POTATO HAM AND CHEESE RECIPES

Steps:

• Boil the potatoes in salted water for 8-10 mins, until tender but still firm. Leave to cool, then slice.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Unroll the pastry with its baking parchment on a baking tray. Reserve 1 tbsp of the crème fraîche, then spread the rest over the pastry, leaving a 2cm border around the edge. Season. Layer the potatoes, ham and cheese over half of the pastry, seasoning the potatoes as you go.
• Fold over the other half of the pastry and use a fork to seal the edges. Trim with a knife for a neat finish – the pie should look like a big sausage roll. Mix a little water into the reserved crème fraîche, then brush all over the pastry. Make a few cuts along the length, then bake for 35-40 mins until golden. Leave to cool for 10 mins, then serve with a salad, if you like.

Steps:

• Arrange a rack in the top third of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 2-quart baking dish (such as an 8x8x2-inch) with cooking spray or butter.
• Peel and cut 2 pounds russet potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes (about 5 1/2 cups). Place in a large bowl and add 1 cup diced ham. Dice 1/2 medium yellow onion. Grate 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese on the large holes of a box grater (about 2 cups).
• Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add 2 cups whole or 2% milk, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, and stir until the flour is dissolved. Bring to a simmer, stirring often. Simmer until thickened to the consistency of cream sauce, 2 to 3 minutes more. Add 1 1/2 cups of the cheese and stir until completely melted. Taste and season with more kosher salt as needed.
• Pour over the potato and ham and stir to combine. Transfer to the baking dish and spread into an even layer.
• Bake until the potatoes in the center of the baking dish are knife tender, 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese over the casserole. Turn the oven on to broil and broil until the cheese on top is melted and browned in spots, 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes for the sauce to thicken before serving.