Using One Ham for Four Meals Part 2
Thank you for coming back for part 2 of, Using One Ham for Four Meals. Perfect timing with Easter two days away. How many are having ham? We are!
Lets get started!
In the process of using ham for several meals, Ham and Scallop Potatoes is my favorite, especially on a chilly day. This hot and creamy dish is a hit with everyone in our family no matter the time of year.
Here is what you are going to need:
Onion - 1 large
Butter 4 tablespoons
Heavy Whipping Cream 2 cups
Milk 4 cups
Flour 1/3 cup
Leftover ham - enough for 3 cups of diced/cubed ham
Potatoes 4-5 medium/large
Mozzarella Cheese at least 2 cups
Salt/Pepper amount is up to your tastes
Baking dish 10x14
NOTE: I used a mandolin when thinly slicing the potatoes. A mandolin is inexpensive ($20 or less) and slices the potatoes to the exact thickness every time. This is important for even cooking throughout the dish. You can of course slice the potatoes by hand if you desire.
Starting with a chopped large onion and 3 tablespoons of butter sauté the onions in a skillet until translucent, this process will take 2-3 minutes.
Once the onions have become translucent add 1/3 cup of flour and stir everything in the skillet together. Continue to sauté until a golden brown color starts to emerge.
Once the mixture becomes golden brown add in 2 cups heavy cream and 2 cups of milk. You can substitute the heavy cream with half-and-half or whole milk. I use 2 cups of 2% milk but, you could use something else. I would avoid milk less than 2% as it is a little thin for this recipe.
Whisk the mixture together and continue to whisk frequently, this will discourage the mixture from sticking to the bottom. Keep the heat consistent at medium heat to continue reducing the liquid to allow the mixture to thicken.
Start of simmer still thin
End of simmer with desired thickness
Once the mixture is thickened remove from heat and set aside.
Grab your mandolin or knife, a cutting board, peeler and a baking dish. Use the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and butter the baking dish to prevent sticking.
Peel 2-3 medium/large potatoes to start; you can always peel more as you go if needed.
Grab several ham slices and dice approx. 3 cups of ham.
Bring over the cream mixture from earlier, the shredded mozzarella cheese and those last 2 cups of milk.
Once all your ingredients are gathered you are ready to assemble.
Start by thinly slicing your now peeled potatoes either with your mandolin or knife. I like my potatoes to be very thin and almost appear translucent when held up to the light.
Lay one layer of sliced potatoes along the bottom of the buttered baking dish.
Now lay one cup of cubed ham. You can add as little or as much as you want. I don’t measure I lay it on until I think it looks good.
Next spread on the cream mixture. It will be a little gloopy (sorry, I can’t think of a better word to describe it). You wont be able to spread it very evenly but, it will spread during the baking process on its own.
Last, top with a nice layer of mozzarella cheese. (I realized later that step 3 and 4 are switched with how I did it in the pictures. Regardless, get it all on there in someway, lol!)
Repeat two more times to fill the dish to the top.
Get your milk back out and carefully pour approx. 2 cups of milk over the top. This will give the dish added moisture to allow everything to cook through. I don’t have an image posted of this step. Sorry!
Bake covered with foil @ 375 degrees in the oven for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 20 minutes until the top has a golden brown color.
Serve with a vegetable of your choice on the side and ENJOY! I’m telling you! It’s good!
I know I also posted this image at the start of this post but, it deserves to be shown a second time. It’s beautiful, creamy and oh so delicious on a chilly day!
This dish does take 30-45 minutes to assemble and 1 hr of bake time. I prefer to assemble this dish on a Sunday morning and pop it in the oven when we return from church. It is a perfect meal for a Sunday dinner as everything is assembled and oven ready. You could also put this dish together the night before and pop it in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake however, make sure the potatoes are thoroughly covered and the foil is on tightly. Peeled potatoes will brown when exposed to air too long.
One final note. I don’t talk a lot about seasoning with salt and pepper. In our home we have too many differing tastes. We normally season our own plates individually to reach desired tastes. You may season your dishes prior or like we do. It’s up to you!
I hope you enjoyed this recipe. Let me know how it turns out for you!
Keep an eye out for part 3 of, Using One Ham for Four meals. It will be posted soon!
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