Recipes Side Dish Casseroles Potato Casserole Holiday Ham and Potato Casserole 4.8 (28) 25 Reviews 7 Photos This layered ham and potato casserole recipe will let you serve an amazing holiday meal to a crowd using only 1 pound of ham, which is one way to go if the budget is a little tight. Or, if you do end up serving a whole ham, this recipe is perfect for the leftovers. By John Mitzewich John Mitzewich John Mitzewich — aka Chef John — has produced more than 1,500 cooking videos for Allrecipes. He's the actor, director, and screenwriter whose hands and voice confidently walk you through techniques. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Updated on August 11, 2024 Save Rate Print Share Add Photo 7 7 7 7 Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 45 mins Rest Time: 15 mins Total Time: 2 hrs 20 mins Servings: 8 Yield: 1 9x13-inch casserole Jump to Nutrition Facts Jump to recipe Sometimes we use a small amount of meat in a recipe because that's what gives us the perfect ratio in relation to the other ingredients. Other times we only use a small amount of meat because we don't have a large amount of money, but either way, our guests shouldn't know which was our primary motivation. With that in mind, I'm very happy to be sharing this Holiday Ham and Potato Casserole, also know as, "how to feed 8 people with one pound of ham, whether you have to or not." Holiday Ham and Potato Casserole. Chef John Even if times are good, and you can afford all the ham you'd ever want, the ratio of meat to potato here is spot on, and more would not make this any better. Of course, if you are flush, you might want to serve the giant, expensive, whole ham on Easter, or other appropriate occasion, and then do this beautiful casserole with the thinly sliced leftovers, but the point is, it works wonderfully either way. The secret here is making a quick cream sauce before we start layering. For less special situations, we usually just dump cream and/or milk into the dish, but by using this easy sauce, we get a better, more luxurious texture. Just be sure to bake the casserole long enough. The potatoes must be perfectly soft and tender. So check carefully, and if in doubt, don't take it out. If they are properly cooked (and well seasoned), you'll be dining on one of the best ham and potato dishes I know, which is why I really do hope you give this a try soon. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1x 2x 4x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. Original recipe (1X) yields 8 servings ¼ cup unsalted butter 1 cup diced yellow onion ¼ cup all-purpose flour 2 cups heavy cream 2 cups whole milk 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, or to taste ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves 4 ½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick 8 ounces grated sharp white Cheddar cheese 1 pound thinly sliced ham Directions Gather ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). ALLRECIPES / VICTORIA JEMPTY Heat butter in a pot over medium heat. Add onions and sauté with a pinch of salt until translucent, about 5 minutes. ALLRECIPES / VICTORIA JEMPTY Add flour and cook, stirring, just to take off that starchy, raw edge, about 2 minutes. ALLRECIPES / VICTORIA JEMPTY Pour in heavy cream and whisk to combine. Whisk in milk. Cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until it just starts to simmer and thicken up. ALLRECIPES / VICTORIA JEMPTY Add 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and cayenne. Grate in nutmeg. ALLRECIPES / VICTORIA JEMPTY Turn off heat. Stir in Worcestershire and fresh thyme leaves. Reserve until needed. ALLRECIPES / VICTORIA JEMPTY Cover the bottom of a deep 10x15-inch casserole dish with about 25% of the reserved sauce. ALLRECIPES / VICTORIA JEMPTY Add a layer of sliced potatoes, seasoning the tops with some of the remaining salt as desired; ladle over 1/3 of the sauce and sprinkle over 1/3 of the grated Cheddar cheese. Layer in ½ of the sliced ham. ALLRECIPES / VICTORIA JEMPTY Place another layer of sliced potatoes on top and season with salt. Ladle over ½ of the remaining sauce; repeat layering with Cheddar cheese and ham. ALLRECIPES / VICTORIA JEMPTY Place last layer of potatoes on top. Ladle over remaining sauce and spread out with a spatula. Sprinkle over remaining Cheddar cheese. ALLRECIPES / VICTORIA JEMPTY Bake uncovered in the preheated oven until browned, bubbling, and potatoes are very tender, about 1 ½ hours. Let cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. ALLRECIPES / VICTORIA JEMPTY Chef's Notes You can use or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme instead of fresh. Gruyère, or any other melty cheese, will work instead of Cheddar.The ingredient amounts and cooking time are for a deep 10x15-inch casserole pan. If recipe is scaled down, this can be adapted for a smaller 9x13-inch pan, but will be cooked in less time.If the top of the casserole is getting too browned before the potatoes are tender, cover with foil. I Made It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 765 Calories 49g Fat 56g Carbs 27g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 8 Calories 765 % Daily Value * Total Fat 49g 63% Saturated Fat 28g 140% Cholesterol 163mg 54% Sodium 1329mg 58% Total Carbohydrate 56g 20% Dietary Fiber 4g 14% Protein 27g 54% Potassium 1446mg 31% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.