At Home on this Mountain
Monday, April 9, 2007
Ham and Potato Casserole
Posted in EatingI recommended this lovely dish to someone this morning and decided to post my recipe here in case anyone else has leftover ham from this weekend. We had cold cuts so I don't have much in the way of leftovers for this dish but I might have to pick up a ham while they're still on sale today and tomorrow so we can have all the delightful leftover dishes :)
My mom developed this when I was a wee tike and it has been a favorite of my whole family ever since. It has frequently been featured on my birthday (when Mom let us choose the menu for supper) and it was a proud day for me when I finally made it really well. Since this is a "developed" recipe, there aren't necessarily a lot of measurements but I will do my best to guess. You'll just have to do your best to judge when things look and taste yummy :)
Ham and Potato Casserole
Get out a good sized casserole dish- you'll want enough to feed your crowd plus some leftovers for tomorrow's lunch. You'll definitely want to eat it twice. Peel, wash and dice into approximately 1/2" cubes enough potatoes to fill the dish about 2/3-3/4 of the way up. A good baking potato (like a Russet) is best for this because they get a little more mushy when cooked and that's best for this dish. You can use a waxy potato but it just won't be as good- trust me.
Put those potatoes in some cold salted water in a large pot and get them cooking. Boil for about 10-15 minutes or until they are *just* tender but not mushy. Drain off the water and SAVE IT in a large bowl or in your pot. You'll need it for the sauce. Put the potatoes in the casserole dish (after buttering the dish) and add at least 2 cups of diced, cooked ham (leftovers are best, of course) Mix up the ham with the potatoes and set the casserole aside.
Now you're going to make a basic medium-thick white sauce. In a large skillet or medium saucepan over medium/medium-low heat, melt about 6 T butter. When it has melted add in 6 T of flour, 1 tsp salt and about 1/2 tsp dry mustard and mix thoroughly with a whisk until the flour has fully incorporated into the butter and things are starting to get a little bit brown and nutty smelling. You need to stir the whole time and keep the heat fairly low to avoid scorching and stinking. If you burn it, start over with a clean pan. Now start adding the reserved potato water, about 1/2 to 1 cup at a time, whisking the whole time until it's all mixed up and thickened. Continue adding the potato water until you have a nice saucy substance, about the consistency of gravy, maybe just a bit thinner. Now lower the heat all the way down and put in about 2-3 cups of cheese.
This can technically be any kind of cheese (or several kinds) but we always used (and still do use) velveeta (or a store-brand version) or other American cheese. I do not normally like American cheese but it surely is tasty in this dish. I would think an extra sharp cheddar would have similar results. Stir the sauce over low heat until the cheese has completely melted. Now taste a bit on the back of a spoon and add salt and black pepper to taste. Those potatoes are going to soak up a lot of that salt flavor so be sure your sauce is well-flavored or you'll be salting at the table.
Now pour all that lovely sauce over your potatoes and ham in the casserole dish and mix it all up. It can be a bit soupy if you want; some of that will evaporate in the oven. Now have a bite of potato with the sauce all over it (to check the seasonings again, of course) Add any seasoning you think you need a bit more of and taste again. Once it's good, then eat another bite or two (this is my favorite part) and set the casserole aside.
In a small saucepan melt another 3 or 4 tablespoons of butter. Add in about a cup or 1 1/2 cups fine bread crumbs (just whiz a few slices of bread in the food processor) and mix well to thoroughly combine. Now sprinkle the buttered crumbs over the top of the casserole and put the whole thing in the oven. Bake at about 375 for half an hour to 45 minutes or until it bubbling and golden brown. This is the hardest part- let it cool on the counter for at least 10 or 15 minutes or you are going to burn the living daylights out of your mouth. We generally eat this with some sort of vegetable on the side and maybe some fruit. Nothing heavy as the dish itself is plenty heavy on its own. Enjoy!
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Posted by Keeblur
Thank you for the encouragement on my blog and for posting this recipe. I think we'll try it in a few days. I realized I have some chicken that needs to cook today, so I guess that's what we're eating for dinner! :) Pretty poor prior planning on my part.
The recipe sounds really good and I'll let you know how it comes out.
Vicki
Sunday, December 28, 2008 - great yummy comfort dish!
Posted by Anonymous
Thanks for the great recipe! I have been holding on to this since you posted it, just waiting for some leftover ham (I don't make ham that often :) )
Made it this weekend and IT WAS GREAT !! Just what this PMSing mom needed! Thank you again- for the recipe and for your encouraging blog. Hoping the coming year will be filled with God's rich blessings
Amy
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Preserving the Harvest 2008
~June 22nd~
*11 half-pints
honey-sweetened peach-strawberry jam
~June 27th~
*7 half-pints and 2 pints
honey-sweetened peach jam
~June 28th~
*24 home-grown chickens in the freezer
(7 whole, 17 cut up
plus feet and backs for stock!!)
~July 6th~
*8 pints and 14 half-pints
honey-sweetened peach jam
~July 16th~
*18 cups fresh green beans,
blanched and frozen (a gift from the boss)
*12 pounds ripe bananas,
cut into 1 inch chunks and frozen for smoothies
~July 22nd~
*32 ears home-grown corn
blanched and frozen in meal-sized packages
~July 27th~
*8 pints cream-style corn
(home grown)
~July~
about *8 cups blackberries
and *5 cups wild blueberries
from around our property,
in the freezer
~August 4th~
14 pints
4 half-pints
and 1 quart
hot and spicy tomato salsa
(that's 18 cups altogether)
~October29th~
13 quarts chunky applesauce
5 quart jars dried apple rings
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