The other day, I made a red potato casserole with ham and cheese. I thinly sliced the potatoes first and cooked them in a pan coated with butter. In another pan, I had 1/2 of a red onion, chopped, with 1 chopped green pepper. Once the onion and pepper were pretty much cooked, I added a chopped ham steak and cooked that through. Now, I did not cook the potatoes completely because I thought they would get too mushy once I put them in the oven. As it turns out, red potatoes are a bit more durable than that. So, if you decide to try this, cook them all the way through in the pan first. After the potatoes are done, add the onion mixture to the potatoes and mix thoroughly. Let the mixture cool to room temperature (if you are making it ahead of time) and then put 1/2 in a 13x9 pan. Then, pour 4 tablespoons of cream (I used half and half, but you can probably use fat free half and half if you would like) over the mixture and cover with about 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Put the rest of the potato mixture on top and repeat the cream and cheese over top. Cover and refrigerate. When ready, bake at 350 degree oven for about 1/2 hour. Let it set for about 5 to 10 minutes and serve.
The nice thing about this casserole is that it can be adjusted in so many ways. You can add other vegetables or omit the ham. I think I would use a little less fat by cooking the onion and pepper in a sprayed pan rather than using butter there. I would also use fat free half and half. However, I would absolutely add more cheese than I did last time.
