Recipe: Scalloped Potatoes with Ham (using celery seed and cheddar)

SCALLOPED POTATOES WITH HAM

"Here's my mother's recipe. This was my favorite food when i was a kid - I used to beg for scalloped potatoes with ham. I was so disappointed when I found that no one else's recipe tasted the same - the celery seed is the secret! If you want to make this low-fat, you can use skim milk and low-fat or fat-free cheese in it, if you like, but the butter is indispensable." - Meredith Tanner

3 or 4 potatoes, sliced
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 to 1 tsp. celery seed
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups milk
3/4 to 1 cup grated extra-sharp cheddar
1 cup diced ham

Saute onion in butter about 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour, celery seed, salt and pepper. Add milk; cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to thicken. Add the cheese and continue to cook until it has all melted.

Put 1/3 of the sliced potatoes into a 1-quart casserole. Distribute half the ham on top of the potatoes, and top with 1/2 of the cheese sauce. Put another 1/3 of the potatoes in, with the other half of the ham, and cover that with the last 1/3 of the potatoes, and cover with the other 1/2 of the sauce.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake another 40 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Let stand 5 minutes before serving (to give the sauce time to set).

Source: Meredith Tanner, 1990's