Happy Wednesday! We’re days away from the weekend, and you know what that means? That means many of you probably have a shelf in your refrigerator dedicated to a lovely piece of cured, smoked, or salted meat. It may or may not be scored on the outside, glazed, whole or pre-sliced. These days, it may even be made of turkey or duck. (We won’t get into the technicalities of what qualifies as “ham” right now, because, well, we’d much rather talk about sandwiches and omelets.) Whichever kind you’re serving, you probably have a lot of it and hopefully, some of it will still be around by Monday.
I say “hopefully” because there are so many creative uses for ham. So let’s talk about all the wonderful ways to use every little bit of that lovely hunk of meaty goodness from this weekend! Tell us:
What’s your favorite way to use leftover ham?
Nanci likes to fry chunks of leftover ham until crisp, then add them to fried rice with some pineapple chunks and a few other veggies. Her husband loves biscuits and ham gravy, which is a thinner cousin to Southern cream gravy with sausage. (Her tip: Ree has a great recipe for ham gravy.)
Lamentably, I will not have any leftover ham because my husband doesn’t do pork. (Sing a sad song for me, friends. A woeful dirge with bursts of pained wailing.) Growing up, Serrano ham was our family’s ham of choice and we rarely had any left over. But when we did, I loved it on pizza, in wraps, and the bone gave deep flavor to soups. Sometimes, we’d caramelize slices of ham with just a hint of butter and sugar, and enjoy that over garlic fried rice. (Sniff. I need a dirge encore, please.)
Betsy says, “We love ham and eggs in this house, and my favorite scramble with leftover ham is Ham, Spinach, and Gruyere.” Sounds perfect to me.
Now it’s your turn! Do you have any favorite ways to use ham? Maybe a killer sandwich concoction or loaded mac and cheese extravaganza? Share your ideas with us below!
23 Comments
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Jo Ann P on 4.18.2014
One of my favorites would be ham jambalaya…brown rice, onions celery, green pepper, garlic, chipped ham, tomatoes, pimiento, red pepper and Worchester sauce….to die for.
DebbieK on 4.18.2014
I love, love, love homemade ham salad. If I had a bone-in ham, I would save/freeze the bone to use later to favor a soup or ham & beans.
Susan on 4.17.2014
I love ham and Dave’s pickles with mayo on white bread. Yummy!!! Sweet and salty.
Beatrice K on 4.17.2014
Ham and beans with cornbread (baked in cast iron skillet)!
Elana Cantu on 4.17.2014
My husband came up with our own personal Croque Monsieur sandwiches! Put ham (thinly sliced) with some smoked gouda cheese in thinly sliced french bread. Melt REAL BUTTER in a cast iron skillet AND oh so slowly grill them in the pan! MMMMMMMMMM!
Danielle N on 4.17.2014
We love to make a tortellini alfredo with chopped ham & green peas.
Anna on 4.16.2014
A long time favorite? My grandmother’s Creamed Ham. You make a white sauce, then put it in a double boiler with ham, chopped raw onions, chopped raw celery and hard boiled eggs, and let it simmer for a nice long time. Serve it on toast. So, so good.
Also, salty and loaded with fat and cholesterol, so not on the menu anymore. Sigh.
Amy Nguyen on 4.16.2014
Tuscan white bean & ham soup. With jalapeño cornbread.
Annette in AZ on 4.16.2014
Leftover ham gives me a good excuse to make scalloped potatoes and ham, which is a favorite in my house. I also will make a ham frittata with cheese and asparagus. Ok, I am really hungry now!
Acacia on 4.16.2014
Simple – rye bread, ham, baby swiss, fresh greens, red onion, and a little spicy mustard!
Betsy (TK) on 4.16.2014
This all sounds so good! Especially ham fried rice. Yum! And stratas, ham and beans and gooey ham and cheese sandwiches. Can’t wait!
Becky (central oregon) on 4.16.2014
gratin Potatoes and ham…ham croquettes, delved ham salad, ham fried rice…sweet and sour ham on rice…ham foo young…ham salad hand pies…mac and cheese with ham.
Rhonda in Wy on 4.16.2014
Ham salad sandwiches! So yum. And ham fried rice with all kinds of veggies;
saving the bone and shreds for one last pot of ham and beans before the weather gets
too warm to cook such things.
Tony von Krag on 4.16.2014
I save the bone for beans or soups but the ham goes into a jambalaya. Ummm, ham chicken shrimp all mixed together to make one huge taste explosion.
Ellen W on 4.16.2014
Ham and asparagus quiche with gruyere cheese
Andrés on 4.16.2014
Beans, beans, beans. Make some (red, pinto, kidney) beans with that leftover bone, and throw the leftover meat in there for good measure.
Kim T on 4.16.2014
Homemade Scalloped Potatoes with Ham baked in !!!!!!!
Kristine on 4.16.2014
Ham balls!
Barbara on 4.16.2014
My favorite way to use leftover ham is in a strata. The recipe came from the Southern Living Magazine a few years ago.. 5 or a million. It calls for onions and red peppers and Yukon gold potatoes. I threw in ham. And of course, you add cheese and sourdough bread. It has a touch of mustard.. and it nicely disguises the leftovers.. Simply the best,. Happy Easter..
C. L. ( Cheryl ) "Cheffie Cooks" Wiser on 4.16.2014
Happy Easter To All,
I think my favorite use of leftover ham is a gooey ham & cheese sandwich! You know where the cheese oozes out…yes, that is the one. CLW
Sherry on 4.16.2014
Heat ham in a skillet the next morning, then red-eyed gravy, grits, and eggs. Yummm
Gidget on 4.16.2014
Eggs Benedict
Marti on 4.16.2014
Has to be scalloped potatoes and ham. Gonna try Ree’s recipe this year. We bake a whole ham with ginger snap, mustard and whiskey crust, then enjoy leftovers for days, with the last being ham and bean soup to use the bones.