Hearty Ham Casserole

2 cups potatoes, cubed (I used 5 smallish russet potatoes)
2 cups cooked ham, cubed (I used 1 cup cooked ham)
1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained (I used 1 cup frozen corn and 1/2 cup frozen peas)
1/4 cup finely minced fresh parsley (I used 4 tsp dried parsley)
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (I put some in the sauce, then some on top during the last 5 minutes)

White sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon chopped onions (I used a whole onion)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups milk
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
(I also added some garlic powder)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and cool. (I skipped this step)
3. Combine potatoes, ham, corn and parsley; set aside. In a saucepan saute onion in butter for 2 minutes (I sauted for much longer, maybe 10 minutes or so), stir in flour until blended well. Gradually add milk and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir until thickened. Remove from heat and pour over the ham mixture. Stir to mix well.
4. Pour into greased 11x7 baking dish. Cover and bake for 25 minutes (I baked for a little over an hour, since I put the potatoes in raw. Oh yeah, and I didn't cover it either...). Uncover, sprinkle with cheese and bake 5 to 10 minutes longer until cheese melts.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Try #1 - April 12, 2010
I followed this recipe very loosely. I added peas in addition to corn, and some garlic powder to the sauce. I also decided to bake the potatoes with everything rather than boiling them first. I think this gave the potatoes a very nice texture. However, it of course took longer to bake - about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. But if I had the time, I would definitely do it this way again. Great way to use up leftover ham and dig into that 10 lb bag of potatoes that we often have in our pantry! :)

This was creamy and delicious - although almost a bit too rich for my taste (Nathan really liked it). Next time I might use less butter.

Try #2 - January 6, 2012
I think part of the reason it was so rich last time is actually the sweet corn I used, so I decided to omit that this time. I also decided to serve the peas on the side instead of putting them in the casserole. I also used 3 Tbsp of butter instead of 1/4 cup. I cooked the potatoes ahead of time in the microwave so the baking time would be less.