Get the Recipe: Ham and Potato au Gratin
A fabulous addition to an Easter breakfast or brunch, or enjoy it as a main to use up leftover Easter ham! Made with ham, frozen hash browns, spinach and a homemade creamy cheese sauce.
Ingredients
- 10 oz fresh or frozen spinach, *see Note 1 below
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups milk, 2 or 3% recommended
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, sharp or old cheese recommended, plus more for topping
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 12 oz cooked ham, cut into strips
- 24 oz frozen hash browns, or frozen home fries (680g)
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F (non-convection/not fan-assisted).
- If starting with fresh spinach, see Note 1 below for directions for wilting the spinach. You'll want to do the spinach before starting the sauce, to allow time for the spinach to cool.
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, then add the flour. Cook, stirring continuously, about 1 minute. Gradually add the 1 3/4 cup of milk, whisking as you add. Heat the milk mixture until bubbly and thickened, then cook 1 minute more. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
- Beat the two eggs in a small bowl. Using a ladle, very slowly drizzle a ladleful of the hot milk mixture into the eggs while stirring continuously, until you have added the entire ladle of hot milk. Add the egg/milk mixture to the saucepan with the milk mixture and stir to combine. Add the shredded cheddar cheese and the additional 1/4 cup of milk and stir together until the cheese is melted. Add the Dijon mustard, nutmeg and black pepper and stir in. Set aside.
- To assemble the casserole, start with a 2-quart (8x11 -ish) baking dish. Add 1/2 of the cooked ham to the bottom of the casserole dish and top with 1/2 of the hash browns. Spoon 1/2 of the sauce over the potatoes. Cover the sauce with all of the spinach. Repeat with a layer of the remaining ham, potatoes, then the remaining sauce, to finish. Sprinkle the 1/2 cup of shredded cheese over the top.
- Bake for 30 minutes, then let stand 10 minutes before serving.
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. Freezing is not recommended as the texture of the cheese sauce may change from the freeze/thaw process.
Be cautious with adding additional salt to the sauce, potatoes or spinach, as the ham is salty and will flavour the dish somewhat.
The casserole can be assembled to this point, covered well with plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight. Next day, bake as directed, allowing a few extra minutes of baking time if it is cold going into the oven.
Notes
Note 1: If using frozen spinach, thaw and squeeze well to remove excess moisture. If starting with fresh spinach, add to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and microwave 45-60 seconds or until wilted. Allow to cool, then squeeze well to remove excess moisture. You can also wilt the spinach in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water.
Tips!
You can bake the casserole ahead, cover and refrigerate. To rewarm, cover with foil and warm in a 350F oven until warmed through, about 15-20 minutes.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 281kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 17g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 96mg, Sodium: 653mg, Potassium: 500mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 3804IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 273mg, Iron: 2mg
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