So you overdid it a bit for Christmas — turns out you needed only one honey-baked ham this year, not three. The good news is, there’s a ton of things you can do with that leftover pork, so stock what you can in the freezer and start chipping away at these recipes.
Related: Foods That are Always Better as Leftovers
Ham and Potato Casserole
No better place to start a leftovers list than with a casserole, you know? This is one of those whatever-leftovers-you’ve-got-on-hand-will-do-perfectly situations. This bad boy will work for any meal of the day.
Recipe: Allrecipes
Green Eggs and Ham
There are countless ways of going about a green eggs and ham recipe, but here’s a fun one that doesn’t even require food coloring. This is essentially a big frittata, and it’ll take its color from the kale.
Recipe: The Pioneer Woman
Ham, Leek, and Potato Pie
Leave it to the Brits to hook us up with a meat pie recipe.This recipe, full of potato, crème fraîche, and whole grain mustard, sounds like a winner.
Recipe: BBC Good Food
Ham and Bean Soup
Soup is the great unifier when it comes to leftovers — no ingredient is too good or too foreign to be put to good use in one. Toss your ham in there, toss your beans in there, and call it a day. (My future cookbook title, right there.)
Recipe: Jo Cooks
One-Pot Ham and Cheese Pasta
Anything recipe that contains the phrase “one pot” is a guaranteed thumbs-up on my end. This is easy as can be, and if you’re smart, you’ll add just a little bit too much cheese.
Recipe: Show Me the Yummy
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Ham and Cheese Hot Pockets
These are basically mini calzones shaped like empanadas, but any situation in which I’m allowed to eat more than one calzone is a gift. Bonus points if you make the dough yourself.
Recipe: A Mindfull Mom
Ham and Cheese Pizza
Are you one of those people who feels offended when people put pineapple on pizza? Stick with this recipe the way it is. Are you a regular human whose personality isn’t defined by trying to stop people from eating tropical fruit? Throw a little piña on this thing.
Recipe: Weary Chef
Ham Salad Melts
Having done something similar with my Thanksgiving leftovers, I love the idea behind this recipe. Why just go for boring, sterile, leftover ham salad when you can go for a crunchy, toasty melt? We can turn the ham-sandwich-decadence meter up a bit on this one.
Recipe: Food52
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Glazed Ham Loaf
Who doesn’t love a nice holiday loaf? I’ve never swapped out beef for ham in this regard, but I feel stongly that this would be a hit. You could even slice it up, sear it nicely on each side, and make a sandwich out of it.
Recipe: Spend With Pennies
Split Pea Soup
Split pea is a classic, but one that’s easy to forget, no matter how many roadside restaurants tempt you to pull over a for a bowl. Nothin’ like the open road, eh? Sun shining, wind through your hair, highway in the rear view, and a nice, steamin’ bowl of split pea soup on your lap. That’s the stuff.
Recipe: The Pioneer Woman
Hoppin’ John
The classic Southern side dish is primarily rice and black-eyed peas and can be made with or without ham, but veganism isn’t why we’re here today. Throw your leftovers in there and you’ve got a dish hearty enough to be an entrée.
Recipe: The Spruce Eats
Ham and Potato Soup
Creamy soups are never the calorie-free experience we dream of, but ham and potato are two of the most compatible ingredients you’ll find. Don’t hold back on the pepper, and if I were you, I’d get a bunch of cilantro going in there. Soup season’s still cruising.
Recipe: Allrecipes
Cheesy Gnocchi Casserole with Ham and Peas
I tried to avoid including more than one casserole in this list, but … come on people, this is gnocchi, ham, peas, thyme, and other comfort food magic. This sounds terrific.
Recipes: Food Network
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