Ham and Potato Casserole

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You are going to love this casserole with leftover ham! My ham and potatoes casserole is made with creamy homemade bechamel sauce and cheddar cheese. It's richly flavorful and a satisfying comfort food year-round!

Ham and Potatoes Casserole

If you know me, you know how much I love cooking for the holidays. The real challenge of holiday cooking is picking out which one of my ham recipes to use! Air fryer, Instant Pot, grilled, roasted, ham with pineapple, or smoked ham? It's a difficult choice!

But, one thing is for sure: no matter what method you use to make your ham, it's going to taste delicious in this cheesy ham and potatoes casserole. I've made plenty of diced ham recipes, but out of all of them this ham casserole is one of my very favorites.

Why You'll Love My Ham Casserole

It's perfect for using up leftover ham!

I love serving ham, especially right after the holidays, when it's on sale! But ham serves a whole lot of people, and when it's just me and Ron, that means a lot of leftovers. That's why this ham and cheese casserole recipe is perfect; it uses up tons of ham and makes it even more delicious!

It's a meal for multiple days!

Cheesy ham casserole lasts up to 4 days in the fridge and makes a nice big batch, making it a great recipe to start the week with so you have leftovers for feasting on for the rest of the work week.

It's so easy.

If you can chop up potatoes and whip up a quick cheese sauce, you can make my easy ham and potato casserole. Plus, I've included tips and tricks for making the creamiest bechamel sauce!

Ham Casserole Ingredients

• Cubed potatoes: I recommend Yukon Gold potatoes, which have the best creamy texture. You can also use Russet Potatoes. If you do, I recommend peeling them; you don't need to peel Gold or Yellow potatoes.
• Diced ham: You can use leftover ham from a spiral cut ham, or deli sliced ham! Try and get thick cut slices for the best texture.
• Olive oil: A little olive oil, or alternatively butter or another cooking oil, is used to saute the onion and garlic.
• Diced small onion: I tend to use yellow onion or white onion. You can use more or less depending on your preferences.
• Minced garlic: I recommend fresh garlic for this recipe, as it will have plenty of time to cook and mellow out, flavoring the whole dish beautifully.
• Bechamel sauce: I've included a link to my bechamel sauce, but instructions are also included in this recipe! This simple, creamy sauce is made from flour, butter, milk, and salt.
• Salt and pepper: You can add other seasonings like paprika, nutmeg, or mustard if you desire.
• Cheddar cheese: Cheddar has a great flavor, but you can also use gruyere cheese, swiss cheese, mozzarella, monterey jack, or your favorite melting cheese. Make sure to use blocks and grate it yourself or else the sauce will turn out clumpy.

Cheesy ham potato casserole uses bechamel sauce as a creamy sauce added to the dish. For this recipe, you will need about 4 cups. When preparing the bechamel sauce above (about 1 cup), adjust the ingredients to quadruple the amount. The sauce was reduced to 4 cups.

Ham and Potatoes Casserole Instructions

1. Coat a 2-quart baking dish with vegetable spray. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Prepare your bechamel sauce in a saucepan. First, melt the butter, then add the flour and mix until thick and bubbling.
3. Once the butter and flour mixture is light golden brown and starting to smell toasted, very slowly pour in the milk. You want to add it practically in drops, stirring nonstop. It will become very thick, keep adding milk and stirring and it will become creamy.
4. In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, diced ham, onion, and garlic, and sauté for approximately 8 minutes until the onions are softened and the ham is crispy.
5. Turn the heat off, then add the cubed potatoes, bechamel sauce, and one cup of cheddar cheese to the skillet. Mix well.
6. Spread this mixture into the prepared baking dish, then top evenly with additional cheddar cheese. Bake for 1 hour in preheated oven until the potatoes in the center of the casserole are knife-tender.
7. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

How to Make Ham Casserole Ahead

1. Prepare the casserole as instructed. Wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
2. Reheat at 325°F for approximately 35 minutes until heated through. Enjoy!

Ham Casserole Recipes Variations

• Sausage potato casserole recipe: Replace diced ham with diced or ground sausage for a tasty alternative to this dish! Similar to my favorite breakfast casserole.
• Broccoli cheddar casserole with potatoes: Instead of ham, you can also use vegetables like broccoli in this dish. Broccoli makes a great pair with cheddar cheese and potatoes!
• Use other cheeses: I love cheddar cheese sauce in this creamy potato casserole, but you can also use other quickly melted cheeses like Gruyere.
• Use more vegetables: You can add in frozen peas or frozen corn to add more veggies to every bite. Plus, the taste amazing with the ham and cheese.

• Cubed potatoes: I recommend Yukon Gold potatoes, which have the best creamy texture. You can also use Russet Potatoes. If you do, I recommend peeling them; you don't need to peel Gold or Yellow potatoes.
• Diced ham: You can use leftover ham from a spiral cut ham, or deli sliced ham! Try and get thick cut slices for the best texture.
• Olive oil: A little olive oil, or alternatively butter or another cooking oil, is used to saute the onion and garlic.
• Diced small onion: I tend to use yellow onion or white onion. You can use more or less depending on your preferences.
• Minced garlic: I recommend fresh garlic for this recipe, as it will have plenty of time to cook and mellow out, flavoring the whole dish beautifully.
• Bechamel sauce: I've included a link to my bechamel sauce, but instructions are also included in this recipe! This simple, creamy sauce is made from flour, butter, milk, and salt.
• Salt and pepper: You can add other seasonings like paprika, nutmeg, or mustard if you desire.
• Cheddar cheese: Cheddar has a great flavor, but you can also use gruyere cheese, swiss cheese, mozzarella, monterey jack, or your favorite melting cheese. Make sure to use blocks and grate it yourself or else the sauce will turn out clumpy.

Cheesy ham potato casserole uses bechamel sauce as a creamy sauce added to the dish. For this recipe, you will need about 4 cups. When preparing the bechamel sauce above (about 1 cup), adjust the ingredients to quadruple the amount. The sauce was reduced to 4 cups.

How to Make Ham and Potatoes Casserole

1. Coat a 2-quart baking dish with vegetable spray. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Prepare your bechamel sauce in a saucepan. First, melt the butter, then add the flour and mix until thick and bubbling.
3. Once the butter and flour mixture is light golden brown and starting to smell toasted, very slowly pour in the milk. You want to add it practically in drops, stirring nonstop. It will become very thick, keep adding milk and stirring and it will become creamy.
4. In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, diced ham, onion, and garlic, and sauté for approximately 8 minutes until the onions are softened and the ham is crispy.
5. Turn the heat off, then add the cubed potatoes, bechamel sauce, and one cup of cheddar cheese to the skillet. Mix well.
6. Spread this mixture into the prepared baking dish, then top evenly with additional cheddar cheese. Bake for 1 hour in preheated oven until the potatoes in the center of the casserole are knife-tender.
7. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Ham Casserole Expert Tips

• Shred your own cheese! Packaged shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking starch that leads to clumpy cheese sauce.
• Make sure to add the milk very slowly. This is the secret to a truly creamy bechamel sauce! Adding it quickly can lead to lumps.
• Lumpy sauce? Don't worry! Add the sauce to a blender or use an immersion blender to remove lumps.
• If you're using yellow potatoes, don't peel them. The skin is so thin that they don't need peeling, saving you even more time!

Casserole with Leftover Ham FAQ

How to Store Leftover Ham and Potato Casserole

1. Let the ham and potato casserole cool to room temperature.
2. Divide it into meal-sized portions if needed.
3. Store it in airtight containers in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for two months.
4. Label the containers with the date.
5. If reheating from the refrigerator, preheat your oven to around 350°F, cover the casserole with aluminum foil to prevent it from drying out, and heat for about 20-30 minutes or until it's hot.
6. If reheating from the freezer, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat it following the same instructions as above.

Ham Potato Casserole

Complete with tender potatoes, creamy bechamel, garlic and onion, plus plenty of cheese, this isn't just the best ham and potato casserole - it's one of the best ham dishes for dinner! I know you're going to love it. Let me know what you think in the comments below and with a rating!

Ham and Potato Casserole

Recipe Author: Isabel Laessig

My cheesy Ham and Potatoes Casserole is an easy dinner recipe that is perfect for using leftover ham, complete with creamy bechamel sauce and cheddar cheese.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Servings 8

Calories 527 kcal

Equipment

• 1 2-quart baking dish
• 1 Large skillet
• 1 Pan for bechamel

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2.5 pounds cubed potatoes - potatoes of your choice - I recommend yukon gold
• ▢ 2 cups diced ham - you can use leftover ham for this recipe
• ▢ 4 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ ½ cup diced onion
• ▢ 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ▢ 4 cups bechamel sauce - see below for measurements
• ▢ 2 cups cheddar cheese
• ▢ salt and pepper - to taste

Bechamel Sauce

• ▢ 6 Tablespoons flour
• ▢ 6 Tablespoons butter
• ▢ 6 cups milk

Instructions

 

Bechamel Sauce

• Melt butter over medium heat. Once butter melts, sprinkle flour over the butter and cook for 3-5 minutes until a paste forms. Don't let it brown - see How to Make a Roux for an in-depth guide.
  6 Tablespoons butter,6 Tablespoons flour
• Reduce the heat to low and slowly add in your milk. Whisk well.
  6 cups milk
• Whisk occasionally as your sauce thickens. When it's ready, it will be thick enough to cling to your whisk or the back of your spoon, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with salt to taste.

Ham and Cheese Casserole

• Coat a 2-quart baking dish with vegetable spray. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare your bechamel sauce as instructed above. See Bechamel Sauce Recipe for more info.
• In a large skillet over medium-heat, add olive oil, diced ham, onion, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Saute for approximately 8 minutes until the onions are softened and the ham is crispy.
  2 cups diced ham,4 tablespoons olive oil,½ cup diced onion,1 teaspoon minced garlic,salt and pepper
• Turn the heat off, then add the cubed potatoes, bechamel sauce, and one cup of the cheddar cheese to the skillet. Mix well.
  2.5 pounds cubed potatoes,4 cups bechamel sauce,2 cups cheddar cheese
• Spread this mixture into the prepared baking dish, then top evenly with additional cheddar cheese. Bake for 1 hour in preheated oven until the potatoes in the center of the casserole are knife-tender.
• Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

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4.68 from 62 votes

Notes

• Ham casserole uses bechamel sauce as a creamy sauce added to the dish. See our bechamel sauce recipe for more tips.
• Crisping the potatoes with the onions in a skillet will bring out extra flavor in the ham. It is amazing when prepared like this. 
• This casserole can be prepared 2 days before and reheated at 325 degrees for approximately 35 minutes.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 527kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 21gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 88mgSodium: 703mgPotassium: 918mgFiber: 3gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 845IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 448mgIron: 2mg