This Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole is layered with tender potatoes, creamy cheese sauce, salty cubed leftover ham. It's topped with sharp cheddar cheese for an easy melt-in-your-mouth casserole.
This is a great side dish for Thanksgiving dinner, Easter or a terrific weeknight meal! It's pefect anytime you have leftover ham.
Jump to:
Why you'll love Potato and Ham Casserole
Let’s face it, there’s almost always going to be leftovers when it comes to the holidays. While it may be fun to slave away in the kitchen for a holiday dinner, the following days should focus on making memories with family and friends!
Which is why I love to transform leftover ham into an entirely new main course! Bonus? Next day - this great recipe tastes even better, it's a terrific make-ahead recipe. And it freezes great.
This cheesy casserole recipe is simple but extremely decadent, thanks to the au gratin potatoes, creamy sauce, and savory ham. It's comfort food in a casserole - YUM!!
Ingredients
- peeled russet potatoes are perfect for this recipe! You can also use Yukon gold potatoes or red potatoes will also work, but I really like the starchiness of a russet potato.
- leftover holiday ham is great. If you don't have any, use a ham steak or a ham slice. Smoked turkey would be fantastic as well and bacon? Well that would just be tasty!
- cream of chicken soup - you can substitute cream of mushroom soup or creamy of celery. For extra cheesiness use cheddar cheese soup! Personally I prefer the cream of chicken for this recipe.
- one can of evaporated milk, however you can substitute with milk, however it won't be as creamy.
- cream cheese - speaking of creamy... right?!!!
- shredded cheddar cheese - change the flavors by using Colby jack, white cheddar cheese, or smoked gouda cheese. That would be amazing!
- a packet of ranch dressing mix - this is the perfect amount of seasoning! There's no need for additional salt or black pepper, garlic or onion powder.
Ham and Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 8-10 cups russet potatoes peeled and sliced
- 2 cups cubed ham
- 10 ounces cream of chicken soup
- 12 ounces can of evaporated milk
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- ¾ ounce ranch mix that's one full packet.
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese you'll want ½ cup of each type of shredded cheese.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray, set aside.
- Peel the potatoes, slice ¼ thick.
- Make the sauce. Add the chicken soup, evaporated milk, cream cheese and ranch mix to a saucepan. Place over medium heat. Whisk until the sauce is smooth and combined.
- Add a ladle of sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish.
- Place a layer of sliced potatoes then a layer of cubed ham. Add â…“ of the remaining sauce.
- Repeat layers. Finishing with cheesy sauce. Top with shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Cover with foil.
- Place in the oven on the middle rack. Bake for an hour and half covered.
- Uncover, place under broiler for 3-5 minutes until it's golden brown. Watch it carefully so it doesn't burn. You're just looking to brown the cheese!
- Allow to sit at least 15 -30 minutes lightly covered with foil after you remove it from the oven.
Notes
Storage
Leftover casserole can be refrigerated for up to 5 days when stored in an airtight container or casserole dish, wrapped with plastic wrap. The entire casserole can be made ahead and froze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven prior to serving.Love this recipe? Join the free membership group!
Nutrition
Variations
If you enjoy a kick of heat in your food, consider adding thinly sliced jalapeño peppers, sliced yellow onions and a pinch of chipotle pepper for a Tex Mex flavor!
You can use frozen hash browns if you prefer. There's no need to thaw them first.
Step-by-step instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. For the complete directions just scroll down to the bottom!
- Preheat the oven and prep the casserole dish. Add the soup (undiluted), milk, cream cheese and ranch mix to a saucepan. Whisk over medium-heat until the sauce is smooth and combined.
- Add a ladle of sauce on the bottom of the baking dish.
- Add layer of sliced potatoes and diced ham. Top with a layer of the sauce.
- Repeat layers, finishing with the sauce. Top with shredded cheese.
- Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for an hour and half.
- Uncover, and broil for 3-5 minutes to brown potatoes and cheese.
FAQ’s
Russet potatoes are a very popular choice when it comes to casseroles or other baked dishes since they contain a higher starch content and absorb less moisture. Yukon Gold is also great because they are so creamy!
Absolutely! A great way to save some time is to fully assemble your casserole and then cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil to be stored in the refrigerator for a day or two, after which you can add it to the oven and serve to the family or guests.
Add the top layer of shredded sharp cheddar cheese just prior to baking.
I must say - it’s very similar, yes! The russet potatoes are sliced the same way and this casserole also replicates the same decadent creamy sauce and layering of ingredients as a traditional potato au gratin recipe.
The main difference with this cheesy ham and potato casserole is the addition of ham. The salty ham adds another level of flavor to the casserole. It's such a hearty meal!
Nope, there's no need to par-boil the potatoes in this easy recipe!
Deb's tips for to make a great casserole
Use heavy-duty aluminum foil to seal the casserole. If you don't have the heavy stuff, use two sheets of the lighter aluminum foil. If the steam escapes the casserole will take longer to bake.
- While I’ve sliced the potatoes for this casserole you can use cubed or diced potatoes if you’d prefer.
More easy casserole recipes
- The Chicken Broccoli Potato Casserole has excellent flavor! It's hearty, delicious and leftovers are even better on day two!
- Serve up the Ham Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole for breakfast or dinner topped with a fried egg. YUM!
- You'll really enjoy the Hamburger Potato Casserole recipe. It's beefy and cheese and one tasty meal!
You could even substitute ham for chicken in the Ultimate Chicken Casserole, wouldn't that be amazing?
If you still have some leftover ham, be sure and try this easy recipe for Navy Bean Soup - it's one of my very favorite meals!! More options are Instant Pot Ham and Potato Soup or 15 Bean Soup with Ham.,
Serve with
Everything about this casserole is 5 stars for me, but that's just my opinion. I want to hear what YOU think! Please leave a comment below with your feedback.
Camden Rusincovitch says
I needed a good recipe I could eat on for a few days, this ham and potato casserole is perfect 🙂 thanks for sharing!
Alyssa says
This ham and potato casserole looks great! Honestly you had me at cheese and potatoes, the ham is just an added bonus for this recipe!
Kristen M Yard says
I know this may defeat the purpose of making a ham and potato casserole (lol!), but if I omitted the ham, and added veggies, instead (to make a vegetarian option) would it still come out good?
Bowl Me Over says
I have never made it with just veggies, but I bet it would turn out terrific. Let me know ok?
Brittany says
I'm glad you stated that frozen hashbrowns work in the ham and potato casserole. They're a staple I keep on hand, and this is another delicious way for me to use them!
Cynthia Rusincovitch says
Hitting print for my holiday recipe binder! We make a massive ham every holiday because it is a family favorite. But apparently, we think a hundred people are coming because we make so much!! I am always looking for ways to use leftovers.
Deb says
The ingredient list doesn’t mention the two shredded cheeses for the topping. How much do you recommend? How much if we include it in the layers?
Bowl Me Over says
Hi Deb, you'll want 1/2 cup shredded cheddar and 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. If you decide to include it in the layers use a total of 2 cups cheese.
Lyndel Colman says
The printed recipe doesn’t show the two cheeses added to the top of the casserole. This recipe was very tasty, but the bottom layer of potatoes stuck impossibly to the casserole, even though I did start with a layer of sauce before adding potatoes.
Bowl Me Over says
The recipe card at the bottom blog has instructions regarding the cheese in instruction number six. Sorry the potatoes stuck to the bottom. I always spray the casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and have updated the instructions to reflect that. Enjoy leftovers, I think they are even better on day two!
Bernalee says
Hubby and I made this tonight. We added steamed broccoli, cheddar cheese, and ground mustard. It was soooo good. Thank you for this delicious recipe!
Bowl Me Over says
Great additions to the Ham and Potato Casserole Bernalee, that sounds delicious!
Cam says
Is there a substitute for the cream cheese? It breaks my heart that my boyfriend hates cream cheese lol so many good things I don't get to make often. But this looks amazing!!!
Bowl Me Over says
Use this recipe for Alfredo Sauce (yes.... you could use store-bought, but the homemade version is SO amazing!) Then you could omit the evaporated milk and probably the cream of chicken soup as well. Let me know how it turns out for you!
Chris Kuse says
This was a great weeknight meal and a great use of our leftover ham. I did have to add an extra 15 minutes to get my potatoes done. I had used a glass pan with a cookie sheet under it so that may have affected my cook time. Just as yummy when I reheated it the next day for lunch. Thank you!
Bowl Me Over says
Glad you enjoyed it Chris, it' sone of my very favorites! Thanks for the tip about the cookie sheet and timing, I appreciate it!!
Alma Wilson says
Looking forward to trying your recipe and would be interested in seeing more of your recipes.
Thank you,
Alma Wilson