January 13, 2025

Ham and Leek cheese and potato bake

We are doing a pantry challenge, and so I am using up things from the freezer and cupboards for the next few months.  I have lots of Christmas left overs, including a ham joint that I sliced and froze in packs of 4 slices.  When doing the pantry challenge, I try not to use all of the good meat and luxuries at once.  I share them out.  We have some days when we eat vegetarian, some days when we eat low quality meat, and some days when we eat the better quality meat.  I count the ham as low quality and I don’t particularly like it on it’s own.  I could have served it with chips and salad, but made it last two days by making it into this ham, leek, cheese and potato layer.

I had shallots and potatoes from the 8p Christmas vegetables, leeks free from the community fridge, cheese bought really reduced from the supermarkets and so this turned out to be a really cheap meal.  Things like frozen peas or broccoli could be added to it as well to make it a bit healthier.  We just used some Christmas 8p carrots as a side.  I have not put specific amounts as it will work just using what you have.

Ingredients

1, Ham.  Put as much or as little as you want or have.  I have done this with turkey and cooked bacon in the past, too,

1 onion (I used half a leek and a shallot instead to use things up)

4 or more small to medium sized potatoes. (I just did this as two layers, but if feeding more people, 3 or 4 layers will need more potatoes).

cheese sauce (this can be home made or from a packet).  I just add about 2 or 3oz of a strong cheese to a white sauce.

Method

  1. Slice the potatoes across so that they form circles.
  2. Par boil the potatoes until they are half cooked. (I over cooked mine as I cooked them on the wood burner and it is easy to misjudge the cooking time.  If you over cook them it is still fine.  Just save the best ones for the top).
  3. Chop the onion small and in another pan with a little bit of oil or butter cook it until soft. Add the ham cut into small cubes or little pieces and stir to warm through.
  4. Drain the potatoes, and in a baking dish put a layer of potatoes on the bottom.
  5. Put a layer of ham and onions on top.  If you are just making too layers use all the ham mixture, but if you are making more layers, divide the mixture up.
  6. Put a final layer of potatoes on the top.
  7. Make the cheese sauce, and pour over the top,
  8. I made half a pint of cheese sauce but you might need more if making the dish deeper with more layers.  I wanted mine to fit in my air fryer.
  9. Sprinkle some cheese on top if you want
  10. Cook on 180C for about 15 to 20 minutes.  Mine took 18 minutes (I always check the heat in the middle with a probe).

Sometimes I serve this with salad, other times with vegetable, just the same as I would a lasagne.  It was a really tasty meal and we still have half left for another day.  I have never tried freezing it, but it keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days if you do not want the same meal 2 days running.

I have made this with mince and fish before, and done a layer with tomato sauce and a layer with cheese sauce, or just a white sauce  It is a recipe that you can just use your imagination with,  and is great for using up what you have or  left overs.  It could be a vegetarian dish as well.

Do you make anything like this, and if so, what do use put in it?  Some people use cream to make it more luxurious.  We always make this after Christmas when we have lots of cheap potatoes, or in the summer when we have harvested potatoes.

 

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4 Comments

  1. Margie from Toronto January 13, 2025 at 6:33 pm - Reply

    I make a sort of cottage pie with leftover turkey and ham from Christmas. I like to use a cheese sauce to combine the meat with whatever bits & pieces of veg that I have (or canned) and then top it with either mashed or sliced potato. Delicious!

    • ToniG January 14, 2025 at 9:12 am - Reply

      That sounds lovely. I have made it with white sauce before but not cheese. Thanks for sharing

  2. Katie Naden January 25, 2025 at 7:31 pm - Reply

    I’ve layered up potato onion & bacon with macaroni & cheese sauce & add any leftover veg .

    • ToniG January 26, 2025 at 12:52 pm - Reply

      I bet that was gorgeous. Yes these kinds of meals are so versatile that you can add almost anything and it is a great way to use up left overs and thigs that need using up in the fridge. Thanks for sharing

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