What to do with all that leftover ham?
Here are 15 fun ways to use up those ham leftovers - some simple, some unique!
After many, many years of food blogging a question I get asked often is, "what do I do with these leftovers?"
More often than not, it's meat - leftover beef, chicken, pork, ham. We cook them in big batches and while it's delicious it often makes a lot. So what do you do with all those leftovers? I've been trying to tackle a couple of these dilemmas in the last year.
My first big post that went bananas online was my 15 Ways to Use Up Pot Roast Leftovers. Later I published my 15 Ways to Use Up Leftover Chili. What can I say people get passionate about leftovers. And I am with them - who wants to waste them?
Today we are chatting HAM LEFTOVERS.
The Easter holiday will be upon us this Spring and it's always the #1 dish cooked this holiday - and again, there are always leftovers. I've rounded up some of my favorite leftover ham dishes, plus a few of my friend's dishes and put them all together here for you.
Let's get started!
Nothing beats a good casserole in my opinion, especially when it uses up some leftovers. With just FIVE ingredients this one could not be more simple - plus it all comes together in one pot for easy clean up. A kid favorite here - noodles and cheese!
We often don't think of baking with leftover ham, but this savory scone recipe is one you need to put on your list. A perfect salty biscuit studded with leftover ham and cheese - this is a nice addition to breakfast the next day with scrambled eggs.
I'm sharing two potato soups today because they are vastly different! This one doesn't have cheese in it, but rather it's made incredibly creamy with a milk base and lots of spices - thyme, a bay leaf, salt and pepper. Perfect comfort food!
We love putting leftover pieces of ham into this fried rice dish, it's the perfect sweet compliment to all of the savory pieces (eggs, carrots, green onion, soy sauce, etc.) Serve this alongside grilled chicken or your favorite store bought Chinese and your family will love it!
This dish always reminds me of the flavors of chicken cordon bleu (but with ham). The rich homemade cream sauce pairs perfectly with the salty ham and penne noodles. Kids and adults really love this one, it's like a grown up mac and cheese!
Remember eating Hot Pockets as a kid? I still remember at one of my first jobs out of college I would pack one everyday for lunch. But this version is homemade! I promise you they taste much better. Use up that leftover ham and stuff it with cheese.
This Dutch Baby is like a big savory pancake - fluffy and full of flavor. Eggs, heavy whipping cream, flour, cheese, spices and of course HAM are pulsed together and baked until puffy in a cast iron skillet. This one is great for breakfast or dinner.
We all make chicken stock or beef stock with leftover meat bones....but have you ever thought about ham? A ham bone has delicious flavor. Definitely take a look at this one. The broth would be delicious in soup!
This one pot dish could be a full meal or a side dish - it's packed with flavor! Add any veggies you like and of course HAM, but the cream sauce is where it is at on this one.
I grew up eating Au Gratin potatoes and my Mom would put leftover ham in them often. This version has all of the traditional findings, plus a crunchy breadcrumb topping that gets baked to perfection.
Cheesy Ham & Potato Soup
I've been making this soup for over 15 years. It always makes an appearance in late Spring after Easter when I have leftover ham. It's super cheesy and always a bit hit.
Here is a soup where you can also use up that ham bone! It will make it taste like it has simmered all day long. Creamy split peas, salty ham, veggies, potatoes (optional) and delicious stock bring this one together.
A frittata is an Italian baked egg dish, similar to a quiche except that it is crust less. This one has diced ham and multiple cheeses. It's a perfect breakfast, lunch or dinner option! I'll often serve it with freshly baked muffins on the side.
We make pot pie with everything else, why not ham too? This biscuit topped version is hearty and comforting. With all the traditional flavors its a great dish for a chilly night.
This egg bake is fun because it has a chive and sour cream dip mixed into the eggs. This gives it tremendous flavor! This is also a dish that can be prepped a day ahead for an easy breakfast or dinner the following day.
I hope you love browsing this list of leftover ham recipes as much as I loved putting it together for you. Hey, we all need a little help in the leftover department. We don't want any of it to go to waste! These 15 dishes should give you some great ideas the next time you have leftover ham on hand.
