This Cheesy Ham and Potato Skillet is an ideal weeknight dinner that comes together in a single pan. You can assemble it in the morning and bake it later, making it perfect for busy days or for bringing to someone who needs a comforting meal. It’s creamy, cheesy, and cozy—comfort food at its best.
The recipe was inspired by a holiday meal of honey ham, cheesy potatoes, creamed corn, and rolls. It’s essentially a cheesy potato (sometimes called “funeral potatoes”) updated with cubed ham and corn, and it swaps canned soup for a simple homemade cream sauce. The sauce is made with butter, flour, dried minced onion, milk, and chicken base, then finished with sharp cheddar for rich, satisfying flavor.
If you haven’t tried Better Than Bouillon chicken base, it’s worth keeping on hand. It dissolves easily and adds a deeper flavor than a typical bouillon cube, making it great for soups, stews, and any dish that benefits from a homemade creamy sauce instead of canned soup.
Using frozen cubed hash browns keeps prep fast—no peeling or chopping needed. Leftover ham from a holiday is perfect here, but you can also buy a ham and cube it yourself for the best texture and flavor.
Serve this Cheesy Ham and Potato Skillet with a simple green salad for a complete meal your family will love.
Cheesy Ham and Potato Skillet
5 Stars
4 Stars
3 Stars
2 Stars
1 Star
No reviews
- Author: Julie
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Cheesy Ham and Potato Skillet is the perfect weeknight dinner. It’s cheesy, creamy, cozy, and comforting.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried minced onions
- 3 cups milk
- 3 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon chicken base
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 cups cubed ham
- 1 1/2 cups frozen corn
- 32 ounces frozen cubed potatoes (hash browns)
FOR THE TOPPING
- 1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- Pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a 12-inch cast iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour to form a paste and cook until bubbly, about 3 minutes.
- Whisk in the dried minced onions, milk, and chicken base. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
- When the sauce begins to thicken, add the kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, and grated cheddar. Stir until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the cubed ham, frozen corn, and frozen potatoes. Mix carefully so the sauce coats the potatoes evenly.
- Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- While it bakes, combine the crushed Ritz crackers, melted butter, dried parsley, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, stirring until the crumbs are evenly coated.
- Remove the skillet after 30 minutes, sprinkle the cracker topping evenly over the surface, and return to the oven. Bake another 15–20 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.
- Let the skillet stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Serving
- Calories: 846
- Sugar: 3.7g
- Sodium: 2221mg
- Fat: 57g
- Saturated Fat: 23g
- Unsaturated Fat: 28.4g
- Trans Fat: 1.3g
- Carbohydrates: 57g
- Fiber: 4.4g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 117mg