Ham and Potato Casserole
by Sommer Collier — on Sep 1, 2025 This ultra cheesy ham and potato casserole recipe is the ultimate comfort food for breakfast, brunch, or dinner! It combines rich cream cheese and cheddar cheese with tender diced potatoes and ham in just one dish, all topped with more melty cheese and baked to golden brown perfection.
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
Nothing says weekends or holidays quite like a hearty casserole featuring some of your favorite cozy foods, amirite? In fact, it is 100% expected from my crew that they will get to enjoy some sort of cheesy, potato-y, meaty, and delicious baked goodness on Easter, Christmas mornings, and at large family dinners.
Readers are already big fans of classic dishes like spicy breakfast casserole with tater tots, tantalizing baked Greek omelette, and this fluffy strata overnight casserole recipe. And you all are going to LOVE today’s amazing comforting ham and potato casserole! It’s a fabulously easy “dump and bake” recipe you can throw together, pop in the oven, and impress your guests later.
Why You’ll Love Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole
- One pan dish – All the ingredients are combined right in the baking dish. What’s not to love about less prep and cleanup!
- Use those leftovers – This casserole is a great way to use up leftover ham, or leftover russet, yellow potatoes, or new potatoes.
- Versatile casserole – Make this recipe for breakfast or brunch with a side of eggs, as an ultra satisfying main dish for dinner, or as a protein-rich side dish served with other southern recipes!
Your family will agree (or rather, demand) – you need to keep this simple old-fashioned recipe on your regular menu rotation!
Ingredients and Tips
- Potatoes – Your choice of russet potatoes or new potatoes. Or simply use a large bag of frozen hash brown potatoes. Just make sure to thaw them before baking.
- Ham – Use leftover baked ham or ham steaks and make prep a breeze!
- Green onions and garlic – These fresh and bold aromatics bring out the savory flavors of the ham and potatoes.
- All-purpose flour – Or use gluten-free flour mix, if you prefer.
- Cheeses – A combination of cream cheese and shredded cheddar cheese makes this ham casserole ultra cheesy-gooey-good!
- Milk – I prefer whole milk for it’s rich flavor, but 2% will work well.
Possible Add-Ins
- Spice it up – Add a few dashes of smoked paprika for an extra kick of savory flavor.
- Really spice it up – Stir in crushed red pepper flakes for a delightfully spicy ham potato casserole.
- Meat – Mix in cooked chopped bacon or crumbled cooked breakfast sausage.
- Other cheeses – Swap out the cheddar cheese or mix things up with spicy pepper jack cheese, Colby jack, Gouda, or Swiss cheese.
Protein Tip – This recipe includes a good amount of ham and cheese, but to add extra protein, you can drain 2 cups of cottage cheese and add it to the mixture before baking.
How to Make Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole
Tip for Success – The recipe is made in a 9×13 inch pan and yields about 8-12 servings. Easily halve the ingredients and prepare it in an 8×8 inch baking dish for just 4-6 servings.
Find the full Ham and Potato Casserole recipe with detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Storage Notes
- Storing Leftovers – Transfer the cooled casserole to an airtight container. Keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days, depending on whether the leftover ham is already 1 or 2 days old.
- Freezing – This dish freezes beautifully! Once cooled, wrap the entire pan tightly in a layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. If you plan to freeze and reheat later, I suggest assembling the casserole in a disposable aluminum pan. That way, you can reheat it straight from the freezer!
- Reheating – Refrigerated leftovers are easily reheated in the microwave. If reheating from frozen, first unwrap the pan and discard the plastic wrap, then cover tightly again with fresh aluminum foil, Pop it straight into the oven from frozen. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes wrapped, then remove the foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes until heated throughout.
Serving Suggestions
This casserole is a fabulous centerpiece for breakfast or brunch, from casual Sundays to special holiday mornings. Serve it with fluffy scrambled eggs, over easy eggs, or whatever dish you find most egg-cellent!
The heartiness of ham and hashbrown potato casserole also makes it a delicious main dish with veggies on the side. Enjoy generous portions with simple air fryer green beans, steamed broccoli, air fryer asparagus, or okra, one of my favorite southern sides!
Speaking of, this recipe itself can also double (or triple) as a southern side dish! Because what is more southern than a cheesy casserole with potatoes and ham served with hefty mains? If you are hanging out with some big-time carnivores, consider serving alongside crockpot pulled smoked pork, cornmeal fried fish, or fried chicken, or any meaty main you like.
Frequently Asked Questions
That’s entirely up to you! I prefer to peel the russet potatoes, as I personally think it’s best for this ham and potato casserole texture. But if you are using yellow potatoes (aka Yukon gold), the skin is much softer, so unpeeled diced potato works well.
No, if you are using frozen shredded potatoes, you do not need to thaw them first. They are so small that they will thaw and bake in the time listed in the recipe. In fact, sometimes thawed hash browns release too much moisture and can make the casserole soupy.
Ham Potato Casserole
Video
Ingredients
- 32 ounces diced potatoes frozen hashbrown potatoes – thawed, or fresh potatoes
- 16 ounce chopped ham ham steaks or leftover baked ham
- 1 bunch green onions, chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 8 ounces cream cheese diced
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese divided
- 2 cups milk
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set out a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and spray it with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place the diced potatoes in the baking dish. Add the chopped ham, chopped green onions, minced garlic, and flour. Add 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Toss the ingredients together to coat everything well with flour.
- Next at the diced cream cheese, 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, and the milk. Stir gently to mix the cream cheese cubes and shredded cheese evenly throughout the potatoes. Spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese over the top.
- Cover the top of the baking dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for another 5-15 minutes, until the edges are bubbly and the top is golden brown.
Notes
- Protein Tip – This recipe includes a good amount of ham and cheese, but to add extra protein, you can drain 2 cups of cottage cheese and add it to the mixture before baking.
- Possible add-ins – smoked paprika, crushed red pepper, bacon, alternate cheeses
- Storing Leftovers – Transfer the cooled casserole to an airtight container. Keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days, depending on whether the leftover ham is already 1 or 2 days old.
- Reheating – Leftovers are easy to reheat in the microwave. If reheating from frozen, first unwrap the pan and discard the plastic wrap, then cover tightly again with aluminum foil, and pop it straight into the oven from frozen. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes wrapped, then remove the foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes.
- Freezing – This dish freezes beautifully! Once cooled, wrap the entire pan in a layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer or two of aluminum foil. Keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you plan to freeze and reheat later, I suggest assembling the casserole in a disposable aluminum pan. That way you can reheat it from frozen!
Nutrition
