Our family has loved the frugal recipe for Cheesy Hashbrown Potatoes as a side dish for many years. But we also love it as a main dish — it’s as simple as throwing in some leftover diced meat when you’re assembling it, and suddenly it becomes a yummy, kid-approved entrée!
I normally use some kind of ham or sausage as the meat in this recipe, but I’m sure those aren’t the only meat options that would work well. This time I used an 8-ounce package of chopped deli meat (ham) as I’ve gotten so many packages with coupons and rebates the last few weeks.
I served it with a simple relish plate and hummus, since I’d gotten several cartons of hummus for free a couple of weeks back. Cucumbers and carrots seem to provide the best bang for my buck, at least in my area of the country, but there are lots of other raw veggies that pair beautifully with hummus!
If you want this recipe to come together even faster, you can buy frozen shredded hashbrowns. It adds a couple of extra steps to make your own, but they are very simple steps. I always make my own unless I just happen to get a great deal on hashbrowns!
This post is part of our $10 Dinner Ideas series, brought to you by Brigette on our team! Each week, she shares easy, delicious, and affordable family-friendly dinner ideas that cost less than $10 to make, use everyday ingredients, and are super quick meals.
Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole Dinner Menu:
- Baked Cheesy Potatoes with Ham
- Veggie Plate with Hummus (I used cucumber, grape tomatoes, and baby carrots)
Ingredients for Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole:
- 8-9 medium/large potatoes OR 2-lbs frozen shredded hashbrowns (Aldi – $4.65 for 10lbs) — $1
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (Publix) — $1.74
- 8 ounces chopped deli ham, diced into small pieces (Publix) — $1.49
- 2 cups milk (Aldi – $2.85 per gallon) — $0.36
- 4 Tablespoons butter, melted (Aldi – $2.69/lb) — $0.34
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (Aldi – $2.99 for 8 ounces) — $0.35
Total for Baked Cheesy Potatoes with Ham: $5.28 (serves 6)
Ingredients for Raw Veggie Plate with Hummus:
- 1 tub hummus (Publix) — FREE after Flavor Wiki survey
- 1 carton grape tomatoes (Aldi) — $2.39
- 1/2 bag of baby carrots (Aldi – $0.79) — $0.40
- 1/2 English cucumber, sliced (Aldi – $0.85) — $0.43
Total for Veggie Plate with Hummus: $3.22 (serves 6)
Total Cost for Dinner: $8.50 (makes 6 servings)
How to Make Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole:
1. Follow Steps 1-6 of the directions here (or on the recipe card below) for making Cheesy Shredded Potatoes.
2. While the potatoes are boiling, assemble the relish plate (there are no specific instructions here — just use whatever veggies you have!).
3. Once you are done with Steps 1-6, and the shredded potatoes are in a 9×13 pan, stir in the shredded cheddar cheese and the diced ham. In a separate bowl, stir together the milk, melted butter, and salt.
4. Pour the butter/milk mixture over the potatoes and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake at 350ºF for 50-60 minutes, or until cheese is browned (I usually turn the broiler on high for the last 1-2 minutes).
6. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve with the veggie plate with hummus.
Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole
Ingredients
Ingredients for Baked Cheesy Potatoes with Ham:
- 8-9 medium/large potatoes OR 2-lbs frozen shredded hashbrowns Aldi – $4.65 for 10lbs — $1
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese Publix — $1.74
- 8 ounces chopped deli ham diced into small pieces (Publix) — $1.49
- 2 cups milk Aldi – $2.85 per gallon — $0.36
- 4 Tablespoons butter melted (Aldi – $2.69/lb) — $0.34
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese Aldi – $2.99 for 8 ounces — $0.35
Ingredients for Raw Veggie Plate with Hummus:
- 1 tub hummus Publix — FREE after Flavor Wiki survey
- 1 carton grape tomatoes Aldi — $2.39
- 1/2 bag baby carrots Aldi – $0.79 — $0.40
- 1/2 English cucumber sliced (Aldi – $0.85) — $0.43
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
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If using whole potatoes, scrub them and place the whole, unpeeled potatoes in a large pot of boiling water. Boil for about 15 minutes, or just until starting to get tender. (NOTE: I’ve tried skipping the boiling part and just using shredded raw potatoes and it doesn’t taste the same. So don’t skip this step!)
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While the potatoes are boiling, assemble the relish plate (there are no specific instructions here — just use whatever veggies you have!).
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Rinse potatoes in cold water and peel (the skins will fall off with just a little bit of pressure – it’s not necessary to get every little piece of skin off).
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Let cool and then dry the potatoes (I use a paper towel to do this).
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Once potatoes are dry, grate them to resemble hash browns.
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Place shredded potatoes or frozen (thawed) hash browns in a 9×13 pan.
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Once the shredded potatoes are in a 9×13 pan, stir in the shredded cheddar cheese and the diced ham. In a separate bowl, stir together the milk, melted butter, and salt.
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Pour the butter/milk mixture over the potatoes and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
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Bake at 350ºF for 50-60 minutes, or until cheese is browned (I usually turn the broiler on high for the last 1-2 minutes).
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Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve with the veggie plate with hummus.
Notes
Nutrition
FAQ about Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole:
Make an easy but filling cheesy potato casserole by using frozen hash browns and chopped deli meat. Combine them with this recipe’s other ingredients for a satisfying, quick, and delicious meal.
More Ideas for Family Dinners Under $10:
- Easy Homemade Stromboli
- Egg Roll in a Bowl
- Baked Nachos
- Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole and Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins
- Sloppy Joes and Simple Coleslaw
- Chinese Chicken Stir Fry with Vegetables
- Cheesy Baked Tortellini and Green Bean Fries
- Bubble Pizza
- Creamy Chicken and Rice Skillet
- French Toast Casserole and Baked Scrambled Eggs
- Easy Baked Chicken
- Biscuits and Gravy
And, be sure to check out all our easy dinner recipes here!
If you make this Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole $10 family dinner, we’d love for you to leave a review and let us know how it turned out!
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