Ham and Potato Casserole

Here's a great way to use up your leftover holiday ham. If you don't have leftover ham, a ham steak should do. I used a brown sugar ham steak and the sweetness from the sugar added a pleasing dimension to the flavor of this casserole. If you use smoked ham, you may want to use a low-sodium cream soup to minimize the amount of salt.

If using a ham steak, I recommend cooking it in a skillet first to draw out the excess water so your casserole doesn't turn out runny.

Slice your potatoes 1/8 of an inch thick or thinner to ensure they cook through.

HAM & POTATO CASSEROLE
adapted from End of the Line Ham Casserole on Allrecipes.com

2 cups diced, cooked ham
4-5 cups scrubbed and thinly sliced potatoes
1 (10.75 oz) can cream of celery soup
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup dehydrated minced onion
black pepper, to taste
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup french fried onions, slightly crushed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 casserole dish. In a large bowl, combine soup, milk, onion, and black pepper. Stir in potatoes and ham; pour into casserole dish and spread evenly. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.

Remove casserole and sprinkle with cheese and french fried onions; bake, uncovered, for another 20 minutes.