Some tried and true leftover ham uses are obvious and have even become tradition. After the initial serving at brunch or dinner, any good sliceable meat is used for delicious sandwiches, right? However, even after cutting all of that off the bone, we’re often left with lots of good useable ham; it’s just not able to be sliced. Instead it can only be cut off the bone in chunks, but these are easily converted to smaller cubes or strips depending on where your culinary creativity leads.
Diced ham is quite versatile, of course. A handful thrown in to almost any salad is a tasty way to add protein. As a matter of fact, one of my favorite recipes to add diced ham to is our Saigon Slaw!
( https://bit.ly/2XlE2cO ) I simply substitute ham for the bacon. Yum!
Casseroles and skillet meals come to mind when imagining ways to use leftover ham because it goes so well with ingredients like vegetables, cheese, rice, potatoes, pasta, etc. I love to use ham in my favorite Pasta Carbonara. The extra saltiness of the ham is a bright contrast to the mild sauce.
If you just can’t eat any more ham this week, freeze it for use over the next few months. Cube it first; that way it’ll be super simple to add to any dish you like – chicken cordon bleu, jambalaya, Hawaiian pizza, strata, frittata, omelets, scones, quesadillas, soups, pot pies – you get the idea. It goes well with almost anything.
Finally, don’t throw away the bone! If you don’t want to use it now, wrap that baby up and throw it in the freezer for when you want to make beans, lentils, or split-pea soup. The flavor a ham bone adds to these types of dishes is incomparable.
We’d love to hear about any of the creative ways you use your Easter meal leftovers! Let us know in the comments.
