In the fall, we purchased half a pig from a friend who raised them for harvest. We ended up with a 15 pound ham. Yikes that’s big! We served it for Christmas dinner, but we only had eight people at that meal, so there were LOTS of leftovers. This left me scrambling for ways to use it up. Here is a list of Six Uses for Leftover Ham.
Six Uses for Leftover Ham
In addition to the six uses for leftovers listed below, we also just reheated leftovers the day after Christmas and I saved some for a lunch salad. By the time we are done, we will have had at least 10 meals (not including leftover soups or Cheesy Ham Shepherd’s Pie) from this one ham. Awesome.
One: Freeze Some for Later
By the end of the week, we were getting tired of it. In fact as we were discussing meals, Sunshine said, “I think we have had enough ham this week!” So, I chunked some up and portioned it into freezer bags two cups at a time. This can then be used for any of the recipes below later this winter.
I ended up freezing 6 cups which means three more meals plus the ham bone (see below). I also decided to save some in sandwich bag to make a chef salad for my husband’s next school lunch.
Two: Cheesy Ham Shepherd’s Pie
For some reason, when I was thinking of ways to use ham up, shepherd’s pie popped into my head. Traditionally, shepherd’s pie is a way to use up leftover meat from the Sunday night roast. And, it has gravy. Gravy doesn’t really go with ham, but cheese sure does. So, this shepherd’s pie takes advantage of other foods that like cheese like broccoli and cauliflower to make Cheesy Ham Shepherd’s Pie. My non-casserole eating kids loved this.
Three: Quick Ham and Bean Soup
Ham bone soup is awesome, but let’s face it, sometimes the weather is soup weather, but we just don’t have time to let a pot simmer all day. This quick soup uses leftover ham, canned beans and Better than Bouillon Ham Base. Quick and done in about half an hour.
Four: Whatcha Got Omelette
During the early fall, I wrote a post about how we often use up leftovers in an omelette. Leftover ham with cheese of your choice is a perfect way to use some leftover ham. Whatcha Got Omelette is perfect for a weekend brunch or a quick weeknight meal.
Five: Ham Salad
I don’t have a recipe for this one. Shred some ham, add mayonnaise to taste. Make a sandwich.
Six: Split Pea Ham Bone Soup
Save the ham bone and make soup. This is never the same twice, but I generally follow these guidelines. Put your ham bone in a dutch oven or stock pot. Add four to six cups of water, diced onion, celery, carrots; add a bay leaf or two. Rinse and sort a pound of split peas and add those to your pot. Allow those to simmer for a few hours. Remove the ham bone and cool to the touch. Pull any meat from it and return the meat to the pot. Enjoy.
We decided freeze the ham bone and make the soup later. If you prefer to make ham and bean soup, soak the beans overnight. Truthfully, I don’t often have success with dried bean which is why I stick to split pea.
Leftover Ham
We hope that you will enjoy a few of these Ham Leftover ideas. Most of them make great weeknight meals, so enjoy a home cooked meal after a busy day at work. Let us know if you try any of these or how you like to use up your leftover ham.
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