The side dish that puts smiles on faces! Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes and Ham are fancy enough for the holidays & so easy you'll love them for weeknights too!
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Then whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the half-and-half to prevents lumps from forming. Simmer until sauce begins to thicken.
Remove from heat and whisk in salt, pepper, paprika, and onion powder. Add 1 cup of cheese and whisk until melted. Adjust seasoning to taste. Keep warm.
Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Remove ends, and cut potatoes into slices 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick. Layer half of the potatoes in the bottom of your prepared baking dish. You can lay them against each other like shingles on a roof for presentation points.
Top the potatoes with half of the cheese sauce. Be sure to spread it all over the potatoes. Sprinkle half of the cubed ham over the cheese sauce. You want to make sure there's some ham in each serving.
Repeat the layers of potatoes, cheese, sauce, and ham. Cover the baking dish with foil.
Bake for 40 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and sprinkle the remaining cup of cheese over the potatoes. Bake for another 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and let rest at least 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh chives if desired.
Notes
If you don't want to cut the potatoes by hand, a mandolin works great.