3-Cheese Baked Ham And Potatoes Au Gratin Recipe
Au gratin is a French term that means "with crust" — interestingly enough, it originally referred to the crust left inside a pan after cooking, something that was the cook's (or dishwasher's) prerogative to scrape off and eat as a bonus, delicious treat. Today, it refers to a crust deliberately used to top an oven-baked dish and is typically made from crumbs or, in the case of this recipe, cheese. As recipe developer Patterson Watkins tells us, "Au gratin potatoes were an absolute treat in my house growing up," recalling memories of gratins made from a boxed mix.
"This adaptation is a little more grownup than the au gratin of my past," Watkins shares. It's still just as cheesy and potato-y, but has what she calls "a little more of a gourmet spin." This upgrade comes courtesy of a three-cheese blend of cheddar, gruyere, and Parmesan, as well as the addition of some sliced ham. The potatoes, too, are fresh ones as opposed to the freeze-dried kind you'd find in a shelf-stable mix.
Ingredients for your 3-cheese ham and potatoes au gratin
Unlike those box mix au gratins, this recipe requires quite a few ingredients. The bulk of it is made up of russet potatoes, plus you'll need deli ham and cheddar, gruyere, and Parmesan cheeses. You'll also need butter, onions, garlic, flour, half and half, chicken broth, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Step 1: Prepare the utensils
Preheat oven to 350 F and lightly spritz a 13x9-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
Step 2: Melt the butter
Melt butter in a large skillet or pot over medium heat.
Step 3: Cook the aromatics
Once melted, add the onion and garlic, and sauté for 2 minutes or until fragrant and tender.
Step 4: Stir in the flour
Add the flour to the skillet and stir to combine, creating a roux.
Step 5: Mix in the liquids
Add the half & half and broth, whisk to combine, and bring to a low simmer.
Step 6: Thicken the sauce
Cook for 5 minutes, whisking occasionally, until thickened.
Step 7: Season the sauce
Season the sauce with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, whisk to combine, and reduce heat to low.
Step 8: Make it cheesy
Add ¾ of each of the three cheeses, working in batches, and whisking frequently, until melted. (Reserve the remaining cheese to use as topping.)
Step 9: Layer the potatoes
Place a layer of sliced potatoes on the bottom of the prepared casserole dish.
Step 10:Pour on some sauce
Top the potatoes with a couple heaping spoonfuls of the cheese sauce.
Step 11: Add some ham
Arrange 3-4 slices of ham on top of the potatoes and sauce. Repeat these layers, filling the casserole dish.
Step 12: Top it off with cheese
Sprinkle the top of the casserole with the reserved cheese.
Step 13: Cook the casserole
Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, covered.
Step 14: Remove the foil
Remove the casserole from the oven, remove the foil, and return to the oven.
Step 15: Brown the top
Bake uncovered for 15-30 minutes or until bubbly, browned, and cooked through.
Step 16: Cool the casserole
Remove from the oven and set aside to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
What are some ways to serve potatoes au gratin?
As this 3-cheese baked ham and potatoes au gratin is primarily composed of potatoes but also contains some protein in the form of cheese and ham, it can be a little hard to categorize. This can be a good thing, though; as Watkins puts it, "I think what makes this recipe a little special is its versatility within the meal hierarchy."
You can certainly serve this potato dish as a side. Watkins suggests that it could go with poultry (such as turkey), but there's no reason why it couldn't work with roast beef or a hearty fish, as well. In fact, you could even serve it with ham for a double dose of porky goodness. Watkins notes that this casserole can also make for a main dish for a lighter meal such as lunch or supper. She says that she enjoys consuming it in what she calls "French bistro style," meaning with a salad on the side to cut through some of the fat.
What can you do with potatoes au gratin leftovers?
This is a pretty good-sized recipe that fills a large pan, so it's likely you may find yourself with leftovers. Watkins assures us that "reheating and eating this 3-cheese baked ham and potatoes au gratin recipe is super easy," though, noting that she herself ate it over the course of multiple meals for a several-day span.
If you are keeping the casserole in the refrigerator, Watkins says it should be good for up to 3 days. As far as reheating goes, she tells us that it can be cooked in a toaster oven at 350 F for 10 to 15 minutes. "Freezing, thawing, and reheating individual portions," she says, "would work too." As far as a time range for the freezer, you'll be good for quite some time, but the quality of a frozen casserole might drop off to some extent after 3 months. Still, even a bit of freezer burn won't render your leftovers inedible so you won't need to toss them out even if you've let them sit a bit longer than that.
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup minced yellow onion
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups half & half
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch ground nutmeg
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese, divided
- ½ cup grated gruyere cheese, divided
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 2 pounds russet potatoes, thinly sliced
- ½ pound thin-sliced deli ham
- Preheat oven to 350 F and lightly spritz a 13x9-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Melt butter in a large skillet or pot over medium heat.
- Once melted, add the onion and garlic, and sauté for 2 minutes or until fragrant and tender.
- Add the flour to the skillet and stir to combine, creating a roux.
- Add the half & half and broth, whisk to combine, and bring to a low simmer.
- Cook for 5 minutes, whisking occasionally, until thickened.
- Season the sauce with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, whisk to combine, and reduce heat to low.
- Add ¾ of each of the three cheeses, working in batches, and whisking frequently, until melted. (Reserve the remaining cheese to use as topping.)
- Place a layer of sliced potatoes on the bottom of the prepared casserole dish.
- Top the potatoes with a couple heaping spoonfuls of the cheese sauce.
- Arrange 3-4 slices of ham on top of the potatoes and sauce. Repeat these layers, filling the casserole dish.
- Sprinkle the top of the casserole with the reserved cheese.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, covered.
- Remove the casserole from the oven, remove the foil, and return to the oven.
- Bake uncovered for 15-30 minutes or until bubbly, browned, and cooked through.
- Remove from the oven and set aside to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
| Calories per Serving | 576 |
| Total Fat | 34.9 g |
| Saturated Fat | 18.9 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.4 g |
| Cholesterol | 113.6 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 40.0 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.8 g |
| Total Sugars | 5.8 g |
| Sodium | 879.1 mg |
| Protein | 26.6 g |
