This cheesy scalloped potatoes and ham recipe is a classic Southern comfort dish that comes together with just 10 minutes of prep and a few pantry staples.
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For even more potato recipes, be sure to try great grandmother’s potato pancakes, these crispy seasoned potatoes, au gratin potatoes, hashbrown casserole, my grandmother’s easy potato salad recipe, and Aunt Bee’s easy potato casserole, too!
Made this tonight with leftover ham from Christmas dinner and it worked great. Kids loved it and husband was thrilled with it. Thanks for helping us get rid of some leftovers!
– Laura
I was born and raised in Virginia, which means that a classic Southern oven baked ham is a staple on our Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas tables. Whether we’re enjoying a casual brunch with relatives or a more formal dinner later in the day, I can guarantee that the smoky meat will be involved. And you know what that means? My mom’s leftover cheesy scalloped potatoes and ham to follow!
Scalloped Potatoes with Ham is an Easy Way to Use Up Leftovers
Whenever I think of leftover ham, I immediately imagine my mom’s old fashioned scalloped potatoes and ham. Without fail, this was the dish that she prepared for us after Christmas and Easter to enjoy the leftovers from the holiday meal.
You’ll love this easy recipe, which takes advantage of a shortcut that I learned from Southern Living magazine many years ago. Instead of making a roux with butter, flour, and heavy cream, the potatoes cook directly in the creamy sauce. The starches from the potatoes thicken the sauce, and the whole thing goes into the oven to finish. It’s simple, and works beautifully every time!
You’ll also love that the scalloped potatoes and ham come together with minimal, budget-friendly ingredients. With salty ham, plenty of cheese, and a rich, garlicky cream sauce, every bite of this delicious casserole packs a powerful punch. Offer it as an entree or as a side dish for classic comfort food that’s always welcome at the table!
Ingredient Notes and Tips for Success
- Use heavy cream for the best texture. It’s also less likely to curdle or separate when heated. Whole milk or half-and-half will work, but they may have a grainier, less decadent texture in the sauce.
- Yukon Gold potatoes or russet potatoes both work well in this recipe. Russet potatoes have the most starch, and therefore yield the creamiest sauce. By contrast, Yukon Gold (shown here) hold their shape the best and have a nice buttery texture, but the sauce will be slightly thinner.
- Slice the potatoes to about ⅛-inch thick, keeping them all uniform so that they cook in the same amount of time. A hand-held mandolin slicer makes this task very quick and easy, but a sharp knife will also work!
- Sharp cheddar cheese provides that rich, flavorful topping. We love the classic combination of a sharp cheddar paired with smoky ham, but you can substitute with just about any good melting cheese that you like. Try a combination of cheddar and Gruyere or Swiss, or sprinkle Parmesan or feta cheese on top.
- Use leftover baked ham (like this bourbon glazed ham) from a previous meal, or purchase a package of diced ham from the grocery store. I do not recommend using thinly sliced deli ham.
How to Make Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
I first discovered this technique for cooking the potatoes with the butter, cream, and garlic from a Southern Living recipe. The potato slices are tender and infused with all of the great flavor before they even go into the baking dish; the starches released by the potatoes help to thicken the sauce; and the cream reduces and thickens as it simmers. There’s no need to make a roux with flour or to carefully layer the potatoes in the dish. You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Cook the peeled, sliced potatoes in the butter, cream, garlic, and salt until tender.
- Stir in the ham. Give the sauce a taste, and adjust the seasonings accordingly. If your scalloped potatoes taste bland, you likely didn’t add enough salt to the cream sauce. The potatoes need quite a bit of salt to add depth of flavor and to enhance the taste of the other ingredients. The sauce is traditionally very simple; however, if you’re looking for a more of a flavorful punch, you can add cayenne or crushed red pepper flakes, or herbs such as chives, thyme, or parsley. Grated nutmeg is also a classic addition to cream sauce.
- Transfer to a baking dish, and sprinkle cheese over top.
- Bake the potatoes in a 400°F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese on top is golden brown. There should be a little bit of extra sauce in the pan (so that the potatoes aren’t dry) when they’re done baking, but the dish should not be watery. If you find that your sauce is too thin, it’s likely because you didn’t simmer the potatoes and sauce long enough on the stovetop, or you didn’t use potatoes with enough starch in them (we recommend gold potatoes or russet potatoes for that reason).
- Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving, then garnish with fresh parsley, chives, fresh thyme, or other herbs, if desired.
Serving Suggestions
While scalloped potatoes are often served as a side dish alongside hearty options like Southern meatloaf or a roast chicken, the addition of protein from the ham makes them a perfect main dish casserole. Pair the cheesy scalloped potatoes and ham with sides like Aunt Bee’s 3-ingredient biscuit recipe or flaky biscuits, Southern collard greens, creamed peas, spinach casserole, green bean casserole with frozen green beans, corn sticks, old-fashioned applesauce, and the original 3 bean salad recipe.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- This scalloped potato recipe is a great dish to prepare ahead of time. You can assemble the casserole a day or two in advance (but don’t bake), and then cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store in the fridge overnight. When ready to bake, allow the dish to sit on the counter at room temperature for about 30-60 minutes, and then bake according to recipe instructions.
- Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- To reheat the potatoes, allow the dish to come to room temperature. Bake in a 325°F oven just until warmed through (about 20-30 minutes). You can cover the dish loosely with foil to prevent excessive browning, if necessary.
- Do not freeze the scalloped potatoes, since the texture of the potatoes will be mushy when they thaw and the cream sauce may “break” or separate.
I loved this so much, I’m making it again as we speak. I’m actually adding broccoli tonight for some veggies.
– Ann
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) salted butter
- 2 cups (1 pint) heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 large cloves)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 lbs. Yukon Gold or russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced to about ⅛-inch thick
- 1 cup (4 ounces) grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 ½ cups (about 8 ounces) cooked, diced ham
- Optional garnish: fresh chopped chives, green onions, or parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Grease an 11 x 7-inch baking dish; set aside. In a Dutch oven or other large heavy-bottomed pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Whisk in cream, garlic, and salt. Add peeled, sliced potatoes.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer (uncovered) for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the sauce thickens. Gently stir the potatoes periodically as they cook. Add the ham to the potato mixture.
- Transfer the potato mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
More Popular Leftover Ham Recipes
Ham and Noodle Casserole
55 minutes mins
Dump-and-Bake Ham Tetrazzini
1 hour hr
Dump-and-Bake Ham and Rice Casserole
1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
For even more inspiration, check out this convenient collection of 15 recipes for leftover ham!
Originally published in April, 2017, this post was updated in April, 2025.
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!
I had to add some onion, this is a keeper. Thanks
I made this last night with leftover ham from our Easter dinner. It was absolutely delicious. I almost wanted to lick my plate lolol
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Penny! We hope you had a very happy Easter!
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. 🙂
Hi! I actually did a dairy free version with dairy free cheeses and cream/butter and it worked perfectly. Keep in mind that their is every possible option with vegan/dairy free diets as well. And a vegan ham! Your options with vegan dairy free foods are limitless.
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Katy! 🙂
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!
what a yummy way to eat up the leftover easter ham! will have to remember this for next year! thanks!
Thanks, Marti!
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.
I just made this for my family. It was easy to make and came out wonderfully!
Awesome! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, Sheri! 🙂 Thanks for letting me know!
Had anyone made with a non dairy milk product?
Hi, Jen! I’m sorry, I haven’t tried it with anything other than regular dairy milk.
Hi i used red potatoes and less garlic it came out delicious! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Hi! That’s great. Thanks so much for letting me know! 🙂
Thank you so much for this recipe. I made it last night and the Grandkids loved it as well as myself. I didn’t change anything about it. I can guarantee that this will be a traditional meal after Easter and Christmas . Happy Holidays to you and your family.
Awesome, Nancy! I’m so glad that you all enjoyed it! 🙂
I loved this so much, I’m making it again as we speak. I’m actually adding broccoli tonight for some veggies.
Wonderful! I’m so glad that it was a hit, Ann!
Was very excited to find your recipe, thanks so much for sharing. I have made something similar many times before but…….I have always sliced and layered the potatoes raw into a casserole and then baked for a very long time in the sauce in order to get them tender – your method is genius and a huge time saver! Thanks for sharing, my family is going to enjoy scalloped potatoes and ham much more often. P.S. I use my food processor to thick slice the potatoes, speeding up the process even further 🙂
That’s great, Dianne! I hope that your family enjoys this shortcut method! 🙂
Oh my goodness, this was delicious!! I am trying to come up with new things to cook & this has definitely made it into my go-to unique sides. I cook every night from scratch, I don’t like making anything out of a box. & I don’t like throwing food away, so this afternoon I googled recipes to use leftover ham & was lucky enough to stumble across this recipe. I will be making it for years to come, thank you!!
Yay! That’s great, Elizabeth! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Thanks for this! What a clever way to use up cooked leftover ham. It was delicious, I added some fried mushrooms to it!
Thanks, Lesley! The mushrooms sound like a great addition!
I had lots of ham leftover from two Thanksgiving dinners my wife and I hosted, so I saw your leftover ham recipe and was so happy I tried it. Seeing how I like leftovers ,I doubled your recipe and also used fat-free evaporated milk with a little extra regular milk and it turned out very tasty. Thank you for your suggestion as I won’t stress over extra ham any more. Sincerely , Tom HrenoTim
Wonderful! Definitely no need to stress over left-over ham! I’m so glad that you found this recipe, Tom!
Made this tonight with leftover ham from Christmas dinner and it worked great. Kids loved it and husband was thrilled with it. Thanks for helping us get rid of some leftovers!
Awesome! Thanks, Laura! So glad that the kids and husband approved! 🙂
I’m trying this recipe for the first time tonight. It smells great as it is baking right now.
I want to know if the recipe will work with ground beef in place of the ham (I did not read all of the previous comments so I don’t know if this has been asked already).
Andrew
Hi, Andrew! Yes, you should be able to use ground beef in lieu of the ham. You’ll need to brown the ground beef in a skillet first, drain off the fat, and use about 1 1/2 cups of the cooked ground beef in the potato recipe. Enjoy!