Ham and Potato Casserole

I adore the mains in my meal from smoked pork to beef tenderloin but I am always all in on the sides, especially when they’re creamy and cheesy. This ham and potato casserole is a great way to get my side dish fix.

When it comes to creamy and cheesy sides most people think of macaroni and cheese or scalloped potatoes. This casserole is a far easier take on the latter.

All it takes to make this sumptuous side is potatoes, cheese, a soup, and a few other simple ingredients — oh, and of course, ham. You can use fresh ham but I love to use this recipe as a way to repurpose leftover ham.

The best part about this recipe is that it can be served at nearly any meal. It can be served alongside proteins at dinner, all on its own for a quick lunch, or it can be the base that poached or fried eggs rest on for a hearty breakfast.

This is one of my favorite dishes to make that is so incredibly easy and goes with any meal of the day. I hope it becomes one of your favorites, too!

Common Questions About Ham and Potato Casserole

How do I make sure it’s creamy?

Using dairy that’s full of fat is what makes this casserole creamy and delicious. Avoid skimping and using skim milk or low-fat cheese.

Is ham and potato casserole healthy?

There’s plenty of protein and healthy fat in this cheesy ham and potato casserole but you can make it healthier by adding veggies and even a small pour of olive oil.

Are these funeral potatoes and why do they have that name?

These are similar to the popular potatoes with what seems like a morbid name. The main changes are simply the addition of ham and the use of cubed potatoes instead of shredded (though you could use those, too).

They are named that for the tradition that in some families they bring cheesy potatoes as a comforting meal after a loss.

Making Ham and Potato Casserole Ahead of Time

You can easily mix all of the ingredients together and store it in the fridge for up to 24 hours until you’re ready to bake.

Storage

You can store an entire dish of this in the fridge or freezer or you can store it in portions if you happen to have any leftover casserole.

Refrigerator: Keep this entire casserole in the fridge covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil or store individual portions in an airtight container or ziploc bag for up to 3 days.

Freezing: Freeze the casserole altogether or in individual slices in freezer bags for up to 3 months.

Tips For The Best Ham and Potato Casserole

• Grate your own cheese. You can certainly use the shredded variety from the grocery store but you’ll get way more flavor from cheese that you grate from the block. 
• Use full-fat products. Making sure that your cheese, sour cream, and soup are full-fat rather than skimmed down will make sure this casserole is creamy. 
• Be sure to use unsalted butter. Many of the other ingredients (cheese, ham, soup) have salt in them so you don’t want to oversalt the recipe by using salted butter.

Ingredients

• Frozen hash brown potatoes (cubed)
• Sharp cheddar cheese (grated)
• Cream of chicken soup
• Sour cream
• Mayonnaise
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Diced ham (cooked — can be deli ham or ham steak)
• Corn flakes cereal (crushed)
• Unsalted butter melted

Kitchen Supplies You’ll Need 

• Large bowl
• Whisk
• Rubber spatula
• Baking dish
• Saucepan
• Rolling pin
• Resealable bag

How to Make Ham and Potato Casserole

Making this easy ham casserole couldn’t be any more simple.

1. Combine the soup, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic powder, and onion powder in a large bowl. 
2. Whisk the ingredients together.
3. Pour in ham, hash browns, and cheddar cheese and mix until all ingredients are equally dispersed.
4. Using a rubber spatula, spread the hash brown and ham mixture into the baking dish prepared with cooking spray.
5. Melt butter on the stovetop on medium heat or in the microwave at intervals.
6. Using a rolling pin, crush the cornflakes in a resealable ziploc bag.
7. Add the cornflakes to the bowl of melted butter and mix until completely combined.
8. Sprinkle the cornflake and butter mixture over the ham and potato mixture in the casserole dish.
9. Place the dish in the oven and bake until the topping is a golden brown color and the dish is hot and bubbly.
10. Serve once it has cooled slightly or let it come to room temperature before placing in the refrigerator.

What to Serve With Ham and Potato Casserole

This easy ham and potato dish is good for pairing with tons of other mains and at any time of the day from an average weeknight meal to Thanksgiving dinner — or it can step up as any other holiday side dish. You can also eat it all on its own as the main course.

• Eggs – Serve this tasty casserole alongside your egg-based breakfast from scrambled to over-easy eggs, an overnight egg casserole, or an eggs Benedict.
• Meat – This casserole will obviously pair well with ham but you can also serve it alongside beef, chicken, or even pork chops. It’s a perfect pairing with chicken cordon bleu.
• Salad – For a lighter meal have this rich casserole with a simple green salad.
• Soup – A split pea and ham soup is an amazing pairing, but any soup goes well next to a steamy, delicious side of cheesy potatoes. Pairing it with broccoli and cheese soup is a way to really up the creamy, cheesy level of your meal.

Why You Should Make This Recipe

Who doesn’t want crispy, cheesy potatoes speckled with salty ham slices? In case you need more motivation to make this easy recipe, we have a few ideas.

• Easy – There’s no intensive prep on this dish — you don’t have to slice potatoes like you would for au gratin potatoes or even do much other hands-on prep. Just combine the ingredients and bake for the best cheesy potatoes.
• Versatile – This casserole goes from morning to night faster than a well-styled little black dress. Serve it with breakfast or brunch or alongside dinner mains.
• Affordable – Many of the ingredients may already be in your kitchen and the remainder of them are cost-efficient.

Variations and Add-ins

These potatoes in their creamy cheese sauce are already full of flavor but you can kick it up with some other add-ins. 

• Heat – Spice up these potatoes by adding diced jalapenos, crushed red pepper flakes, or cayenne.
• Sauce – While this casserole already has a creamy sauce, you can offer a hollandaise sauce on the side for bright flavor and extra creaminess. Ranchero sauce or sriracha are other options that will add a little bit of heat.
• Vegetables – Dice up a green or red bell pepper, add diced tomatoes or sliced mushrooms, or toss in some finely sliced green onions.
• Spices – Add cumin for some earthiness or other spices like rosemary, thyme, or sage.
• Meat – Switch out some or all of the ham for other meats like ground sausage or chopped bacon.
• Bread crumbs – Mix bread crumbs with butter and toast them lightly in a skillet before sprinkling them over the dish and baking.
• Cheese – Swap out some of the cheddar for Swiss cheese or another of your favorite cheeses.
• Slow cook – Instead of baking, try using the slow cooker to make this recipe.

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If you love this easy Ham and Potato Casserole recipe, you’re going to love these other savory meals too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

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Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole

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BBQ Ranch Chicken Casserole

Pork Chops and Scalloped Potatoes

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

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