Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

If you’ve been near an internet-connected device in the past week, you’ve noticed a big welcome back to white potatoes from the folks at Whole9, including them in their Whole30 protocol. Heather and I have read (and gifted) their NY Times best-seller It Starts With Food as well as done Whole30 challenges on several occasions. Definitely check out their resources if you haven’t come across them yet.

That being said, when push comes to shove, we’ve been more lenient with certain starches in our lives than some other things—if one food option has dairy and the other a starch (potato or white rice), we’ll almost always go with the starch. Both of us have family back in Wisconsin, so avoiding cheese isn’t our favorite thing, but the fact of the matter is that it makes us (with the rare exception of the occasional raw cheese) feel worse rather than better. That hasn’t been the case with potatoes, so we’re excited to see them gain more attention and come back into the fold for those of us advocating a real food diet.

Several people have mentioned their rationale behind allowing potatoes in their diet (e.g. The Domestic Man, Primal Palate, Nom Nom Paleo, Mat Lalonde, Paul Jaminet, Mark Sisson, among others), so I won’t beat a dead horse here and hope you won’t call the uber-strict paleo police on us. At the end of the day, we’re advocates for eating with a health-focused perspective, and starches aren’t antithetical to health for all people. When dialing in on the right diet for you, listen to your body, performance, and overall well-being and make adjustments as necessary. Beyond eating real food, I don’t believe there’s only one diet that is healthy for everyone. Ok, on to the stuff you want to see…

Scalloped potatoes and ham is something I grew up eating fairly regularly (or at least it seems that way). I was always a fan of these types of comfort food, especially during those cold winters in Wisconsin growing up. When we saw the news from Melissa and Dallas while on vacation, we knew we wanted to share a potato-related post to celebrate the news. If you are following a Whole30, this recipe might need slight modification—most hams you will find in a supermarket are going to be sweetened in some way, often using honey or sugar. Have no fear, because there are some great options: 1. You can pickup a sugar-free ham over at US Wellness Meats (Russ cooks up one well here), 2. You can cook up a pork shoulder and cube that as well (it will be less salty, but not bad), 3. You could substitute another diced, cooked meat (chicken, turkey, or dare I say it, salmon!?), or 4. You can always eliminate the ham, leaving a delicious scalloped potatoes to serve as a side to another protein. We hope you’ll love this dish as much as we do.

Ingredients
4 Russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (approx. 5 C)
1 medium white onion, thinly sliced (approx. 2.5 C)
3 C ham, cubed
2 Tbsp ghee
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
pinch of salt and pepper
1 14.5 oz can full-fat coconut milk

Method

1. In a large skillet pan, melt 2 Tbsp of ghee on medium-low heat. Add dried spices and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds); then add in coconut milk.

2. Allow to reduce on a low simmer (stirring frequently) for approximately 20 minutes. The mixture should thicken and reduce by about 25%.

3. While the sauce simmers, prep your potatoes, onion, and ham. We were recently surprised with this slicer that helped us get through slicing in about 3 minutes. It was beautiful.

4. Layer in a greased casserole dish potatoes, onion, and ham, making 2-3 layers depending on your dish. Top with a final layer of potato.

5. Pour your reduced sauce over the contents of the casserole dish.

6. Bake covered in the oven at 350°F for 55 minutes, and then uncover and cook for an additional 12-15 minutes to brown the top. Allow it to cool for a few minutes, and then serve!

Hooray for delicious comfort food—if you feel the same way, please do share this with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, and your favorite social media. Also, please do subscribe for emails if you haven’t already in the top-left menu navigation!