Using Leftover Holiday Ham

By Celeste Stewart

Whether Easter or New Year’s has come and gone, you may be wondering, “What am I going to do with this leftover holiday ham?” Ham is a festive holiday meal, often served on New Year’s Day, Christmas, and Easter. A single ham is an economical choice that yields many delicious meals. Not only is a ham dinner a wonderful holiday meal, the ham leftovers provide many tasty options in the days that follow. Need a few ideas? Let’s dig in!

Ham Slices, Dices, and Grinds
First, take your leftover holiday ham and set aside the best slices of ham for use in sandwiches. Divide the remaining ham into chunks for dicing and grinding and place the hambone in a zippered freezer bag and freeze. Divide the chunks of leftover holiday ham into fatty and non-fatty portions, using the less fatty chunks for dicing. Grind the remaining ham in a food processor. Place the diced ham and ground ham into separate freezer bags and place in the refrigerator or freezer. Now, you have the basics for delicious meals over the next few days.

Using Sliced Leftover Ham
The sliced leftover ham is delicious served in the morning with over easy eggs, in sandwiches, and as a main course at dinner. Make your own Egg McMuffin sandwiches by placing a slice of ham on a toasted English muffin and topping it with a fried egg and American cheese. Another delicious breakfast idea is a variation of Eggs Benedict. Layer an English muffin with ham slices and poached eggs and top with a warm, cheesy cream sauce.

Using Diced Leftover Holiday Ham
Diced ham is a versatile ingredient. Use diced ham in scrambled eggs, omelets, potato salad, soup, or as a pizza topping. Diced ham is also delicious in macaroni and cheese and potato casseroles.

Using Ground Ham Leftovers
Ground ham can be used in quiche, casseroles, and sandwiches. For example, make your own deviled ham sandwiches by adding mayonnaise and chopped hardboiled eggs to your ground ham. Sprinkle in a little garlic powder for additional kick. In addition, make a ham version of beef wellington by creating a mixture of ground ham, shredded Swiss cheese, chopped onion, and egg and wrapping the mixture into puff pastry. Numerous recipes for “Ham Wellington” have been developed and you may never go back to beef after trying it!

Using the Hambone
Perhaps the best known use for leftover holiday ham is using the hambone in split pea soup. This is a delicious tradition in many households. Another option is to make a pot of beans with the hambone. For an extra sweet touch, add about a half cup of maple syrup to the pot of beans.
The holidays may be over, but your leftover holiday ham is ready and waiting for you!