Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3 cups milk
- 3 cups diced ham (or sliced which is what my mom did)
- 1/2 onion chopped (you can add more if you like)
- 1/2 cup cheese – Cheddar works good but in the picture above I used mozzarella
- 5 cups (more or less) pealed and sliced potatoes. I like a waxy potato like goldens because they hold their shape better and don’t fall apart when cooked.
Directions
- Melt the butter in a large pan (I prefer cast iron) over medium heat
- When the butter is melted add the flour, salt, and pepper
- Cook about 1 minute or so stirring constantly – this is the roux
- Gradually whisk in the milk. Once the lumps are gone go back to stirring with a wooden spoon and let it cook until it is bubbly and thickened
- Stir in the ham, onion, cheese, and paprika. I usually do this in a large bowl, not in my cast iron pan
Fold in the potatoes to coat well
- Transfer mixture to a well buttered 13×9 pan or a casserole dish like I did above
- Cover with foil and cook about 40 minutes in a 350 degree F oven
- Remove foil and then continue cooking for 1 to 1 1/2 hours – If you use a 13×9 pan it will only take an hour or so but a deeper dish like the casserol dish will take a bit longer
- A knife or fork should go into the potatoes easily when they are done. In my deep dish, I usually give everything a light stir about half way through the cooking process
- Let stand about 10 minutes or so and serve!