Chopped ham with cheesy creamy potatoes. Does it get any better?
Do you find yourself with an abundance of ham dinner from the holidays? Well, if that is the case, try my go to leftover ham dish. It is stupendous and my family is obsessed with it. It is one of the meals you want to over stuff on because it just tastes so good! Now you do not have to just use this for ham leftovers. Whenever I want to make it, I buy precooked and chopped ham from the deli. They are usually in a good-sized portion bags and ready to go. It makes this something you can prepare anytime you desire, and I love that for us. Being a foodie and history lover, I always enjoy doing some research on popular dishes I make. Especially ones that have so many variations, specific techniques of preparation and cooking.
Here is a brief little history on this fabulous French dish-
It was first invented in 1788 in Southeastern region of Dauphine France. The word “gratin” is a culinary technique in which an ingredient is topped with a browned crust. A lot of times that can be breading but in this case the crust is cheese, butter, and cream. Dauphinoise (scalloped) is a version of this dish with thinly sliced potatoes. It is cooked in cream and usually not cheese. We will be doing a fusion of both. Which makes this dish super creamy and rich.
Just look at that yumminess. My secret to creating these show stopping potatoes is to par- boil them in milk and garlic. This really gets them full of flavor and allows them to cook completely through while not burning the cheese topping. The goal is golden and bubbly. All right let us get this started.
Ham Au Gratin Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1-2 cups Precooked, chopped ham 1-2 cups depending on preference.
- 4 large russet potatoes
- 4 cups 2% milk add more if needed.
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup smoky mozzarella or gruyere.
- 1 cup crème fraiche or sour cream
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tbps. butter, cubed
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- pinch nutmeg
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350° Peel the potatoes. Using a sharp knife or mandolin, carefully slice the potatoes thin and uniform as possible.
- Now move the potatoes to large a sauce pan, add the garlic and milk. Bring to a light boil for 8-10 minutes. Carefully stir as to not break the slices.
- Drain the potatoes and transfer half to a shallow baking dish. Get them as even as possible in the dish.
- Season with half of the salt and pepper. Sprinkle on half of the cheeses. Layer the remaining potatoes, season with salt, pepper, and the rest of the cheese.
- In a bowl combine the buttermilk, nutmeg, paprika, and crème fraiche. Mix until smooth and then pour over the potatoes. Take the back of a spoon and smooth the cream mix evenly in the dish
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until perfectly golden brown.
- Let cool for 5-10 minutes then serve.
- ENJOY!
