Vintage Ham Casserole with Cayenne Cheddar Biscuits
Vintage Ham Casserole {or referred to as a Ham Pie or Ham Pot Pie} is a creamy ham and vegetable casserole recipe with a top layer of cayenne cheddar biscuits. The flavor combination with a hint of spice in each bite is a blessing to your senses and your taste buds!
We found the original recipe in a cookbook that once belonged to my great-grandmother. She had a love of food and her cookbook was well used with a bit of water damage. However, we were able to recreate the parts of the recipe we were unable to read and change things up slightly to make it even more flavorful and tasty with not a lot of work. We like a little spice in the Coogan household!
The result … had us blown away by how incredibly great this dish is! This old-timey ultimate comfort food just may have you feeling the same way.
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What do you need to make this easy weeknight dinner?
Vintage Ham Casserole or Ham Pot Pie is very similar to a homemade chicken pot pie in texture and ingredients however the Cayenne Cheddar Biscuits are such a nice twist to the typical pot pie in the most delicious way! It’s savory, comforting, and absolutely yummy! We enjoy baking ours in a 9×13-inch baking dish (or casserole dish) but you can certainly use a deep pie plate and add pre-made pie crusts or puff pastry to the bottom then add the biscuits as the top crust. It’s one of my most favorite recipes!
Here’s your ingredient checklist needed to make the Ham Casserole filling:
- Ham, sliced thick and then chopped – 1 pound *(you can also substitute leftover ham, ham steak, or deli ham)
- Butter, unsalted – 4 tablespoons
- Onion, 1 large – chopped finely
- Fresh garlic, 6 cloves – minced
- Mushrooms, 1/2 cup – sliced
- Kosher salt, 1 teaspoon salt
- Black pepper, 1 teaspoon pepper
- Flour, 1/4 cup
- Dry mustard, 1/2 teaspoon
- Whole milk, 2 cups milk *( you can also substitute low-fat milk or skim milk but we prefer the flavor of whole milk)
- Mixed vegetables, 1 cup frozen
Cayenne Cheddar Cheese Biscuit ingredients:
- Flour, 1 cup
- Cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon
- Butter, unsalted – 6 tablespoons
- Cheddar cheese, shredded – 1 cup
How to make Vintage Ham Casserole …
Ham pot pie or ham casserole is an easy recipe and a great way to prepare for a church supper, pot luck, and especially a yummy family dinner for a weeknight or weekend meal. You may think ham is the star of this recipe but I’d say this lean meat takes a seat to these cayenne cheddar biscuits! Let’s get started …
Start by moving your oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 375° degrees F.
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add in onions and cook for about 2 to 4 minutes, until they have thoroughly softened.
Add in the garlic, mushrooms, salt, and pepper to the skillet and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes until the mushrooms have softened and most of the liquid has reduced. Reduce the temperature to medium heat.
Stir in the flour and dry mustard and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes or until it begins to brown a bit.
Add in the whole milk and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
Remove from heat and stir in the chopped ham and frozen veggies.
Transfer the ham mixture filling to a 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside.
How to make the cheese crust out of Cayenne Cheddar Biscuits …
Using a food processor, pulse together the flour and cayenne pepper. Don’t be afraid of the cayenne pepper! It adds the most surprising and delightful tiny kick of spice and flavor to each bite of biscuit. The spice is softened by the creamy sauce the casserole bakes in … so it doesn’t add a lot of heat just a lot of flavor!
Next, add in the butter and continue to pulse until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal.
Then move the dough to a smooth and lightly floured surface.
Sprinkle the dough with shredded cheddar cheese and knead until the cheese is well blended together.
After you have thoroughly combined the dry ingredients and the shredded cheddar cheese, roll the dough into a large ball.
Pinch off small 1 inch pieces of dough and roll each piece into a ball.
How to assemble this easy dinner recipe …
Lightly pat each ball into a ⅛ inch thick disc.
Place each disc onto the top of the ham mixture, covering and overlapping the dough discs on the top of the ham casserole like patchwork.
Bake the ham casserole for 40 minutes until the top crust has turned golden brown.
Allow to cool and rest for about 5 to 10 minutes once you remove it from the oven in order for it to fully set prior to serving.
How do I store leftovers and can I freeze Ham Pie with Cayenne Cheddar Biscuits?
Store the leftover ham recipe in an air-tight container or sealed up in plastic wrap. Eat within 3 days by reheating in the oven or microwave.
You can freeze ham pie casserole by baking and allow it to fully cool. Wrap in several layers of plastic wrap and aluminum foil then freeze for up to 3 months. Allow it to defrost in the refrigerator overnight prior to baking. * If you plan to freeze, it may be a good idea to use a disposable aluminum pan and always use a permanent marker to write the date and description on the foil.
What should you serve for dessert with this easy casserole recipe?
The perfect dessert for such a vintage and scrumptious family dinner is a delicious Hummingbird Cake!
Hummingbird Cake is a passed-down gem of a spice cake recipe filled with bananas, fresh pineapple, walnuts, and pecans. There are many variations of this recipe out there but I’ve found our precious hand-me-down the easiest to make with a few sweet tweaks. This delicious cake is topped with Cream Cheese Frosting and layered with a cinnamon, pineapple, nut, and frosting filling. She is simply divine!
Looking for more tasty and easy recipes? Try a few here:
- Italian Chicken and Acorn Squash Couscous
- Chicken & Pork Crostina Pasta
- Creamy Beef and Potatoes
- Wild Rice Chicken Casserole – (Easy Recipe)
- Meat and Potato Timballo Pie
Vintage Ham Casserole with Cayenne Cheddar Biscuits
Equipment
- Large Skillet
- Food processor
- 9×13 inch baking dish
Ingredients
Ham Casserole Filling
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large onion , chopped finely
- 6 cloves fresh garlic , minced
- ½ cup mushrooms , sliced
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ¼ cup flour
- ½ tsp dry mustard
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 pound ham , sliced thick then chopped
- 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables , (peas, carrots)
Dough
- 1 cup flour
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup cheddar cheese , shredded
Instructions
Ham Pie Filling
- Move oven rack to the middle position. Preheat oven to 375° F.In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add in onions and cook for about 2 to 4 minutes, until they have thoroughly softened.
- Add in garlic, mushrooms, salt, and pepper to the skillet and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes until the mushrooms have softened and most of the liquid has reduced. Reduce the temperature to medium heat.
- Stir in the flour and dry mustard and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes or until it begins to brown.
- Add in the whole milk and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes until the sauce has a thickened consistency.
- Remove from heat and stir in the chopped ham and frozen veggies.
- Transfer the ham mixture filling to a 9×13 inch baking dish; set aside.
Dough
- Using a food processor, pulse together the flour and cayenne pepper. Add in the butter and continue to pulse until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal.
- Move the dough to a smooth, floured surface. Sprinkle the dough with shredded cheese and knead until the cheese is well blended together.
- Pinch off small 1 inch pieces of dough and roll each piece into a ball. Lightly pat each ball into a ⅛ inch thick disc. Place each disc onto the top of the ham mixture, covering the top like patchwork.
- Bake for 40 minutes until the top crust has turned golden brown.
Notes
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