Pioneer Woman's Scalloped Potatoes With Ham

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Pioneer Woman’s Scalloped Potatoes With Ham is a traditional Southern dish, although it is also called potato gratin in some areas. It is a hearty, family-friendly recipe that can help you use up leftover ham.

Pioneer Woman Scalloped Potatoes And Ham Recipe — Pioneer Woman’s Scalloped Potatoes With Ham Recipe

What Does “Scalloped” in Scalloped Potatoes Mean?

The term “scalloped” comes from the Old French word “escalope,” which means to bake cut up food in a sauce with crumbs on top. Scalloped potatoes are called “scalloped” because the potatoes are sliced before being cooked in a creamy sauce.

Ingredients That You’ll Need:

Thin Sliced Potatoes – I use Russet (Idaho) potatoes, but you can use any type of potatoes including yellow or red. To make it easier to slice the potatoes thinly, you can use a mandoline slicer
Ham – You can use any type of cooked ham. This recipe is a perfect way to use up leftover Easter ham.
Butter
Milk – This recipe works perfectly with 2% milk (in the US) or regular milk. However, you can also use low-fat milk too if preferred.
Flour
Cheese – Cheddar cheese works perfectly in Pioneer Woman’s Scalloped Potatoes With Ham but you can also use a combination of grated mozzarella and cheddar as well. Pioneer Woman’s Scalloped Potatoes With Ham has to be cheesy.
Dried Herbs – I love the taste of dried parsley and chives in this scalloped potato recipe.

What Kind Of Potatoes Should I Use For Pioneer Woman’s Scalloped Potatoes With Ham?

You may use either Yukon Gold potatoes or russet potatoes in Pioneer Woman’s Scalloped Potatoes With Ham. Because russet potatoes have a lot of starch, they provide the creamiest sauce. Yukon Gold potatoes, on the other hand, keep their form the best and have a great buttery texture, but the sauce will likely be thinner.

Peel the potatoes and thinly slice them about 1/8-inch thick. To make this process fast and simple, I prefer to use a mandoline slicer, although a sharp knife will do. Just make sure that all of the slices are the same thickness so that they all cook at the same time.

How to Make Pioneer Woman’s Scalloped Potatoes With Ham

Rinse the potatoes, peel them if desired, and slice them thinly (approximately 1/8-inch thick) using a mandolin slicer. Toss the potatoes with the diced cooked ham and season them with salt and pepper, mixing them well.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Gradually add the flour and mix until smooth. Whisk in the shredded cheese. Add the milk gradually, while whisking, and bring it to a boil. Season with salt, pepper, and the dried herbs. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius).
Prepare a 9 x 13-inch baking dish by greasing it with butter. Spread half of the potato and ham mixture into the baking dish in an even layer. Add half of the sauce on top. Add the remaining potato mixture to the baking dish in an even layer and pour the remaining sauce over it, making sure the whole surface is covered.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for almost 70 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. They will be done when you can pierce them easily with a fork.
Remove the potatoes from the oven, remove the foil, top with a handful of shredded cheese and a pinch of dried herbs, and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, uncovered, until brown and bubbling.

Dishes to Serve With Pioneer Woman’s Scalloped Potatoes With Ham

If you’re wondering what to serve with Pioneer Woman’s Scalloped Potatoes With Ham, you’ll be pleased to know that there are a plethora of delectable possibilities!

We serve Pioneer Woman’s Scalloped Potatoes With Ham as a supper entrée because they are so satisfying. They go best with fresh, green sides or a side salad since they’re creamy, starchy, and rich. Steamed broccoli or roasted green beans, delicately seasoned with balsamic vinegar or a splash of lemon, are wonderful with this scalloped potatoes recipe. You may also serve them with the following:

Roasted Broccoli
Roasted Veggies
Carrot Salad
Red Potato Salad
Creamed Spinach
Southern Fried Apples
Tuna Salad Nicoise
Three Bean Salad
Tomato Salad
Smashed Red Potatoes
Okra and Tomatoes

Can I Store Pioneer Woman’s Scalloped Potatoes With Ham in the Fridge?

Yes, you can! To store Pioneer Woman’s Scalloped Potatoes With Ham, you should cool them to room temperature first. Then, you should transfer them to an airtight container (or keep them in their baking dish), and cover it with a paper towel before covering with plastic wrap. They will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

Storing Tips:

Paper towel will absorb any surplus moisture when you store Pioneer Woman’s Scalloped Potatoes With Ham in the fridge and prevent them from becoming overly soggy.
Allowing your Pioneer Woman’s Scalloped Potatoes With Ham to cool to room temperature before refrigerating it will help prevent condensation from forming in the container (which would also lead to soggy potatoes).
Don’t keep your Pioneer Woman’s Scalloped Potatoes With Ham out at room temperature for more than 2 hours to ensure food safety.

How to Reheat Pioneer Woman’s Scalloped Potatoes With Ham

In The Oven: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (160 degrees Celsius). To avoid excessive browning, drizzle some milk over the potatoes and cover the baking dish with foil. Cook for another 20 to 30 minutes, removing the foil for the final 5 minutes of cooking.

In The Microwave: If your Pioneer Woman’s Scalloped Potatoes With Ham isn’t already in a microwave-safe dish, scoop them into one. Using a moist paper towel, cover the dish. Use 50% power to slowly heat the scalloped potatoes. Heat the potatoes for 30 seconds at a time, with a 10-second gap in between, until well hot.

In The Air Fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (150 degrees Celsius) while removing the Pioneer Woman’s Scalloped Potatoes With Ham from the refrigerator. Place the potatoes in a heat-resistant dish or place the potatoes inside the air fryer on a piece of foil. Heat them for a total of 4 to 5 minutes.

Recipe Tips & Variations

Slice the potatoes to about 1/8-inch thick, keeping them all uniform so that they cook in the same amount of time. A hand-held mandolin slicer makes this task very quick and easy, but a sharp knife will also work!
Use leftover baked ham from a previous meal or purchase a package of diced ham from the grocery store. I do not recommend using thinly sliced deli ham.
Yukon Gold potatoes or russet potatoes work best for Pioneer Woman’s Scalloped Potatoes since they are high in starch and therefore yield a creamy sauce.
Try different types of cheese instead of the cheddar. For instance, Gruyere, Gouda, and Swiss are great, too.
Add herbs such as fresh thyme.
A dash of grated nutmeg is a classic addition to the sauce or you can spice it up with cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, or just a bit of ground black pepper.

FAQ Section

Can You Make Pioneer Woman’s Scalloped Potatoes With Ham Ahead of Time?

Yes, you can save time by making Pioneer Woman’s Scalloped Potatoes With Ham ahead of time, particularly if you’re going to serve them around the holidays. We all know how valuable oven space is over the holidays, so the best way to save space is to prepare the potatoes ahead of time.

Can I Freeze Pioneer Woman’s Scalloped Potatoes With Ham?

Yes, if you’re planning to keep them for longer than 2 to 3 days before serving them, Pioneer Woman’s Scalloped Potatoes With Ham can be frozen for up to a month. However, I do not recommend freezing your Pioneer Woman’s Scalloped Potatoes With Ham, since the texture of the potatoes may become mushy when thawed, and the sauce may split.

How Can I Ensure the Potatoes in My Pioneer Woman’s Scalloped Potatoes Cook Properly?

To ensure that the potatoes cook properly in your Pioneer Woman’s Scalloped Potatoes With Ham, boil the potatoes for about 10 minutes before slicing them (or microwave them for a few minutes) and they will be just right after they cook for an additional 60 minutes in the oven covered.