Ingredients
1 tbsp. butter, softened
1 medium shallot, quartered
2 cloves garlic
1 1/4 c. heavy cream
1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
2 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and sliced very thinly
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
12 oz. baked ham, sliced 1/4" thick
2 oz. Gruyère, finely grated
2 tbsp. Freshly grated Parmesan
Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish
Preparation
Step 1Preheat oven to 375°. Grease a 2-qt. shallow oval baking dish or medium ovenproof skillet with butter. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, bring shallots, garlic, cream, and thyme to a simmer. Cook until shallots and garlic are very tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Scrape into a blender and blend until smooth. Step 2Spread 1/3 of cream sauce in bottom of baking dish and top with half of the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Top with half the ham, and another third of the sauce. Repeat with remaining potatoes, ham, and sauce. Cover dish tightly with foil. Step 3Bake until bubbly and potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes. Step 4Remove foil and top with Gruyère and Parmesan. Broil until cheese is bubbly and golden, about 4 minutes. Step 5Top with parsley and serve warm.
To make it as creamy as possible, start by making a shallot, thyme, and garlic-infused sauce with the help of your blender. You can either bake the layered masterpiece in a casserole dish or in your cast-iron skillet, but be sure to butter whichever you choose to go with beforehand. (Salted or unsalted butter works here–use whatever you’ve got on hand.) The cast-iron skillet will have the added advantage of being able to be heated on the stovetop after the baking is done, to thicken any liquid that may be just a tad too soupy. It’s important to keep in mind that while your potatoes and cream sauce are not seasoned with salt, your ham probably is a little sodium-heavy already. We do recommend that you season each layer of the potatoes to avoid bland spuds, but veer on the side of a light sprinkling. As they bake, the flavors of the ham will begin to saturate the rest of the dish, lending more saltiness to each bite. And if you’d like to avoid peeling the potatoes, go ahead and skip that step. The final dish won’t be cut quite as easily, and you’ll have additional texture from the skins, but it will still be delicious. 😊 Once you’ve made this recipe, drop us a note down below and let us know what you thought!
