These 53 Recipes Have Us Getting Creative With The Leftover Ham This Year (2024)

These 53 Recipes Have Us Getting Creative With The Leftover Ham This Year (1)

Expecting the unexpected, particularly when it comes to big dinner-centric holidays (ahem, Thanksgiving and Easter) has become one of our main party tricks. We’ve gotten used to extra guests and forgetting some ingredients. What we never quite expect? Just how much leftover food (namely, ham!) we end up with, so we’ve gotten creative with giving them a serious glow-up into plenty of casseroles, sandwiches, soups, and more. If you can relate and are feeling overwhelmed with extra ham this year, check out our 53 favorite recipes that’ll give your leftovers new life.

Many of these recipes call for deli sliced ham, which you can easily swap for whatever leftovers you have. Slice it as thinly as you can, then enjoy the added texture and flavor you'll never get from the deli. Have overnight guests after the big holiday meal? Combine leftover ham with eggs or potatoes and turn it into our crowd-pleasing , Monte Cristo sandwiches, or Croque Monsieur breakfast casserole that are sure to make everyone happy. For lunch, you can make all the variations on classic ham sandwiches, of course—top it with a fried egg and you’ve got a delicious Croque Madame that can be enjoyed for any meal.

Having another get-together soon after a holiday? Make things easy on yourself by throwing together some Hawaiian roll sliders or ham and cheese pinwheels for easy, tasty party appetizers. For dinner, our chicken cordon bleu is impressive and surprisingly simple (we skip the frying and oven bake instead). Want even easier? It’s all about the cordon bleu sauce, and we make the most of it in our one-pot chicken cordon bleu skillet and our chicken cordon bleu casserole.

Whatever you do, don’t forget to save that ham bone! It’s the secret to an out-of-this-world split pea soup (that, and bacon!).

Want more leftover inspiration? Check out our are our top go-to ways to make leftovers more exciting. And since you’re using leftovers for your main meal, why not go “ham” on dessert?!

1

Monte Cristo Sandwich

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A Monte Cristo is a sandwich filled with Swiss cheese, ham, turkey, and Dijon mustard, then dipped in a French toast batter, shallow-fried, and served dusted with confectioners' sugar and a side of jam. Basically, it has all of the classic American diner flavors: sweet, salty, cheesy, and indulgent. 😋

Get the Monte Cristo Sandwich recipe.

2

Potato Croquettes

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Potato croquettes are one of the most popular Spanish tapas, or small plates, and for good reason. They’re a fantastic way to give day-old mashed potatoes and leftover ham a new life and are the perfect bite-size appetizer for when you want something more exciting than potato chips that still hits those same comfort food notes.

Get the Potato Croquettes recipe.

3

Ham & Cheese Spinach Puffs

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Thought your holiday brunch plans were set? Think again. Stuffed with ham, spinach, and Gruyère, these cheesy pastries are calling your name. These puffs are most delicious fresh out of the oven, but if you want to work ahead, you can even make the filling and even cut out the pastry squares the day before.

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4

Cheesy Mashed Potato & Ham Bake

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This mashed potato and ham bake is inspired by the French and Italian gatto di patate, which can be found in Katie Parla’s latest cookbook: Foods of the Italian Islands. Imagine a crispy mac and cheese topping on your rich mashed potatoes with an added ham layer (which almost reminds me of lasagna). This comfy casserole-style side dish is a dream for both the meat and carb connoisseurs.

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5

Scalloped Potatoes & Ham

Cheesy scalloped potatoes meet salty baked ham for a perfect match. It takes the classic side and makes it a heartier dish that's perfect for a post-holiday brunch.

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6

Ham & Swiss Hasselback Biscuit Bites

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Step aside, hasselback potatoes: Hasselback biscuit bites are coming to steal your thunder. Featuring convenient canned biscuits stuffed with ham and cheese, these flaky, buttery bites will delight party guests and tailgaters wherever they appear.

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7

Ham Salad

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Looking for a way to use up that leftover spiral ham? Look no further! This super-easy ham salad is as delicious between bread for lunch as it is on crackers as an appetizer.

Get the Ham Salad recipe.

8

Creamy Ham and Potato Soup

These 53 Recipes Have Us Getting Creative With The Leftover Ham This Year (10)

If you’re a fan of potato soup, you’re going to love this upgrade— loaded with chunks of tender potatoes, salty-sweet ham, and tender vegetables, this creamy soup is the comfort food you know and love, with a little something extra.

Get the Creamy Ham and Potato Soup recipe.

9

Buckwheat Galettes With Ham & Egg

These 53 Recipes Have Us Getting Creative With The Leftover Ham This Year (11)

Like their sweet cousins, crêpes, galettes hail from Brittany, France. Because they're made with buckwheat flour, galettes are extra nutty, making them perfect for pairing with savory fillings for a quick dinner this fall. Here, they're filled with a classic ham, egg, and cheese combination, known as "galette complète" in French, but feel free to switch it up if you like.

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10

Quiche

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Quiche is a favorite in the canon of classic dishes, and this version is no exception. Soft, creamy filling studded with ham, chives, and Gruyère rests inside a crunchy, buttery pie crust to create the easiest dinner of your dreams.

Get the Quiche recipe.

11

Ham & Cheese Sandwich

These 53 Recipes Have Us Getting Creative With The Leftover Ham This Year (13)

This ham sandwich is great for many reasons. It's got a beautiful golden crust (thanks mayo!), a quick and simple honey mustard sauce, and briny pickles for crunch. Make it with leftover spiral ham, and you've got yourself a prize-winning lunch.

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12

Antipasto Squares

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Your favorite flavor combo, now in a more shareable format. Turns out an antipasto salad like this gets even better when you layer it between crescent sheets. We aren't mad about that at all.

Get the Antipasto Squares recipe.

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13

Classic Chef Salad

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The chef salad has three kinds of meat, two cheeses, hard-boiled eggs, and lots of veggies. 😍 Switch up the ingredients however you want—chef's choice!

Get the Classic Chef Salad recipe.

14

Hawaiian Roll Sliders

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Hawaiian rolls are a guilty pleasure of ours: They're buttery, soft, and full of just-sweet-enough flavor. These sliders, layered with ham, Swiss, and caramelized onions, will quickly become a MUST at any party you throw.

Get the Hawaiian Roll Sliders recipe.

15

Antipasto Stuffed Chicken

These 53 Recipes Have Us Getting Creative With The Leftover Ham This Year (17)

There's nothing better than good antipasto. Our only qualm with the meat and cheese spread is that it's never a truly satisfying dinner on its own (thought we desperately want it to be!). But by way of antipasto grilled cheese and, now, this stuffed chicken, we've figured it out.

Get the Antipasto Stuffed Chicken recipe.

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16

Croque Monsieur Breakfast Casserole

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A croque monsieur is a delectable French sandwich with ham and Gruyére, with a silky béchamel sauce poured over top. Turning it into a breakfast casserole makes it easier to put together and share with a crowd. Yum!

Get the Croque Monsieur Breakfast Casserole recipe.

17

Instant Pot Split Pea Soup

These 53 Recipes Have Us Getting Creative With The Leftover Ham This Year (19)

After scrolling through all of our amazing Instant Pot recipes, we know what your answer will be. But one of its absolute best uses is for soups. Soups, especially something like split pea, often improve with a a couple of hours of simmering and flavor melding. An Instant Pot can do it in a fraction of the time, meaning this will be ready in (nearly) a blink.

Get the Instant Pot Split Pea Soup recipe.

18

Disneyland's Monte Cristo Sandwich

These 53 Recipes Have Us Getting Creative With The Leftover Ham This Year (20)

Captain Jack Sparrow tends to have a rum-track mind, but if he ever tried the Monte Cristo sandwich served mere steps from the ride he appears in, he’d be waxing poetic about this deep-fried dish.

Get the Disneyland's Monte Cristo Sandwich recipe.

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19

Ham & Cheese Pinwheels

These 53 Recipes Have Us Getting Creative With The Leftover Ham This Year (21)

These pinwheels are made easy using store-bought crescent roll dough. They're chock-full of melty cheese and savory-sweet ham, then topped with fresh parsley and toasty poppy seeds for texture and flavor you and your guests will love.

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20

Ham & Cheese Egg Cups

These 53 Recipes Have Us Getting Creative With The Leftover Ham This Year (22)

We sprinkle the ham here with a little shredded cheddar, but feel free to swap in your favorite type of cheese. Gruyère, Parmesan, or pepper Jack will all work well. You can also sprinkle the tops with different herbs like cilantro or sliced green onions. Make these your own!

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These 53 Recipes Have Us Getting Creative With The Leftover Ham This Year (2024)

FAQs

What to do with an already cooked ham? ›

Making ham sandwiches is the typical approach to using leftover ham, but we also like to add ham into quiches and breakfast casseroles, stirred into a savory pot of thick and creamy ham and potato soup, or diced into a brunch-worthy ham salad.

How long does ham last in the fridge? ›

Cold Food Storage Chart
FoodTypeRefrigerator [40°F (4°C) or below]
HamCured, cook-before-eating, uncooked5 to 7 days or “use by” date
Fully-cooked, vacuum-sealed at plant, unopened2 weeks or “use by” date
Cooked, store-wrapped, whole1 week
Cooked, store-wrapped, slices, half, or spiral cut3 to 5 days
49 more rows
Sep 19, 2023

Can I freeze leftover ham? ›

Here's the good news: You can absolutely freeze cooked ham. In fact, many hams are cured and/or smoked, which were old-school (and still beloved) ways to preserve food for later use. Ham can be stored in the freezer for up to four months, according to USDA food safety guidelines.

How do you store leftover ham? ›

If you plan to consume your cooked leftover ham in 3-5 days, refrigerating might be the best option, according to USDA. To store your ham properly, it's best to use vacuum-sealed bags or airtight containers to prevent moisture loss and bacteria growth.

Can dogs eat ham? ›

Is Ham Bad for Dogs? Ham is not toxic to dogs, but it's also not a healthy treat for them. So if your pup eats a little piece that fell to the floor, they should be totally fine. But feeding ham to your dog as a regular snack can cause some long-term health issues.

How long is leftover ham safe to eat? ›

Information. Spiral-cut hams and leftovers from consumer-cooked hams may be stored in the refrigerator three to five days or frozen one to two months. Keep your refrigerator at 40 °F or less and your freezer at or near 0 °F. See also Ham and Food Safety.

Is a 2 year old frozen ham still good? ›

An uncooked, cut country ham can be refrigerated for two to three months or frozen for one month. A cooked Country Ham should be refrigerated for seven days and or frozen for one month. Freezer storage time is for quality only. Frozen hams remain safe indefinitely.

How can you tell if ham has gone bad? ›

If your ham starts to take on a green or grey hue, or even gets black or brown in a few areas, throw it away. If it doesn't smell good, throw it away. Ham should have a salty or smokey aroma, almost sweet. If there is a sour smell or something smells off, don't take the chance of a food-borne illness.

How long will an unopened spiral ham last in the refrigerator? ›

How Long Does Ham Keep In The Fridge? If you have a whole ham, it can last in the fridge for up to seventy-five days. If you have a half ham, it will last for about sixty days. Ham that has been precooked or spiral cut will last for about one week.

Is it better to freeze or refrigerate ham? ›

Packaged lunch meats (including ham) can be stored in the refrigerator for two weeks before opening. After opening a package of lunch meats or buying sliced lunch meats at a deli, you can refrigerate them for three to five days. These meats can also be frozen for up to one to two months for the best quality.

Is it OK to freeze ham twice? ›

Can You Refreeze Ham? The admonitions about refreezing anything are not about food safety. As long as you have kept the meat (or anything) at a safe temperature when it was thawed (i.e. in the refrigerator), you aren't risking anything.

Can you freeze an egg? ›

According to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), you can freeze eggs for up to one year. When you're ready to use frozen eggs, thaw them overnight in the refrigerator or under running cold water. Use egg yolks or whole eggs as soon as they're thawed.

Can you eat cooked ham after 7 days? ›

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, ham is good for three to five days in the refrigerator after it is cooked. If you need more time to use up those leftovers, ham will last up to two months in the freezer. The USDA also recommends wrapping up leftovers well.

What is the best way to freeze ham? ›

When freezing leftover ham (whole or sliced), here are some tips to follow:
  1. Make sure the ham is cooled and dry (to prevent ice crystals).
  2. Wrap in plastic wrap or a freezer bag and then tightly cover with foil.
  3. Place wrapped ham in another freezer bag or freezer-friendly glass storage container.
Jan 16, 2024

Does honey baked ham freeze well? ›

Honey Baked Hams® can be frozen up to 6 weeks for future use. To freeze a ham upon receipt, leave it in the foil and insulated bag it arrived in, and place in the coldest part of your freezer. To serve after freezing, remove from the insulated bag and place in refrigerator for 24-36 hours to thaw before serving.

Should I cook already cooked ham? ›

No. Both whole or half, cooked, vacuum-packaged hams packaged in federally inspected plants and canned hams can be eaten cold, right out of the package. However, if you want to reheat these cooked hams, set the oven no lower than 325 °F and heat to an internal temperature of 140 °F as measured with a food thermometer.

Can you bake an already cooked ham? ›

The goal is to reheat the ham without drying it out. The best way to do this is to place the ham on a rack in a roasting pan. Add water to the bottom of the pan and cover the whole thing tightly with foil. Bake at 325F for 16-20 minutes per pound, until a meat thermometer registers 135F.

How do you make a precooked ham taste better? ›

Add 1/2-3/4 of a cup of wine or stock to the pan (you don't want the ham swimming in liquid) and throw some aromatics in there—a few whole cloves, some star anise, and cinnamon sticks are all good options. Cover the ham with foil and place in a 250-degree oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 100℉.

How long is a precooked ham good for after heating? ›

A fully cooked ham can last for up to 5 days in the refrigerator after it has been baked. It's important to store the ham properly to prevent spoilage and food poisoning. Here's how: Wrap the ham in aluminum foil or plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.

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