half and half)
1-1/2 cups grated Gruyère or good Swiss cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove the fennel stalks and cut the bulbs in half lengthwise. Remove the core and thinly slice the bulb crosswise. You should have approximately 2 cups of sliced fennel. Saute the fennel and onions in the olive oil and butter on medium heat for 15 minutes, until tender and slightly browned.

Peel the potatoes and slice. (Using a mandoline makes quick work of this step.) Mix the sliced potatoes in a large bowl with 1 cup of cream, 1 cup of Gruyère, salt and pepper. Add the sauteed fennel and onion and mix well. (I did all of the mixing in the pan I used to saute the onions and fennel).

If not using a large saute pan as I did, pour the potatoes into the prepared baking dish. Press down to smooth the potatoes. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of cream and 1/2 cup of Gruyère and sprinkle on the top.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until the potatoes are very tender and the top is browned and bubbly.

Allow to set for 10 minutes and serve.