So Many Dishes

I like to write about the history and background of the dishes I cook, but the story of this dish is a complicated one. Actually, the story is pretty straightforward, but it’s my reaction has taken some twists.

Ham and scalloped potatoes was a frequent leftover meal when I was growing up. We almost always had a roast of some sort on Sunday, and ham was a regular item in the roast rotation. Monday’s dinner would use leftovers, and ham with scalloped potatoes was my mother’s favorite way to use the extra ham. But I wasn’t a fan of her version, to put it nicely. She didn’t add anything but potatoes, onions, and the meat to a basic white sauce. What I really hated was that she didn’t parboil the potato slices before she baked the casserole. The potatoes were always hard and undercooked; I never understood why nobody else in the family objected.

Over the years, whenever Ken mentioned that he liked the dish and suggested that we put it on the menu, I usually demurred. However, a few years ago he pointed out a recipe for ham and scalloped potatoes in one of our cookbooks that looked interesting, so I gave in and made it. Somewhat to my surprise, I loved it! So when we decided to make a ham for Christmas, I knew that I’d use some of the leftovers for the dish.

In addition to the ham and potatoes, this version includes asparagus and peas, and is topped with cheddar cheese. The recipe is from the One-Pot Meals issue of an old Time-Life cookbook series, Great Taste, Low Fat. The recipes from this series are good starting points, but they generally need some tweaking. I’ve found them consistently under seasoned, and sometimes a bit extra fat helps. That’s what I did here, by adding just one tablespoon of butter. The addition really enhanced the mouthfeel. And nobody ever complained about the taste of fat 😄 When we haven’t had leftover ham, I’ve made this with an 8-oz. ham steak. Of course, cheese lover that I am, I increased the cheese.

Han and Scalloped Potatoes

• 1 1/2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 12-oz. can evaporated low-fat milk
• 1 1/2 cup low-fat (1%) or skim milk
• 1/2 lb. thin asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 cup minced scallions
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 8 oz. baked ham, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the potatoes until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain well and set aside.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk flour into melted butter until smooth, then gradually whisk in evaporated milk and low-fat milk. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently, until mixture is creamy and slightly thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in asparagus, scallions, peas, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat.

Spray a 9×9 baking glass or ceramic dish with nonstick cooking spray. Layer half of the potatoes in the prepared baking dish and sprinkle half of the ham on top. Repeat with the remaining potatoes and ham. Pour the milk and vegetable mixture over, sprinkle the Cheddar on top, and bake for 25 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly and piping hot. Makes 4 to 6 servings.