By Kevin Williams
The Amish like to ham it up, that is for sure. And one of the favorite ways to do so is with this "underground ham casserole" named so because the ham, well, you have to "dig" for it. Ham is something enjoyed year-round in most Amish kitchens, but it seems to go especially well in winter. And hog butchering days are usually in late winter, so the supply of fresh ham would be especially plentiful then. Amish cooks will cure their ham in several different ways: salt, smoked, or sugared.
This recipe is , for some reason, another one of those that is found in every single Amish cookbook. It's a very popular recipe in Amish kitchens. Recipe tester Karen gave it a try for us and photographed it and here is what she had to say about it:
This is a hearty stick-to-your-ribs dish that’s great for a chilly fall evening. It’s a little labor-intensive, but I used a package of prepared mashed potatoes (such as the Bob Evans brand) as a shortcut. My suggestion is to decrease the mashed potatoes by half, as I did; four quarts, as written in the original recipe, is a lot of mashed potatoes! If I make this again, I would also decrease the Velveeta to one cup instead of two. Overall rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Thank you Karen for such a superb job giving that recipe a whirl! I do think Karen's suggestions are good, they seem to put proportions in better line. Some Amish cooks have an almost religious attachment to Velveeta, while others shun it. Gloria Yoder, our Amish Cook, isn't a huge fan of it. She makes her own and you can get that recipe here.
Okay, and now Underground Ham Casserole in photos and then the recipe!
Chopping the ham!
into the casserole dish...
Sauce pour over the ham mixture, sending it "underground."
Topped with bacon and mashed potatoes sending the ham even further "underground."
Out of the oven and on the plate (kudos again to portion control, my plate would probably be piled)
- 4 cups chopped ham
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 /2 cup onion
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 can mushroom soup
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 2 cups Velveeta cheese
- 3 /4 cup milk
- 4 quarts mashed potatoes
- 2 cups sour cream
- Bacon, browned and crumbled
- Combine ham, butter, onions, and Worcestershire sauce and sauté till onions are soft.
- Put in roaster and spread evenly.
- Heat soups, cheese, and milk.
- Pour over ham. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Add sour cream to mashed potatoes.
- Put potatoes on top of ham mixture.
- Sprinkle bacon on top and bake 20 minutes longer.
- Do not add salt.
Four other Amish Ham Recipes:
THE BISHOP'S SCALLOPED HAM
1 ½ cups ground ham
1 /2 cup ham broth
2 cups cracker crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
3 cups milk
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper
Brown ham and cook until tender, then grind. Line bottom of casserole with layer of cracker crumbs, then a layer of half of the ground ham, then crackers, making two layers of each. Mix milk, seasonings, and eggs and pour over meat. Dot the top with butter. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until.
Three other Amish ham favorites:
HUBBY'S ULTIMATE HAM & CHEESE STICKY BUNS
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