Scalloped Potatoes with Ham (Printer-friendly)

Tender potato layers with savory ham in rich, creamy cheese sauce. Perfect for family dinners and holidays.

# What You Need:

→ Potatoes & Ham

01 - 3.5 lbs Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
02 - 9 oz cooked ham, diced

→ Sauce

03 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter
04 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
05 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
07 - 3 cups whole milk
08 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
09 - 1 tsp salt
10 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
11 - 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

→ Cheese

12 - 2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese
13 - 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
14 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Garnish

15 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3–4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute.
03 - Sprinkle in flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 1–2 minutes to form a roux. Gradually whisk in milk and cream, ensuring no lumps form.
04 - Simmer sauce for 3–4 minutes, stirring until thickened. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Remove from heat and stir in half of the Gruyère and cheddar cheeses until melted.
05 - Arrange half the sliced potatoes in the prepared baking dish. Top with half the ham and pour over half the cheese sauce. Repeat with remaining potatoes, ham, and sauce.
06 - Sprinkle remaining Gruyère, cheddar, and all the Parmesan cheese evenly over the top.
07 - Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 25–30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and top is golden brown.
08 - Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.

# Cooking Tips:

01 -
  • The way the cheese sauce seeps between every potato layer creating pockets of creamy goodness in each bite
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day, if they last that long in my house
02 -
  • Slicing potatoes uniformly, whether by knife or mandoline, makes all the difference between perfectly tender layers and some crunchy undercooked spots
  • The sauce will seem impossibly thick when you first pour it, but the potatoes release moisture as they bake and create that silky consistency
03 -
  • Don't skip the nutmeg even if it seems unusual, it's what makes the sauce taste professionally crafted instead of homemade
  • If your sauce seems too thick, add a splash more milk before layering because potatoes vary in how much starch they release
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