Underground Ham Casserole is an Amish ham and mashed potatoes casserole - a comforting Amish dish that makes a hearty and satisfying main course.
It's made with tender cubes of ham smothered in rich mushroom gravy, all topped with a layer of creamy mashed potatoes. This easy-to-make casserole brings simple ingredients together in a way that's warm, filling, and sure to be loved by the whole family!
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How to Make Ham and Potato Casserole
To make this easy ham and potato dish, you'll want to start by peeling and cooking the potatoes.
Peel and slice or dice the potatoes. Place them in a large pot with several inches of water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 20 - 25 minutes until they are soft. (Continue boiling the potatoes until you are ready to mash them.)
Drain the water and mash the potatoes (I use my hand mixer). Add the sour cream, milk, and seasonings and beat until creamy.
While the potatoes are cooking, melt the 2 Tbsp. butter in a small skillet. Add the chopped onions and cook until softened, then add the cubed or shredded ham and Worcestershire sauce. Pour this mixture into a roaster or deep-dish 8" baking pan.
Mix the cream of mushroom soup, milk, and cheese in a small saucepan and heat. Then pour this mixture over the top of the ham. (Homemade mushroom soup is not hard to make, if you want to take the healthier route.)
Carefully spoon the mashed potatoes over the mushroom gravy and spread them over the top.
To make brown butter, you simply melt salted butter and continue cooking it until it is lightly browned with a wonderful nutty aroma. Drizzle this over the top of the mashed potatoes.
Make-ahead Casserole
This Amish potato casserole can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight. And you won't need to heat the mushroom soup mixture before adding it.
However, you will need to bake it longer since it will be cold. I recommend baking this cold casserole dish at 275 degrees for an hour or until heated through.
Using Leftover Ham and Mashed Potatoes
This mashed potato and ham casserole recipe is a great way to use up leftovers.
Perhaps you've cooked a big Christmas or Easter dinner and ended up with lots of leftover mashed potatoes and ham. Here's a delicious way to use both of them.
It's ok to use leftover mashed potatoes even if they aren't made the same as in this recipe. If they seem really stiff, you can warm the potatoes and mix in the sour cream. Then use them to make this delicious Amish casserole.
"Underground" Ham Casserole
It's apparent where the name "Underground Ham Casserole" came from because the ham and gravy are buried beneath the mashed potatoes. You have to dig underground to find the ham. 🙂
If you ever browse through an Amish or Mennonite cookbook, you might find interesting names for some of the recipes. I guess someone got bored with common recipe names, so they decided to get creative.
But the name for this potato ham casserole totally makes sense. 🙂
If you try this Amish recipe for Underground Ham and Mashed Potatoes Casserole, I'd love it if you left a comment and star rating below. Thank you!
📖 Recipe Card
Underground Ham Casserole (Amish ham and potato recipe)
Ingredients
- 6 medium potatoes
- ¾ c. sour cream
- ½ c. milk
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- 2 ½ c. cubed ham
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- ⅓ c. onion (finely chopped)
- 1 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- ½ c. milk
- 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 Tbsp. brown butter
Instructions
- Peel, slice, and cook potatoes in water until soft (takes about 25 minutes).6 medium potatoes
- Drain the potatoes and mash. Add the sour cream, milk, and seasonings.¾ c. sour cream, ½ c. milk, ½ tsp. salt, ½ tsp. black pepper, ½ tsp. garlic powder
- Melt the butter in a skillet. Add chopped onions and fry for a few minutes. Add the cubed ham and worcestershire sauce. Mix and cook for a couple of minutes.2 ½ c. cubed ham, 2 Tbsp. butter, ⅓ c. onion (finely chopped), 1 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce
- In a small saucepan, heat the milk, mushroom soup, and cheese.1 can cream of mushroom soup, ½ c. milk, 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
- Cook the 2 Tbsp. of butter until lightly browned.2 Tbsp. brown butter
- Pour the ham mixture into the bottom of a deep dish 8x8" baking pan or a roaster.
- Spread the mushroom soup mixture over the top of the ham.
- Drop the mashed potatoes, by large spoonfuls, over the top and carefully spread to cover the gravy.
- Drizzle the browned butter over the top of the mashed potatoes.
- Bake uncovered, at 300°, for about 30 minutes or until heated through. (If you make this dish ahead and chill it, you will need to bake it for about an hour at 275°.)
Anna
It's yummy!
Linda
I made this for my husband and me, and we were blown away how good it is. I only had 3 potatoes and left them just a little chunky but otherwise followed the directions. This is going into regular rotation for us!
Anna
Thank you for your comment! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Chrissie Odeen
Hi! Whole family enjoyed this!!!
As a #Suggestion: As a Mum, a Nutritionist, and a Chef, I have a couple of things to recommend (PLEASE don't take this as criticism!!) A. I never peel my potatoes, as all the nutrients are in the peels - and B. I always use red potatoes, since they're so gloriously waxy, and the skins so thin!! Sure, it makes a chunky "smashed" potato, but it's SO DELICIOYUS - for #5 of potatoes, I use #.5 of butter, and maybe 1/2-3/4 cup whole milk, that's all, and they're perfect!. C. ALWAYS cut potatoes 1 time, LENGTHWISE - potatoes absorb water on all cut sides, so giving it just a single side to absorb helps ensure they will never be gluey!!! D. Let the potatoes sit a bit in the colander (DO NOT rinse, you want that starch!). But it helps any excess water drain off.
Truly, I thought I was the mashed potato master until I learned about the single lengthwise slice - it really does make all the difference!!! And leaving it as a "slightly chunk smashed potatoes" made digging through to the diced ham/gravy even more delightful - bites of potato and ham in a heavenly bechamel (I'm allergic to onions, so I omit and just make a bechamel gravy without)? Bliss!!!