Ham & Cheese Potato Bake

You get days when you eat healthily and then there are days when you want all the carbs, cream and cheese in one meal. This is one of those days #sorrynotsorry.  With that in mind, how utterly comforting is a bubbling, cheesy proper potato bake? Yes please! I got my carb-loving hands on some Sifra (a waxy/floury) and Avalanche (floury) potatoes. These guys are the best for potato bakes, mash, roast potatoes etc. It was time to do something with the humble spud. When I say proper potato bake, I don't mean one made with mushrooms soup powder or something gnarly like that. I'm talking about a dauphinoise; layers of thinly sliced raw potato cooked in cream (usually with sliced onion and garlic too). Instead of the onion and garlic, I add 3 types of cheese, smoked ham, Dijon & wholegrain mustard and some dried tarragon. The flavour combination is mouthwatering with a cordon bleu vibe to it. This crowd-pleasing bake is the perfect family meal on a chilly evening served with steamed broccoli or green beans. Enjoy!
Popped Red Balloon Productions and I filmed a video of this ridiculously delicious potato bake. Click here to see our latest video.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Side Dish
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 6 large floury or combination potatoes thinly sliced (I don't peel them)
  • 1 c (250 ml) grated mature cheddar
  • 1 c (250 ml) grated mozzarella
  • 1/2 c (125 ml) finely grated Parmesan
  • 200 g sliced smoked ham diced
  • 500 ml cream
  • 1 Tbs (15 ml) Djion mustard
  • 1 Tbs (15 ml) wholegrain mustard
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) dried tarragon (optional) - can replace with a handful of chopped chives
  • Freshly ground salt and pepper

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 180 Degrees Celsius.
  • Grease a large baking dish with a little butter.
  • Layer the potatoes, cheese and ham in a baking dish ending off with a layer of potatoes (leave some cheese and ham for the topping).
  • Mix the cream, mustard and tarragon together and season with black pepper. Pour over the layered potatoes.
  • Sprinkle with remaining cheese and ham.
  • Season again with pepper. Note: I don't add any salt to this dish as I find the cheese and ham salty enough 😉
  • Bake for 1 hour or until golden and bubbling. Potatoes should be tender when pricked with a fork.
  • Serve immediately with steamed greens of your choice.
  • Enjoy! C x

Notes

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