Scalloped potatoes and ham
Thin potatoes and diced ham baked in a creamy cheddar sauce until golden and bubbling, the casserole you’ll go back to for seconds.
- 110 min total
- 30 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 6
- About $2.29 a serving
- 490 calories
- Good the next day
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 6 servings.
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 lb russet potatoes
- ½ yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2½ cups milk
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar, divided
- 12 oz diced cooked ham
- 2 tbsp chives, chopped (optional)
From your pantry
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp dried thyme
Each serving has about 490 calories, 26 g protein, 53 g carbs and 20 g fat, and costs about $2.29 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No butter? Ghee works.
- No russet potatoes? Yukon Gold potatoes work.
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No milk? Half-and-half works.
- No shredded cheddar? Cheddar cheese or Mexican blend cheese or Monterey Jack cheese works.
- No chives? Green onions work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oven to 375°F and rub a 9x13-inch baking dish with a little of the butter.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
the potatoes and them about ⅛ inch thick.
Peel. Peeling means removing the skin with a vegetable peeler or a small knife. It takes off tough or bitter skins, though potato and carrot skins are fine to leave on unless the recipe insists.
How you’ll know: The color underneath is even all over, with no patches of skin left behind.
Slice. Slicing means cutting food into flat pieces of about the same thickness. Even slices cook evenly, so none are raw while others burn.
How you’ll know: Lay a few side by side: they’re close to the same thickness from one end to the other.
Dolly’s tip: Thin, even slices cook at the same speed. Cut each potato in half lengthwise first so it sits flat and doesn’t roll.the rest of the butter in a over medium and cook the onion 3 minutes, until soft. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
Medium heatTimer: 3 min
Stir in the flour for 1 minute, then slowly in the milk and 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until it enough to coat a spoon.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Thicken. Thickening means cooking a sauce or soup until it’s less runny, by simmering it down or adding something like cornstarch. A thicker sauce clings to food instead of pooling on the plate.
How you’ll know: It coats the back of a spoon, and a line drawn through it with your finger holds its shape.
Medium heatTimer: 4 min 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: Pour the milk in a little at a time and whisk each splash smooth before adding more. No lumps.Take the sauce off the heat and stir in the salt, pepper, thyme and 1 cup of the cheddar until .
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Layer half the potatoes in the dish, scatter half the ham over, and pour on half the sauce. Repeat with the rest.
Cover tightly with foil and 45 minutes.
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Timer: 45 min
Uncover, sprinkle the rest of the cheddar over, and 30 to 40 minutes more, until a knife slides easily through the potatoes and the top is and bubbling.
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Timer: 35 min
Food safety: Rotisserie chicken, deli meat, canned tuna and cooked shrimp are already cooked. Keep them cold until you use them, and heat them until steaming hot if the recipe warms them.
Let it sit 10 minutes to firm up, then scatter the chives over and serve.
Timer: 10 min
Dolly’s tip: The sauce looks thin straight out of the oven. It thickens as it rests.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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