From my childhood dinner table, these Leftover Ham and Cheddar Scalloped Potatoes are classic Southern comfort food with only 10 minutes of prep! The simple casserole is a great way to enjoy leftover ham (or store-bought diced ham) in a family-friendly one dish meal!
Hey, friends! For those who celebrate, Easter is just around the corner! Are you filling plastic eggs? Pulling out the baskets? Or just enjoying a few Cadbury Creme Eggs?
We’ve had a week full of egg hunts (and sugar) at school, egg dyeing at home, and last-minute grocery shopping for the holiday weekend. What’s on your traditional Easter menu?
I was born and raised in Virginia, which means that a classic Southern ham is a staple on our Easter table. Whether we’re enjoying a casual brunch with relatives or a more formal dinner later in the day, I can guarantee that ham will be involved. And you know what that means? Scalloped potatoes to follow!
Whenever I think of leftover ham, I immediately imagine my mom’s Ham and Cheddar Scalloped Potatoes. Without fail, this was the dish that she prepared for us after Christmas and Easter to enjoy the remaining bits of the holiday meal. It’s easy, it’s simple, and it’s totally delicious. Cheesy potatoes are just one of those food combinations that everyone loves. In my mind, they are the definition of comfort!
Use up that leftover Easter ham or just purchase a package of diced ham from the grocery store. Treat yourself to these classic Scalloped Potatoes, which will soon become a tradition in your family as well!
Leftover Ham and Cheddar Scalloped Potatoes
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 4 -6
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) butter
- 2 cups whole milk or cream
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced*
- 1 cup (4 ounces) grated cheddar cheese
- 1 ½ cups (about 8 ounces) cooked, diced ham
- Garnish: fresh chopped chives, green onions, or parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray an 11 x 7-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Whisk in milk, garlic, and salt. Add sliced potatoes.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook (uncovered) for about 15 minutes (or until potatoes are tender). Gently stir the potatoes periodically as they cook.
- Add the ham to the potato mixture.
- Spoon into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
*I like to use my hand-held mandolin slicer to quickly and easily cut the potatoes. A sharp knife will also work! <-- affiliate linkRecipe adapted from Southern Living.
Now this is my kind of leftover casserole! I know that we’ll be taking home some leftover ham on Sunday, so this looks like such a great idea. Two classics piled into one is the best! What a perfect dish for the season!
Thanks so much, Gayle. You can’t beat the classics!
It is such a lovely recipe!
Thanks, Eva!
Love this recipe! It’s the perfect way to use leftover ham at Easter or even Christmas.
In my house we are big fans of scalloped potatoes. We can’t get enough of them and love eating them every chance we get. Leftover ham has traditionally been used in sandwiches or mixed in with scrambled eggs. I never thought of how perfect it would be to combined them!
I do have a few questions for you though, what would you suggest for those who have dairy aversions? Also have you ever added veggies to the mix?
I love the idea of using it in scrambled eggs, too! That’s not something that I usually think about, but it’s definitely delicious! Thanks so much for stopping by, Ariel!
To be honest, I don’t think that this recipe would lend itself well to a dairy-free version. There’s just too much cream and cheese to omit it. 🙂
Doing ham as well.Was our tradition in Wisconsin also.Tradition for scalloped potatoes and ham the day after also.😊Live in Arizona now,So Am cooking the ham in the crockpot;and roasting potatoes and carrots in the grill.Going to be too hot to have the oven on here,lol.Thanks for a new spin on using those leftovers!Have a wonderful weekend!☺️
Hi, Teri! I’m glad to know that this was a tradition in Wisconsin as well! 🙂 And yes — I can imagine that if you live in AZ, your menu will have to change slightly to accommodate the heat! Have a great weekend!
these are my favorite casseroles. Just throw it all together and bake. NO WASTING> And it makes a great dinner for the week. Love how you think!
Thanks, Lindsay! I totally agree — I hate to waste food, so a casserole is always a good answer!
Yummmmm! What a delicious way to use up leftover ham! I love scalloped potatoes!
Thanks, Kristy! They’re such a classic! Hope you had a great Easter!
Why is the cheese divided?
Hi, David! Thanks for catching that mistake! The cheese is not divided. 🙂 I originally tried the recipe by adding half of the cheese in with the potatoes, but I found that I preferred it when I just put the cheese on top. I just forgot to update the ingredient list accordingly. It’s fixed now!
what a yummy way to eat up the leftover easter ham! will have to remember this for next year! thanks!
Thanks, Marti!
My family of five love casseroles like this! I have one question…is it ok to use russet potatoes? That’s all I have at the moment. Thank you! The pictures look great!
Hi, Roxie! I honestly don’t know! I think the russet potatoes would work fine, but I haven’t tested it myself. If you give it a shot, definitely let me know. 🙂
Was going to make this for tomorrows dinner, have you ever made it ahead of time and refrigerated before baking? I’m sure I will need to add like more bake time.
Hi, Lisa! I haven’t made this dish the day before, but I think it will work fine! You’ll definitely want to add a bit of time to the cooking time if you put it in the oven cold. You can also just let the dish sit out on the counter for 30-60 minutes before baking tomorrow if you have time. 🙂
OMG this was so good, one thing I did instead of baking it right away was put it in frig over night and had it the next day for dinner. We ate it as the main meal and could not stop eating it. almost 30 and it was done
That’s great, Lisa! Thanks so much for letting me know! I’m glad that it worked when you made it a day ahead. That’s a huge help for meal prep and busy weeknights! 🙂
OMG this was so good, one thing I did instead of baking it right away was put it in frig over night and had it the next day for dinner. We ate it as the main meal and could not stop eating it.