5 Ideas for Leftover Ham

I love Christmas ham. I have no desire to eat ham all year long, but I always look forward to the spiral ham with the brown sugar-maple glaze, and it never lets me down. However, after that delicious Christmas meal, I usually have enough ham leftover to eat for days and days. But I am learning that that's a good thing. There's a lot you can do with leftover ham!

1/2/15 Updated: Additional recipes below!

1. Ham and Broccoli Quiche
Quiches are a genius way to use up leftovers. This recipe belongs to my mother-in-law. But if you're not a broccoli fan, through in ham with spinach or tomato and onion. Use cheddar or if you prefer, swiss cheese. That's the other great thing about quiches--they are so versatile. 

Ingredients:
1 store-bought refrigerated pie crust
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups half and half 
1 1/2 cup cubed cooked ham
1 cup frozen broccoli florets, thawed, drained, and chopped*
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a pie dish with the pie crust.

Bake the empty pie crust for 5 to 8 minutes. (Again, not necessary but helpful)

Place 1 cup of  the cheese, ham, and broccoli in the bottom of your pie crust. Beat the eggs and half and half together in a bowl then our into pie crust. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the egg sets in the center.

*Again, make sure your broccoli is well drained or else your quiche will come out watery and runny. 
ham mustard grilled cheese

2. Loaded Baked Potato with Ham and Cheddar
I just made these the other night and they are delicious. Made in the microwave, they are a quick and easy side dish. And if you're getting tired of leftover ham, these are a good way to use some of it up without making it the main focus of your meal.

Ingredients:
4 russet potatoes, scrubbed
1 cup cooked diced ham
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/3 cup green onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup sour cream (I used fat free)
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Directions:
Pierce each potatoes on top and bottom with fork. Place on a plate and cook for 5 minutes on high power. Flip potatoes over and cook for another 5 minutes.

Once potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice in half horizontally. Scoop the flesh out, leaving about 1/4-inch shell. Place the potatoes in a bowl and combine with ham, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, green onion and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the potatoes evenly between the 8 potato skin shells. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Microwave for another 1 to 2 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Or put under the broiler for 3 to 4 minutes.

3. Ham Grilled Cheese Sandwich
I made this for Eric the day after Christmas. It's a little twist on your traditional ham sandwich. I used cheddar--I'm not a big swiss cheese fan and a think ham and cheddar go together brilliantly. Anyway, he said it was so good, I had to go and make myself one.

Ingredients:
2 slices of sandwich bread
Butter
leftover ham
Cheddar cheese (we use shredded because it melts better)
Dijon mustard

Directions:
Butter one side of each piece of bread. Place ham on the unbuttered side of one piece of bread. Spread on mustard then add cheese. Cook the sandwich on a skillet or griddle over medium-high heat until the bread is a golden brown. Flip and cook the other side until golden brown.

4. Ham and Cheese Omelette
I could eat this omelette every day. 

Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 tablespoon milk
Leftover ham, diced
Cheddar cheese, shredded (or swiss, if you prefer)
Green onions, thinly sliced
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Directions:
In a bowl whisk together eggs and milk.

Spray skillet with cooking spray and heat pan over medium-high heat. When pan is hot pour in egg mixture. When the bottom of the egg cooks, flip it over. The ham, cheese, and onions on half of the omelette. When the egg is completely cooked, fold it over, and place omelette on your plate. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Homemade Ham Pizza
So I was going to make this until I realized that I didn't have any pizza sauce, tomato sauce, or even spaghetti sauce in the house. I probably will make it after my next grocery shopping trip. But if you don't feel like making a pizza yourself, you could always add some chopped up ham to your frozen pizza.

Just swap out the pepperoni for ham.

Ingredients:
Crust
2 1/2 to 3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt 
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 packet active yeast
1 tablespoon sugar 
1 cup warm water

Toppings
Ham, chopped
Pizza Sauce
Mozzarella, shredded
Any other preferred toppings

Directions:
Place water, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl and let sit for 10 minutes to activate the yeast. Add 2 1/2 cups flour, oil, and salt; combine. Add more flour until dough forms a bowl. Knead 5 to 7 times. Roll into a bowl, place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or damp cloth. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease pizza stone with cooking spray.

Punch dough and place it on the pizza stone. Work it into a crust with a 12-inch diameter. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes. Remove from oven and add sauce, cheese, and toppings.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the crust is a golden brown.

1.2.15 Update!
Ham in an egg salad, who knew how amazing that combination was! Here is the recipe. I had it for lunch two days in a row, so good.

I also used leftover ham to replace the bacon in my Pumpkin Soup with Sage Croutons and Bacon. Delicious! 

My husband fried up some ham (we had a lot leftover) then put barbecue sauce on it. He said it was really good, but I didn't try it.

I'm also thinking about trying a ham taco or a ham quesadilla. 

Enjoy!

~Krissy