Leftover holiday ham means Ham and Potato Casserole for dinner or even brunch! With a velvety cheese sauce, tender potatoes, and savory ham, you don’t need any canned soup to make this comfort food recipe.
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Why You’ll Love This Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole Recipe
- Best Way to Use Leftover Ham. Correction: one of the best, because we also have Ham Salad and Ham Casserole. But if you want your ham in cheesy, creamy casserole form with potatoes, ham and potato casserole is IT. It’s an easy way to reinvent your leftovers—because one can only eat so many ham sandwiches on Homemade Dinner Rolls.
- From-Scratch Recipe. No cans of soup! No Velveeta! The creamy sauce for this ham and potato casserole is made with milk and three varieties of cheese, making it rich, smooth, and positively scrumptious. It’s the real deal!
- A Versatile Dish. Dinner the week after a holiday is the obvious use for this ham and potato casserole, but use ham steak and you can make it year-round, serve it as a holiday side dish, or even make it a savory brunch option to serve alongside Spinach Quiche.
How to Make Ham and Potato Casserole
The Ingredients
- Russet Potatoes. Although you could leave the skin on if you so desire, I think this cheesy ham and potato casserole is better with peeled potatoes.
- Unsalted Butter. Let this come to room temperature.
- Cream Cheese. Also at room temperature. Use the kind that comes in a block, not a tub.
- Whole Milk. Again: room temperature! Whole milk gives you the creamiest, richest sauce.
- Garlic and Green Onions. To build flavor in the sauce.
- Seasonings. Onion powder, dried parsley, kosher salt, and ground black pepper.
- Cheese. Shredded sharp white cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese.
- Diced Cooked Ham. Use leftover Crockpot Ham or Baked Ham, or buy a ham steak if you don’t have leftovers and want a smaller amount of ham just for making this potato ham casserole.
The Directions
- Boil the Potatoes. Cover them with water in a large pot; bring to a boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes, or until they’re tender. Drain.
- Add the Sauce Ingredients. Add the potatoes back to the pot and cook over low heat to dry them out a bit. Remove from heat and add the butter, cream cheese, milk, green onions, garlic, and seasonings.
- Stir. Fold until the cheese and butter are melted.
- Add the Ham and Cheese. Fold in the ham and cheese, reserving 2 tablespoons each of the cheddar and Parm for topping.
- Finish. Transfer the ham and potato casserole to a greased baking dish. Add the reserved cheese, then bake at 375 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the top is golden and the cheese is melty. Rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then garnish with green onions and ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
- Try Other Cheeses. Gruyere and gouda would be fabulous as swaps for the cheddar.
- Top with Panko Breadcrumbs. For an extra crunch, top your casserole with some panko breadcrumbs (stirred together with salt, pepper, and melted butter) before baking.
What to Serve with Ham and Potato Casserole
- Salad. If you’re making this casserole for a meal, pair it with a salad like this Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad.
- Vegetable Sides. Sautéed Broccoli is quick and easy, or try these Roasted Brussels Sprouts in the oven.
- Bread. Roasted Garlic Potato Rolls and Rosemary Olive Oil Bread are both an excellent choice for soaking up the cheese sauce.
- Brunch Dishes. Serve ham and potato casserole with Cottage Cheese Eggs, Overnight French Toast, and other brunch favorites.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Shred Your Own Cheese. Pre-shredded cheeses have additives that affect the texture of a cheese sauce, making it gritty and weird (yes, that’s the technical term) instead of velvety smooth. It’s really, truly worth it to buy a block of good cheese and shred it yourself for this ham and potato casserole.
- Let Ingredients Come to Room Temperature. Allowing the milk, cream cheese, and butter to come to room temperature helps them melt faster when combined with the potatoes.
- Broil the Top. If you want an extra-crispy top, turn on the broiler for the last few minutes of baking. Just watch it carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn!
- Get a Head Start. Prepare the casserole up to 2 days in advance, then cover it and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake. You’ll need to add a few extra minutes to the cooking time to account for the casserole starting chilled.
Ham and Potato Casserole
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Easy cheesy ham and potato casserole is the best way to use leftover ham! It's made from scratch with a smooth, velvety cheese sauce.
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Ingredients
- 3 Russet potatoes peeled and cut into ¼-inch cubes (about 1 ½ pounds)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- ¼ cup whole milk at room temperature
- 3 garlic cloves grated on a Microplane or very finely minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 cups diced cooked ham about 1.25 pounds (¼-inch diced)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the center. Grease a deep 8×8-inch baking dish (or any 2 2quart baking dish) with nonstick spray or butter. (You can also bake this in a 9×13, just note it will be thinner and will bake in about 20 minutes.)
- Place the diced potatoes in a large pot and cover by at least 1 inch with cold water. Bring to a rapid simmer over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender but not mushy, about 10 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot over low heat. Cook for a few minutes to dry them out, stirring constantly.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the butter, cream cheese, milk, green onions (reserving a few greens for garnish), garlic, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Gently stir to combine.
- Fold in the ham and all but 2 tablespoons each of the cheddar and parmesan.
- Transfer the potato mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the reserved 4 tablespoons of cheese.
- Bake until golden and melty on top, 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with reserved green onion tops.
Notes
- TO STORE: Cover the casserole dish tightly or transfer smaller portions of leftovers to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. (I do not recommend freezing this recipe, as potatoes get mealy when frozen.)
- TO REHEAT: Warm up individual portions in the microwave for a few minutes, or reheat the whole casserole in a 350ºF oven until heated through.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 8)Calories: 231kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 12gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 51mgPotassium: 396mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 446IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 145mgIron: 1mg
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My kids absolutely loved this Ham and Potato Casserole. I’m so glad I tried this recipe. It’s so creamy and cheesy but not overwhelming. Plus point that it’s quick and easy to throw together. Will be making it again for sure.
Yay! So happy to hear, Bethany!
There’s something about this casserole that just tastes like home. Maybe it’s the creamy sauce, or the comforting combination of potatoes and ham, but every bite feels like a little slice of nostalgia. It’s a dish that reminds me of family dinners growing up, and now I get to share it with my own family. Thank you so much, Erin!
Makes me so happy to hear, Shannon! Thank you!
I had some leftover ham from a previous dinner, so I decided to make this casserole, and I’m so glad I did! It’s such a great way to use up leftovers, and it turns out so delicious. The potatoes were tender and creamy, and the ham added a wonderful savory flavor. Thank you so much for this awesome recipe.
I’m so glad you did too, Sanya! Thank you!