The 50 Best Recipes for Leftover Ham
Wondering what to make with leftover ham? Whether you’re looking for the perfect ham casserole recipe, the best ham sandwich, soups to make with a hearty ham bone, or anything in between, we’ve got you covered.
Breakfast Recipes with Ham
Anyone who’s read Dr. Seuss knows that eggs and ham go well together (though you won’t find any recipes for the green variety here). These breakfast recipes for leftover ham usually pair ham with eggs or its other natural partner: cheese.
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Ham and Cheese Egg Casserole – A jalapeño pepper adds a welcome kick to this breakfast casserole that uses cottage cheese and egg as its base.
Ham and Hash Brown Casserole – This breakfast casserole that utilizes a bag of frozen hash browned potatoes is guaranteed to feed a big family for at least an entire weekend.
Mexican Egg Breakfast (Huevos Motuleños) – The translation of this delectable dish is “eggs in tortillas with ham and peas,” and although that explains what it is, it doesn’t describe how simple and delicious it tastes.
Ham and Cheese Muffins – Make to-go breakfasts for the work- and school-week with this ham and cheese muffin recipe.
Ham and Cheese Waffles – Waffles can also be turned into a convenience food if you simply freeze them in Ziploc bags, so make sure to make extra of these melt-in-your mouth breakfast treats.
Snacks and Appetizers Made with Ham
If you have a lot of ham to use up, don’t stop at meals! These super-tasty snacks and appetizers that you can make with leftover ham will give you a good excuse to shovel even more ham into your mouth!
Ham and Cheese Puff Pastries – These simple pastry roll-ups from Ina Garten of the Food Network use Gruyere cheese and Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastries.
Ham and Chive Fritters – Just try to keep your family away from these little balls of deliciousness from the Spoon Fork Bacon blog.
Hot Ham and Cheese Dip – How about some ham in dip form? This dip uses Cheddar and Swiss cheese, but you could substitute any melty cheese you like.
Ham and Cheese Pinwheels – Super easy to make, these crescent-roll appetizers from Sandra Lee bake into a decadent treat.
Dijon Ham and Asparagus Roll-Ups – Substitute the cheese for asparagus and you have a much healthier version of the above! The Dijon mustard makes these snacks irresistible.
Ham and Boursin Cucumbers – Sometimes the most delicious appetizers are the most simple. These light and crisp appetizers are perfect if you’re tired of heavy ham casseroles.
The Best Ham Sandwiches
Bruce looks forward to leftover ham sandwiches even more than he looks forward to ham on holidays! These are his favorite ways to go beyond simple ham and cheese.
Grilled Ham, Pear, and Cheddar Wrap – Our favorite ham sandwich recipe of all time! You’ll be surprised how well the flavors of the pear go with the ham and cheese.
Rachael Ray’s Deviled Ham Croque Madam – Rachael Ray has created a truly impressive sandwich with this 17-ingredient masterpiece that utilizes in-season asparagus and Guyere, one of our favorite cheeses to pair with ham.
The Breslin’s Fancy Grilled Cheese Sandwich – Throw some slices of ham on your kids’ grilled cheese sandwiches that you made with the Kraft singles, then break out the pricey Idiazábal and Râclette cheese (or, if you prefer, Gouda and Jarlsberg) and make this “grilled cheese for grownups” from the Breslin bar and restaurant in New York.
Ham and Cheese Sliders with Special Sauce – If you’ve ever peered into your fridge and thought, “I know there’s an amazing sandwich sauce in here, I’m just not sure what it is” – this is it. Using worchestershire sauce, mustard, and a few other ingredients, it elevates these hot Swiss cheese and ham rolls to something you’ll crave later.
Ham and Brie Sandwich – Ask any French person and they’ll tell you that the best–not to mention, the easiest–ham sandwich is to pair it with brie on a baguette. This recipe also includes mustard and arugula for a tangy complement.
Mexican Ham Torta with Avocado – Ham is a common ingredient in traditional Mexican tortas (sandwiches). The refried beans and ripe avocado give it a deliciously creamy texture without the added fat of mayonnaise!
Paula Deen’s Ham and Butter Biscuits – No one will turn down these simple delicious buns, a perfect midnight snack on Christmas or Easter.
Soups to Make with a Leftover Ham Bone
One of the great things about a big ham is the meaty ham bone you’re left at the end. Here are three soups worthy of making with your leftover ham bone.
Julia Child’s Split Pea and Ham Soup – You can’t go wrong with this classic Julia Child recipe.
Lentil Soup with Smoky Ham – This perfect lentil soup from Whole Foods Market uses both green and French lentils and is a worthy home for a one-time-a-year ham bone.
White Bean and Ham Soup – Ham bones are often used to season a batch of beans, and its flavor goes particularly well with white beans. This dish can be eaten as a soup, then when the leftovers thicken, use them as an easy heatable side dish for another meal.
Casseroles to Make with Leftover Ham
Wild Rice and Ham Pie – This easy recipe from Betty Crocker’s uses Bisquick for the crust and contains Swiss cheese and Dijon mustard in addition to the wild rice. It calls for “chive-and-onion sour cream potato topper” but you can use any brand of sour cream and onion potato chips, crushed.
Ham, Broccoli, Rice, and Cheese Casserole – If you’re looking for a casserole like mom made, this might be it: This casserole uses a traditional can of condensed cream of mushroom soup as its base and complements the ham with broccoli, corn, and Cheddar cheese.
Chicken and Ham Casserole – This twist on the traditional casserole above is great for if you’re low on ham, or want to stretch your leftovers into a second casserole. Throw in some chicken, and use cream of chicken soup instead of mushroom. This is also the recipe to use if you have a box of long grain and wild rice mix in your pantry.
Creamy Potato and Ham Casserole – This yummy casserole uses potatoes and ham as its base and is topped with crushed bagel chips.
Sweet Potato and Ham Casserole – The Chew‘s Michael Symon created this melt-in-your mouth casserole, which layers a Guyere-and-ham sauce with roasted sweet potatoes.
Ham and Perogy Casserole – If you love perogies, you’ll love this cassrole made from frozen perogies, leftover ham, and (of course) cheese.
Goat Cheese, Artichoke, and Ham Strata – A strata is a dish that contains layers of bread. They’re sometimes served for breakfast, but we love to eat this one at dinner because the artichokes and goat cheese really break up our usual routine.
The Best Ham Dinner Recipes that Aren’t Casseroles!
Ham Fried Rice – This ham fried rice recipe contains a great tutorial on how to make this fast and easy dinner that could become a family favorite.
Ham, Spinach and Gruyére Quiche – Quiche is one of the best things to make with leftover ham. This recipe from A Cozy Kitchen shows you how to make the crust from scratch.
Mushroom and Fontina Quiche – Another take on quiche, this recipe from Bon Appetit magazine uses mushroom and fontina cheese rather than Gruyére and spinach. Throw in a handful of chopped ham before you add the egg mixture.
Ham and Brie Tart – The classic taste of ham and brie are paired with tomatoes and thyme in this sophisticated dish.
Cauliflower, Leek, and Ham Pot Pie – If you have small ramekins, just try to resist making these adorable and delicious individual-sized pot pies.
Ham and Pineapple Pizza – “Hawaiian” Pizza is a must for us when we have leftover ham. Using barbecue sauce instead of tomato is the perfect touch.
Orecchiette with Ham and Peas – Ham with peas is an Italian favorite. This recipe uses orecchiette pasta and a sauce made from Grana Padano cheese–if you can’t find it in your market, use Parmesan but just use a little less.
Linguine with Spinach, Beans, and Ham – This pasta with a tomato-based sauce is packed with vitamins and nutrients, and is super easy to make.
Mac ‘n’ Cheese with Ham – You can’t mention ham-and-pasta dishes without pairing ham with its old friend, cheese. This isn’t quite as decadent as our favorite, Lobster Mac ‘n’ Cheese, but it comes close!
Macaroni Salad with Dill and Ham – Peas come back into play in this cold pasta dish. We love the taste of dill with ham!
Broccoli, Ham and Cheese Pockets – We can’t get enough of the ham, cheese, and broccoli combination. Here it is in mini calzone form.
Side Dishes You Can Make with Leftover Ham
The Pioneer Woman’s Scalloped Potatoes and Ham – If you didn’t have scalloped potatoes on Easter, make them after Easter with your leftover potatoes and ham.
Ham and Sugar Snap Pea Risotto – This delicious rice dish features ham (of course), along with leeks and yummy sugar snap peas.
Cheesy Broccoli Rice with Ham – There’s that ham, cheese, and broccoli combo again! Young kids will gladly eat this side dish as a main course.
Stilton and Ham Risotto – Rice gets fancy in this risotto from Australian magazine Gourmet Traveler. This recipe uses Stilton cheese, but you can use any bleu cheese.
Emeril’s Shrimp and Ham Jambalaya – Jambalaya is a classic dish from New Orleans, so you know you can trust Emeril’s recipe to be lip-smackingly delicious.
Farro Risotto with Butternut Squash – If you’ve tried farro, you probably can’t wait to try it again. This farro risotto recipe brings together the classic ham and peas combo with scrumptious butternut squash.
Barley Ham Risotto – This appetizing barley-based dish gets its hearty flavor from a healthy dose of mushrooms and a touch of rosemary.
Mini Ham and Cheese Quinoa Cups – By now, you’ve probably heard that quinoa is a super-grain. We can’t wait to try these delicious-looking side dishes that could also be an appetizer. Use a muffin tin to turn quinoa (and zucchini, ham, and cheese) into self-contained cups.
Cornbread Stuffing Muffins with Ham and Sage – Here’s another side dish that uses a muffin tin, this time with bread cubes, ham, and sage.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Ham and Garlic – This savory Brussels sprouts recipe has a bit of ham to give it more flavor.
Cauliflower with Ham and Tomato – This recipe was originally made to be served as tapas, but it makes a great light side dish. The addition of the lemon juice and parsley makes it bright and perfect for spring.