Cheesy Ham & Potato Casserole

The combination of salty, fatty ham and sharp cheddar goes back hundreds of years… even our ancestors knew how delicious the two could be together. Cheesy Ham & Potato Casserole takes those classic flavors and adds in hearty, fluffy potatoes… never a bad addition! Creamy, cheesy, warm, and perfectly seasoned, Cheesy Ham & Potato Casserole is the ultimate comfort meal. Just a scoopful will warm your soul when the weather starts to nip at your heels!

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter, plus more, to taste, for greasing the pan
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups ham, diced
• kosher salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
• 3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
• chives, optional, to taste, chopped, for serving

Directions

Step 1 -Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Step 2 -Using the extra butter, grease a 3-quart baking dish.

Step 3 -In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of the butter.

Step 4 -Add the onions, stirring occasionally, and cook until soft, about 4 minutes.

Step 5 -Add the flour and the paprika and sauté, stirring constantly, until the raw flour smell dissipates, about 1 minute.

Step 6 -While whisking, slowly pour in the milk.

Step 7 -Bring the milk mixture to a simmer and continue to whisk until thickened, about 3 minutes.

Step 8 -Stir in the diced ham.

Step 9 -Season with the salt and the pepper.

Step 10 -Layer 1/2 of the potatoes in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

Step 11 -Season the potato layer with the salt and the pepper.

Step 12 -Spoon 1/2 of the sauce over the potato layer.

Step 13 -Sprinkle the sauce with 1/2 of the cheddar.

Step 14 -Repeat the layers with the remaining potatoes, the remaining sauce, and the remaining cheddar.

Step 15 -Cover the baking dish with foil and bake until the potatoes are soft, about 40 minutes.

Step 16 -Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese is golden and bubbly, about 25 minutes more.

Step 17 -Sprinkle with the chives and serve.