Sometimes we need comfort food. And, this week, I need comfort food. Creamed Potatoes with Ham and Petite Peas is just the sort of comfort food I need – creamy, delicious, savory, with a satisfying pop of crunch from the petite peas. It also evokes good memories for me – the memory of my maternal grandmother, Dorothy, teaching me to make it when I was 11-years-old back in 1966.

Dorothy was not a great cook. In fact, she really didn’t like to cook, at all, but just did it out of sheer necessity. Born in 1904, she was adopted by a wealthy couple in their late thirties. You can imagine what that was like in 1904 – raised in a privileged household with cooks and maids. So, Dorothy didn’t grow up learning to cook from a mother who cooked.

Golden-haired Dorothy (Dottie to her family and friends) grew up adored and showered with much love and attention. She went to college at USC (University of Southern California), graduating with a degree in Social Work, a highly unusual event for women in the 1920’s. She married my grandfather, a real estate speculator and developer who she met at USC, and set about establishing her household as a young married woman, of privilege, in the late 1920’s.

First, she gave birth to my uncle in 1927 followed by twin girls, my mother and my aunt in 1930.

Just before the birth of the twins, the Great Depression hit. Not only was my grandfather, her husband, hurt by losses in the stock market crash, but her wealthy father, my great-grandfather, lost everything. Suddenly, no one could find work. My great-grandparents moved in with them to save expenses. Their perfect family of 5 burgeoned to 7. And, at one point, another aunt and uncle came to live with them.

But, Dorothy found work. She was hired by the county’s Department of Social Services as a Social Worker and from that point on, had a career in that field. Often times she was the sole support of her family, including her extended family. Times were tough. She learned to cook.

Made with a classic white sauce, Creamed Potatoes with Ham and Petite Peas is one she made often because it was cheap to make and everyone liked it including the kids. She could stretch a cooked ham into multiple meals by making casseroles and dishes such as Creamed Potatoes with Ham and Petite Peas.

Over the years, I’ve tweaked it just a bit – adding garlic and onions for a bit of spice, substituting olive oil for the butter and low-fat milk in place of whole milk (my attempt to healthify {I know; that’s not a word!} this recipe).

A few notes: while I have attempted to lower the fat in this recipe, you can substitute the full fat versions (butter and milk), which will only make this recipe more rich and delicious! Also, if you haven’t made a ham lately and don’t have leftover ham ends and pieces lying around, you can substitute thick-sliced ham from the deli department in your grocery store.

Here’s the recipe:

Creamed Potatoes with Ham and Petite Peas

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Made with a classic white sauce, Creamed Potatoes with Ham and Petite Peas is a great way to use up leftover ham. A satisfying and delicious comfort food dish!

Author: Carole from Toot Sweet 4 Two
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
Yield: 6 1x
Category: Main Dish
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

6 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 small yellow onions (or one large one), peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided (can substitute butter)
2 cups ham, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (I used leftover ham from a half ham, but thick-sliced deli ham can be substituted)
1 – 16 ounce package of frozen petite peas
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups low-fat milk (can substitute whole milk)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

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Instructions

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water.
Bring to a boil and cook for about 8 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender.
Remove from heat and drain in a colander and set aside.
In the meantime, microwave frozen peas per package instructions (about 5 minutes), drain any water and set aside.
Also, microwave ham for a few minutes to warm it up.
In a large non-stick skillet, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat for a minute on medium heat.
Add onions and sauté for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add garlic and continue to sauté until onions are translucent.
Add the remaining olive oil to skillet.
Add flour and stir to combine until flour is incorporated into onions.
Add milk all at once, increase heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Once sauce has thickened, add salt and pepper and stir to combine.
Add ham to skillet and stir to combine.
Add potatoes to skillet and stir to combine.
Add peas to skillet and stir to combine.
Taste and correct seasonings by adding more salt and pepper, if needed.

Notes

Makes 6 hearty servings with leftovers for lunch!

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I hope you’ll make Creamed Potatoes with Ham and Petite Peas on a day when your soul needs a little comfort. Or, on a cold winter’s day when you just need something warm and satisfying. Either way, this recipe’s a keeper!

Tootles,

(other recipes passed down from my grandmother, Dorothy)