Smith's Chef Jeff Jackson's recipe, as featured on Good Day Utah: Weekend Edition!
Ingredients
2 cups diced ham
4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
1 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheese
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. pepper
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. paprika
Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 375. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray.
2. In a saute pan, heat the butter over medium heat until it’s melted. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders. Cook until the milk starts to simmer, stirring very often to prevent scorching. Once the sauce is simmering, stir in the cheese until its melted and then remove it from the heat.
3. Using a mandolin, slice the potatoes about 1/8 inch thick. Layer half of the potatoes in the baking dish followed by half of the ham. Pour half of the cheese sauce over the potatoes and use a spatula to spread the sauce throughout the potatoes. Make another layer of potatoes, ham and the rest of the cheese sauce. Evenly spread the sauce on top and then sprinkle the paprika over the top.
4. Cover with foil and bake for 60 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the cheese sauce begins to brown. Remove from the oven and let it set 10-15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
