Okay, so the other day I decided to throw together that potato and ham casserole using the crock pot. It’s one of those easy meals, you know? Perfect for when you don’t want to fuss too much but still want something hearty.
Getting Things Ready
First off, I gathered everything I needed. Got about, I’d say, 5 or 6 medium potatoes. Nothing fancy, just regular ones. I gave them a good scrub, then sliced ’em up. Didn’t bother peeling them, honestly. I like the skins on for this kind of dish, adds a bit of texture. I aimed for maybe a quarter-inch thickness, roughly.
Then, the ham. I had some leftover cooked ham in the fridge, probably about two cups worth once I diced it up. Just chopped it into bite-sized pieces. Easy peasy.
For the creamy part, I grabbed a can of that condensed cream of chicken soup. Yeah, the standard stuff. Poured that into a bowl. To that, I added about a cup of sour cream – gives it a nice tang. Then maybe half a cup of milk just to thin it out a bit so it wouldn’t be too thick. Whisked that all together. Oh, almost forgot, I threw in about a cup of shredded cheddar cheese right into this sauce mixture. And some salt and pepper, of course. Didn’t measure precisely, just eyeballed it till it looked right.
Layering it Up in the Crock Pot
Alright, time for the crock pot. I sprayed the inside with some non-stick spray first. Always helps with cleanup later, trust me.
Then I started layering:
- Put down about half of the sliced potatoes on the bottom.
- Sprinkled half the diced ham over the potatoes.
- Spoon half of that creamy soup mixture over the ham and potatoes. Tried to spread it evenly-ish.
Then I just repeated those layers: the rest of the potatoes, the rest of the ham, and finally topped it all off with the remaining soup mixture. Spread it out best I could.
Cooking Time
Put the lid on the crock pot. I set mine to low. For the time, I figured it would take a while for those potatoes to get tender, so I set it for about 6 hours. Could probably do 4 hours on high, but I wasn’t in a rush, and low usually makes things taste better, I think. The house started smelling pretty good after a few hours, that classic ham and potato scent.
The Final Result
After about 6 hours, I checked the potatoes with a fork. Yep, nice and tender. The sauce was bubbly around the edges. Looked just right. I gave it a little stir, just to make sure everything was coated.
Scooped some onto a plate. It was exactly what I expected – creamy, cheesy, comforting. The potatoes were soft, the ham added that salty flavor. It wasn’t gourmet or anything, but it hit the spot. Super simple to make and cleans up pretty easily if you remembered the cooking spray. Definitely a keeper for lazy days.
