Cheesy Ham & Potatoes

I found this recipe a few years ago when I was pregnant and looking for meals I could freeze. This recipe has stayed in my rotation ever since! It makes enough for 2 (medium-sized) dinners. I always bake one that night, and freeze one for later. It tastes just as good after freezing as it does the first day!

I like to serve it with a light side- like fruit, toast, or salad. I've also had it as a breakfast casserole before. I'm sure I would wake up more easily in the morning if I knew this was waiting for me! :)



Cheesy Ham & Potatoes
Printable version here

1 tbsp. vegetable oil or butter
1/2 cup minced onion
4 oz. cream cheese (can use more or less, depending on your preference)
2 (10.75 oz.) cans cream of celery soup, or homemade cream of celery soup
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup cheese, shredded (such as cheddar or Monterrey Jack)
1 1/2 cups cubed ham (about 8-10 ounces)
1 (24 oz.) bag frozen shredded hash browns

1. In a small saucepan, heat the oil or butter over medium heat. Saute the onions until softened. Remove from pan. Heat cream cheese in the warm pan over low heat, just until softened, stirring frequently.

2. In a very large bowl, whisk together the onions, cream cheese, soup, cheese and pepper. The sauce should be nice and creamy. Next, stir in the ham and potatoes.

3. Place in 2 greased baking dishes, approximately 8x8 inches. To bake right away: Bake covered for 50-60 minutes at 375º or until hot & bubbly. To freeze: Cover with foil and freeze. Thaw in refrigerator. Bake covered for about 1 hour at 350º.

*My Notes*
-The original recipe called for 8 ounces of cream cheese. That makes this very rich. Each time I make it I try it with less, and the most recent time I made it with only 2 1/2 ounces of cream cheese (all I had left)- and it was still great! So just use however much you'd like.
-The store only had 26 ounce packages of hash browns, so I took out a handful.
-You can also freeze this in large ziploc bags. Just squeeze the air out before sealing it. Then when you want to make it, just thaw it in the bag, pour in a baking dish, and bake.

Why I love it? It's really creamy, and I love how easy it is. It's great that I can make 2 dinners in pretty much the same time as it would normally take to make one! Besides my one picky eater who doesn't like the "green things" (celery), we all like it, and most of us come back for seconds.