Friday FUNdamentals: Scalloped Potaotes & Ham

The Wisconsin Test Kitchen is both frugal and thrifty: and our number one pet peeve is wasting food. This is why we turn left over bread and buns into breadcrumbs, we save chicken carcasses and freeze them to make stock for soup, and we throw A LOT of food into our freezer to be used at a later date.

Some Sundays we go to the Italian deli near our house for hot ham and rolls- and we usually end up with WAY too much ham. We don't want to throw it away; so it's the perfect excuse to make scalloped potatoes and ham! Note: hold onto this recipe around Easter time! This is an easy weeknight meal to throw together, and with a side dish of vegetables (we like our ham and potatoes with a side of fresh green beans).

Cool Dads Scalloped Potatoes & Ham

1 box scalloped potatoes
1-1.5 cups diced, cooked ham (you can use lunchmeat if you have it, or buy a pre-cooked ham steak from the meat department of your grocery store and dice it up).
Ingredients called for on the scalloped potato box: usually milk, butter and water

Pre-heat oven according to package directions (usually 350-400 degrees).

Dice ham. We recommend 1-1.5 cups of ham, depending on how you prefer your ratio of meat to potatoes. In the Wisconsin Test Kitchen we like a lot of meat. What can we say... it's been a long winter.

Also? When we made this, we doubled our recipe, so don't panic if our pan looks bigger than yours.

Prepare potatoes according to package directions. If you're making one box, use an 8"x8" pan; if you're doubling, use a 9"x13" pan.

Stir in ham. Bake according to package directions (usually 35-40 minutes). The ham and potatoes will be done when the cheese has turned a golden color, and the consistency of the cheese sauce is thick.

This is seriously one of the easiest casseroles you'll ever make, and your family will love it. Thanks for checking out another week of Friday FUNdamentals; we hope we're making you look like a Rock Star in the kitchen.

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew