Italian Ham and Potato Casserole

Easter Sunday, baby. The day the Lord rose and the church ate. I was in the New Hope kitchen by five in the morning, before the sun, before the birds, before Calvin finished his first cup of coffee. I had two hams in the oven by five-thirty, the collard greens on the stove by six, and the first batch of fried chicken going by seven. Sister Mable and Sister Terri came in at six-thirty to help, which meant Mable stirred whatever I told her to stir and Terri talked nonstop while doing approximately forty percent of the actual work. I love Terri. I manage Terri. These are the same skill.

The sunrise service was beautiful. Calvin preached about the women at the tomb — how the first people to see the risen Christ were women, because God knows who shows up first and who shows up always, and it is women, it has always been women, in the kitchen and at the tomb and everywhere in between. I sat in the pew with tears on my face because Calvin can do that to me even after twenty-four years — he can open his mouth and the words that come out are not his words, they are God's words wearing Calvin's voice, and every time it happens I fall in love with the vessel all over again.

The Easter dinner was glorious. A hundred and sixty people ate in the fellowship hall, which is more than I planned for but less than surprised me. I had cooked enough for two hundred because Mama taught me one rule above all others: better to have too much than not enough, because running out of food at a church dinner is a sin worse than gossip, and gossip is the official sport of the AME church. We did not run out. We had enough ham left over to feed the Tuesday Bible study crowd, which I did, because waste is another sin Mama did not tolerate.

Marcus ate three plates. That boy is growing like somebody is watering him. He is taller than Calvin now, which is not saying much because Calvin has never been a tall man, but Marcus carries his height with this easy grace that makes me think he is going to be something. He helped clear tables after dinner without being asked, which tells you everything about how he was raised and nothing he will ever brag about.

I got home at four in the afternoon, took off my shoes, sat in the kitchen chair, and did not move for two hours. Calvin brought me sweet tea and did not say a word. That man knows when I need silence the way I know when collards need vinegar. It is instinct. It is twenty-four years.

All that leftover ham sitting in my refrigerator Monday morning told me exactly what I was making for dinner—something that would stretch it further and feed my family without requiring me to think too hard, because after a church dinner that size my brain was still on that kitchen chair with my shoes off. Italian ham and potato casserole is the kind of dish Mama would have called “practical beautiful”—humble ingredients, real comfort, nothing to prove. Here’s how I put it together.

Prep Time: 35 minutes | Cook Time: 55 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes | Servings: 12

Ingredients

3 1/2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whole milk, warmed
2 large eggs, beaten
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the boiling water
1 1/2 cups diced cooked ham (about 8 oz)
8 oz mild Italian sausage, casings removed, cooked and crumbled
4 oz Genoa salami, finely chopped
1/2 cup jarred roasted red peppers, drained and diced
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 1/2 cups shredded whole-milk mozzarella, divided
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat and prepare the dish. Heat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter and set aside.
Cook the potatoes. Place potato chunks in a large pot, cover with cold salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook until completely tender, about 18 to 20 minutes. Drain thoroughly and return the potatoes to the hot pot for 2 minutes to steam off any remaining moisture.
Rice the potatoes. Pass the potatoes through a potato ricer into a large mixing bowl. Do not use a mixer — ricing keeps the texture light and keeps the casserole from turning gluey.
Build the base. Add the remaining 5 tablespoons butter, sour cream, warm milk, beaten eggs, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper to the riced potatoes. Stir until smooth and fully combined.
Fold in the meats and vegetables. Add the ham, cooked Italian sausage, salami, roasted red peppers, parsley, and 1 cup of the mozzarella to the potato mixture. Fold gently until everything is evenly distributed.
Fill and top the casserole. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish. Scatter the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese evenly over the top.
Bake until golden. Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown and the edges are bubbling. If the cheese browns too quickly before the center is set, lay a sheet of foil loosely over the top for the last 10 minutes.
Rest before serving. Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes before cutting. This allows the layers to set so servings hold their shape when you lift them out — which matters when you are plating for a hundred and sixty people.

Nutrition (per serving)

Italian Ham and Potato Casserole — The Easter Dish I Carried Into the Fellowship Hall While It Was Still Hot and Mother Washington Said “Lord Have Mercy” for the Second Time