Recipe Swap: Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

Want to see what other One Pot Meal recipes were made during the swap? Here is the link to the One Pot Meal Recipe Swap Roundup

The theme for this recipe swap is One Pot meals. Most people love having meals in their arsenal that involve mixing a few ingredients together and letting the oven or crock pot do most of the work. I've always wanted to make Scalloped Potatoes and Ham so I was excited to get Ashley's recipe.


In the interest of full disclosure, SP was not a fan of this one. At all. He was put off immediately by the red potatoes, claiming scalloped potatoes should only be made with Yukon gold or russets. After baking this I have to agree. Even after an hour and a half of baking the red potatoes were still a bit crunchy. Yukon gold or russet seem to break down better when cooking, which is why they are preferable for a recipe like this. Even so, I absolutely loved this recipe and his dislike meant I got all the leftovers. I actually ate this three days in a row, which is pretty impressive. I'm usually a dinner and lunch the next day-only leftovers eater.

Based on my experience making this I made quite a few changes in the recipe below, swapping the red potatoes for Yukon gold or russets, pre-cooking the potatoes in the milk and cream mixture like I do for my potato gratin, and modifying the seasonings to suit our tastes. I think the changes will elevate this to excellent and hopefully I can convince SP to let me try again.

This is true comfort food and perfect for this time of year. Thanks for a delicious one pot meal, Ashley!

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
Modified from Cheesecurd in Paradise

2 large cloves garlic, 1 halved and 1 minced
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 1/2 pounds Yukon gold or russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
12-16 ounces cooked ham steaks

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Rub an 2 1/2-quart baking dish with the cut sides of the garlic halves and discard the halves. Coat the inside of the dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter.

In a large pot, combine the milk, cream, minced garlic, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, fresh thyme and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add the potato slices to the milk mixture. Repeat with remaining potatoes. Bring the milk mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Add shredded cheese and stir to melt.

Meanwhile, heat a large, dry skillet over medium heat. Add the ham steaks and cook on both sides until it begins to brown in spots and some of the liquid is released. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before cutting into cubes.

Transfer half of the potatoes to the prepared dish. Add half the ham. Top with the remaining potatoes and ham. Pour all of the milk mixture over the potatoes. Cover the dish with buttered aluminum foil, buttered side down.

Bake for 40 minutes, then uncover and bake until the potatoes are tender, the liquid bubbles thickly and the top is brown and crusty, about 20 minutes longer. Remove from the oven, let stand for 10 minutes, then serve.

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Chicken Broccoli Supreme

I saw this recipe for Chicken Broccoli Supreme on Cassie's weekly menu plan and was immediately intrigued. I love the combo of chicken and broccoli and who doesn't love a good cheese sauce every once in awhile. It seemed like a good one-dish meal.



We both enjoyed this dish but I feel like it needs a lot of tweaking before I'll make it again. My biggest complaint was the Ritz crackers. Two tubes is way too much. I should have gone with my gut and stuck with one tube. I also cut the amount of butter way down. I don't usually balk at butter but almost 2 sticks in one recipe (and a savory recipe at that) is overkill. To cut down on the butter I made a roux with butter and flour instead of the cornstarch/butter/water mixture.

SP said the addition of some noodles would have gone a long way to making this great and I have to agree, especially because my casserole was a little light on the meat. I had some bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs in the freezer so I decided to poach those, but I got barely a cup and a half of meat from the 4 thighs. I'm happy to report that SP got a different brand of cheddar cheese for me this time and it's amazing what a difference it made. I could actually taste the cheddar!

I've made a bunch of changes in the recipe below and will report back when I make this again.

Chicken Broccoli Supreme
Modified From Get Off Your Butt and Bake!

3 cups cooked chicken breasts, cubed
2 cups egg noodles
1–lb. broccoli crowns, cut into florets
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

SAUCE:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup chicken broth
Salt and pepper
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese

TOPPING:
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 tube Ritz crackers

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and egg noodles. Cook for 4 minutes, then add the broccoli florets and cook another 2 minutes. Drain and return to the pot. Add the cooked chicken and toss together.

Grease a 13×9 pan. Add pasta mixture and set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook one minute, then whisk in the chicken broth, salt and pepper and milk. Whisk until the sauce starts to thicken. Turn heat down to low, and add 1- 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese. Stir until melted.

Pour the sauce over the pasta, chicken and broccoli. Top with 1- 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese.

Melt the butter, and add the poppy seeds; stir well. Crush Ritz crackers in large zip-lock bag with a rolling pin. Add crumbs to the melted butter. Sprinkle crumbs over the top of the grated cheese.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

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Biscuits over Creamed Chicken

Now that it's officially fall I'm in full-on comfort food mode. Of course now that my mind is off summer and stuck in fall the cool temps we had recently have been replaced by heat and humidity. Typical East Coast weather, unfortunately. That didn't stop me from making Biscuits over Creamed Chicken for Sunday dinner, though.


Once again Cassie delivered a great recipe. I tried making my own cream of chicken soup, and SP thought it needed a bit more chicken flavor, so I might look into those chicken bouillon cubes the next time I make it from scratch. I would also add some chicken stock to thin out the sauce since mine was a little thick, probably because of the homemade soup. Those things aside, this was a great comfort-food meal that I'll definitely be making again.

Biscuits over Creamed Chicken
Adapted from Cassie Craves

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 1/2 cups cream of chicken soup (make your own recipe below)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1 cup chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen carrots
1 cup frozen corn
6-8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
1 can refrigerated biscuits, cooked according to package directions

Combine chicken, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, milk, chicken broth, salt and pepper, peas, carrots and corn in a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat. Heat to boiling, stirring frequently. Stir in cheese.

Nestle the biscuits in the creamed chicken mixture, or pour the creamed chicken over the biscuits.

From Scratch Cream of Chicken Soup
Slightly Modified From Allrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
Dash of paprika
2 cups milk
3/4 cup flour

In medium-sized saucepan, boil chicken broth, 1 1/2 cup of the milk, and the seasonings for a minute or two.

In a bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup of milk and flour. Add to boiling mixture and continue whisking briskly until mixture boils and thickens.

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Bacon Pierogie Bake

This was one delicious meal. And easy. You can't beat that.


Bacon Pierogie Bake. As soon as I saw the words "bacon" and pierogies" I knew this would be a winner. Add scallions and fresh chopped tomato and you're just gilding the lily.


I doubled the recipe because I was using homemade pierogies and wanted extra sauce. SP loved the sauce so much he said I should make the dish again but serve the sauce over pasta instead of pierogies.

Bacon Pierogie Bake
Slightly Adapted from Elizabeth's Edible Experience

1 (16-ounce) package frozen potato and onion pierogies (such as Mrs. T's)
Cooking spray
6 center-cut bacon slices, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 ounces cream cheese
1 cup chicken broth
4 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup thinly diagonally sliced green onions
1/2 cup chopped seeded plum tomato
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°.

Arrange the frozen pierogies in an 11 x 7-inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cook bacon in a saucepan over medium heat until crisp; remove from pan. Set aside.

Add garlic to drippings in pan, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add cream cheese to pan, and cook for 1 minute or until cream cheese begins to melt, stirring frequently. Gradually add chicken broth to pan, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Pour the cream cheese mixture evenly over pierogies. Top evenly with cheddar cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly and thoroughly heated. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with bacon, green onions, tomato, and pepper.

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Creamy Taco Mac

I saw this recipe for Creamy Taco Mac over at Annie's Eats and knew it would be a hit at our house.





It was delicious and, like Annie said, a great way to make a Hamburger Helper-esque meal using fresh ingredients.



Creamy Taco Mac

Annie's Eats

1¼ lbs. ground turkey

8 oz. dry pasta shapes

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained

4 tbsp. taco seasoning

3 oz. cream cheese

½ cup sour cream

Salt and pepper

Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground turkey over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the turkey is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the turkey is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Mix in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit. Remove from the heat and top with shredded cheddar cheese, if desired.

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Hashbrown Casserole

I'm not sure where I got this recipe. If any of my readers know, please leave me a comment.


The casserole combines breakfast sausage, frozen hashbrowns, eggs and cheese. It was delicious and made enough for me to freeze half of it for a night we don't feel like cooking.

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Chicken Spaghetti - Updated

The last time I made this recipe for Chicken Spaghetti SP wasn't a fan. I made a few modifications and I think we're almost there.





This recipe made a ton of food so I froze half of it for a night when we need a quick dinner. Here's the recipe below with the modifications I've made and what I'll do differently next time (mainly add a 1/2 cup of wine for some kick).



Chicken Spaghetti

Modified from Pioneer Woman



4 chicken breasts, poached and shredded

1 lb spaghetti

2 cans Cream Of Mushroom soup

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 small green pepper, diced

1 small onion, diced

12 ounces mushrooms, cut into chunks

1/2 cup white wine

1 jar pimentos, drained and diced

2 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Salt And Pepper, to taste

1 cup additional grated cheddar cheese

4-5 pieces of white bread, torn

butter



Cook chicken breasts and pick out the meat to make two cups. Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook. While spaghetti cooks, saute green pepper, onion and mushrooms in a little butter or oil until soft. Deglaze pan with white wine, then add chicken to heat through. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar.



Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Pulse torn bread and butter in a food processor until you have coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly and the breadcrumbs are toasted.

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Zesty Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

I loved the Zesty Broccoli Casserole the last time I made it, but I wanted to find a way to turn it into a main dish instead of a side dish. Adding chicken was just the trick:


One of the things I love most about this meal is the crispy panko coating on top:



Zesty Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

3-4 broccoli crowns, cut into bite-size pieces
3/4 cup chopped onion (about 1/2 medium)
2 tablespoons oil
3 chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/2 cups milk
2 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise (or sour cream)
1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
3/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

Preheat oven to 375°.

Cook broccoli and onion in a pan with 1 tablespoon oil until broccoli is just tender. Arrange in an even layer in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with butter; set aside. Add second tablespoon oil to pan and cook chicken until golden-brown. Arrange on top of broccoli mixture.

Melt two tablespoons butter in empty pan over medium-high heat then add flour. Cook for 1 minute, then add milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until thick, whisking constantly. Remove from heat. Add cheddar and cream cheeses; stir until smooth. Stir in mayonnaise and water chestnuts. Spoon cheese mixture evenly over broccoli.

Place panko in a small bowl. Drizzle with remaining two tablespoons melted butter, and toss. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture evenly over broccoli mixture. Bake for 25 minutes or until mixture begins to bubble and breadcrumbs brown.

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Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole

As I recently said, I love casseroles for their ease and because they can be so darn good. This recipe for Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole was not only easy, it was really tasty.







Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole

Erica's Kitchen Adventures



2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 bell pepper, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 lb diced ham

2 cups poached, shredded chicken breast (1 lb chicken breasts)

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 14 oz can chicken broth

3 cups cooked rice (1 cup uncooked rice)

1 cup shredded cheddar

1 cup shredded mozzarella and/or Swiss



Preheat oven to 350.



Heat oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and peppers and cook for about 5 minutes, until tender. Add the garlic, chicken and ham and cook for another 5 minutes until heated through. Add the butter and cook until melted, then stir in the flour, salt and pepper until combined. Slowly stir in the chicken broth, then mix in the rice.



Transfer mixture to a 9x13 baking dish and sprinkle the top with cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese is browned and the dish is bubbling hot. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

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Chicken, Spinach and Mushroom Casserole

I love casseroles. Not only are they easy but they're also very comforting as the weather gets colder.


This one was really good. Just look at this crispy breadcrumb topping:



Chicken, Spinach and Mushroom Casserole
Adapted from Savory Safari

1/2 pound egg noodles
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 large onion, diced
10 oz. mushrooms
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 box frozen spinach, defrosted and wrung dry
4 strips bacon, cooked and chopped
2 cups poached chicken (1 lb chicken breasts), shredded
4 slices fresh bread
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup grated Pecorino cheese


Cook egg noodles until just tender, leaving some bite. Drain and toss with olive oil to keep them from sticking together. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add in thyme and white wine and cook until nearly evaporated. Add chicken broth, bring to a simmer, and reduce slightly.

Turn heat to low and whisk in cream. Slowly return sauce to a low simmer and reduce again slightly. Add spinach to the sauce and warm through. Remove from heat and stir in bacon, chicken and noodles. Turn the mixture into a greased 2 1/2-qt casserole dish.

Tear bread into pieces and pulse in food processor until coarsely chopped. Add in melted butter and pulse to combine. Toss with cheese in a small bowl, and top the casserole with the mixture. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes, or until heated through and breadcrumbs are brown.

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Italian Baked Chicken and Pasta

Another casserole recipe from my friend Lauren, this one for Italian Baked Chicken and Pasta:


Instead of pastina I used penne, but I kept everything else the same. I really liked this dish. Very comforting and easy to make. I especially liked the chunks of tomato, which reminded me that summer is right around the corner.

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Cheesy Casser-ravioli

I got this recipe for Cheesy Casser-ravioli from my friend Lauren. It was easy to make and SP and I really liked it.


I used fresh broccoli instead of frozen and left out the chicken. It was easy and delicious.

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