Scalloped Ham and Potato Casserole - (Free Recipe below)

Scalloped Ham and Potato Casserole

Ingredients

• 2 pounds peeled all-purpose potatoes
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dry
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• Few drops Sriarcha chili sauce or a pinch of cayenne
• ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• Few grinds fresh nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon Colman’s dry mustard
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
• ¾ pound Virginia ham, or other good ham sliced thin
• 8 ounces sliced Muenster cheese

Instructions

1. Using a mandolin or sharp knife, slice potatoes to 1/8 inch thick. Hold in a bowl of cold water.
2. In a medium pot over medium-high heat, melt butter and add onions, parsley and thyme. Sauté for about three minutes or until onions are starting to become translucent. Lower heat to medium, add flour and stir. Cook for about three more minutes or until raw flour smell is gone.
3. Add milk, cream, salt, pepper, chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, nutmeg, mustard powder and 1 ½ cups of the shredded cheddar cheese. Stir over medium heat until cheese melts into sauce then remove from heat.
4. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
5. In a two-three quart pan or casserole dish spray with pan spray. (Our casserole dish was an oval 8x11x3-inches.)
6. Start by ladling a small amount of sauce into the bottom of the pan. Shingle one quarter of the potatoes over the sauce, covering the bottom. Cover that with one third of the ham. Next cover with one third of the remaining sauce and another quarter of potatoes and half of the sliced Muenster cheese. Repeat layers by next adding another third of ham, another third of the sauce, another quarter of the potato, the final third of ham, the final half of Muenster, the final quarter of potatoes and the last of the sauce. Sprinkle the top with the remaining ½ cup of shredded cheddar.
7. Bake uncovered for one hour and 15 minutes, or until a probe thermometer inserted in the center reads 160 degrees. Let the casserole set for ten minutes, cut and serve.