Casserole Kicks Off Year With Some Fun

On New Year’s Day, one should have license to indulge in a totally rich, totally comforting dish. After all, don’t those resolutions begin after the New Year?

Make a favorite childhood recipe or something you’ve craved but haven’t dared to eat for fear of the fat cops. I’d like to recommend Scalloped Ham and Potato Casserole. It’s warm, meaty, creamy and entirely satisfying, the culinary equivalent of a favorite quilt.

You can save some last-minute

preparation time by making the cheese sauce in advance. Refrigerate it and warm it in the microwave or in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Fast and Good Drop Biscuits, using self-rising flour, will mop up any leftover sauce.

And, if you feel at all guilty, remember: No one has fond memories of celery sticks.

Scalloped Ham and Potato Casserole

2 medium yellow potatoes (see note)

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1/2 pound ham steak, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon prepared mustard

1/2 teaspoon medium-hot chili powder

Salt, pepper

Cook potatoes in water to cover until just tender, not mushy. Drain, peel and slice -inch thick. Arrange in shallow greased 2-quart casserole. Scatter onion slices over potatoes and top with ham cubes.

Melt butter in small pan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Gradually add milk and cook, stirring constantly, to form a thick sauce. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese by handfuls, stirring until melted before adding more. Stir in mustard, chili powder and salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over ham, covering surface.

Bake casserole at 350 degrees until top is golden and onions are tender, about 30 minutes.

Yield: 2 generous servings.

Note: Choose Yukon Gold or another brand of yellow-fleshed potatoes.

Fast and Good Drop Biscuits

1 cup self-rising flour

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

7 tablespoons milk or half and half

Place flour in food processor fitted with steel blade. Add butter and pulse until crumbly. With machine running, pour in milk and turn on and off for 30 seconds to form wet dough.

Drop dough onto ungreased baking sheet to form 4 (3-inch) round biscuits. Bake at 425 degrees until lightly browned on top, about 20 minutes. Remove to wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield: 4 biscuits (2-4 servings).

Note: Extra biscuits will not keep more than a day. To preserve, freeze.