Holiday Ham and Potato Casserole
Description
Chef John's layered ham and potato casserole recipe includes a homemade cream sauce for a fantastic, holiday-ready casserole that'll feed a crowd.
Ingredients
•
1/4 cup unsalted butter
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1 cup diced yellow onion
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1/4 cup all-purpose flour
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2 cups heavy cream
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2 cups whole milk
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2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, or to taste
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1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
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1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
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1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
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2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
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4 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
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8 ounces grated sharp white Cheddar cheese
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1 pound thinly sliced ham
Directions
1
Gather ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2
Heat butter in a pot over medium heat. Add onions and sauté with a pinch of salt until translucent, about 5 minutes.
3
Add flour and cook, stirring, just to take off that starchy, raw edge, about 2 minutes.
4
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.
5
Add 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and cayenne. Grate in nutmeg.
6
Turn off heat. Stir in Worcestershire and fresh thyme leaves. Reserve until needed.
7
Cover the bottom of a deep 10x15-inch casserole dish with about 25% of the reserved sauce.
8
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.
9
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.
10
Place last layer of potatoes on top. Ladle over remaining sauce and spread out with a spatula. Sprinkle over remaining Cheddar cheese.
11
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.