My favorite leftover ham recipes are a great way to utilize that leftover holiday ham that you have sitting in your fridge. You can make plenty of delicious meals that your whole family will love by using your ham leftovers in creative ways.
We usually have ham during the holiday season, and without fail, I’m always looking for a great recipe to make use of those yummy leftovers. We’re goin way beyond ham sandwiches, so, buckle up, these are some of my favorite recipes!
Easy Leftover Ham Recipes
Do you have a bunch of leftover ham slices following a recent Sunday dinner or holiday dinner? Good news, I’m sharing my favorite classic ham recipes that are just as good the next day as they were on day one.
Ham and Noodle Casserole – This easy casserole recipe is a great addition to your weekly dinner routine. It’s one of my most popular leftover ham recipes, and it is super easy to make. You could easily make this creamy ham casserole with penne pasta or rotini if you don’t have egg noodles on hand. Add a little freshness with chopped bell peppers and some fresh parsley.
Split Pea Soup with Ham – This easy split pea soup recipe is the perfect way to use leftover ham. It has so much ham flavor, and really works well as a comforting dish during the colder months of the year.
Crock Pot 15 Bean Soup – Have you ever made 15 bean soup? You can grab a bag of this soup in the grocery store. It’s one of my favorite pantry staples, and the perfect for adding some leftover holiday ham. This hearty soup is comfort in a bowl.
Navy Bean and Ham Soup – This simple old-fashioned navy bean and ham soup is a great way to use-up chopped leftover ham or your leftover ham bone. Jazz it up with some fresh green onions and some shredded cheddar cheese to make it even more delicious! Never had shredded cheese in ham and bean soup? Try it! This is one of the recipes of my childhood.
Keto Breakfast Casserole – The original recipe calls for sausage, but, this delicious low carb breakfast casserole would be absolutely amazing with leftover ham. It’s a fabulous comfort food that’s also super-healthy, whether you’re following a low carb diet or not.
Crock Pot Potato Soup (with leftover ham) – This cheesy slow cooker potato soup would be excellent with some chopped leftover ham! Cheesy leftover ham recipes are always my favorite! I also have an Instant Pot Potato Soup that you’ll love with ham!
How Long Is Leftover Ham Good?
You can store your leftover ham in the refrigerator for as long as 3-4 days. The best way to store your ham is to keep it in a shallow, airtight container. You can also wrap it tightly with some heavy duty foil or plastic wrap to help keep it yummy and safe. This is a great way to store extra ham slices, ham hock, or your leftover Christmas ham.
Can You Freeze Leftover Ham?
You can definitely freeze your leftover ham. Make sure it is room temperature before putting it in the freezer. You will want to wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap and heavy duty foil, then put it in a freezer bag or an airtight container to help prevent it from getting freezer burn.
The longevity of your holiday leftovers really depends on how well you store it. With that said, always check for signs that your frozen meats have spoiled before eating.
Keep an eye out for a bad smell or mold, and of course, discard if you detect spoilage. You can also freeze your favorite leftover ham dishes, including casseroles. I will note that casseroles with a creamy sauce don’t freeze as well due to texture changes that can happen.
What to Do with Ham Bone
Saving leftover ham bone is a delicious way to flavor soups and stews. I particularly love adding ham bone to potato soup, bean soup, ham soup, and other hearty soup recipes. A bit of salty ham can elevate your leftover ham recipes to the next level.
Freezing your ham bones is a great way to give your recipes new life. You can put leftover ham bone right into a freezer bag, making sure it’s sealed well. Using a vacuum sealer is even better and will ensure freshness and that the great flavor is well-preserved.
Do I Need to Reheat Leftover Ham Before Using it in a Dish?
Well, it depends on what you’re cooking! If you’re adding your leftover ham to a pre-cooked dish like a soup, casserole, or a stir fry, you don’t need to heat it up ahead of time because the cooking process is going to to the work for you.
If you’re using your leftover ham in a salad or sandwich where you’d prefer it warm, you can pop it into the microwave to heat it up, or, put it in a skillet to quickly warm it up before adding it to your sandwich, wrap, or salad. Of course, cold ham is always good as well! When I was a kid I used to love cold ham with mustard sandwiches following a big holiday meal.
More Uses For Extra Ham
For using leftover ham, there are several creative and delicious ways to repurpose it into new meals:
- Ham and Egg Recipes: Using leftover ham in your breakfast recipes is the perfect solution! You can toss chopped ham into omelets, quiches, or breakfast skillets
- Soups and Stews: Most of my favorite ways to utilize holiday ham is by adding it to soup and stew recipes for flavor. I mentioned a few of the best recipes above, but, you can also use ham in my yummy Potato Corn Chowder (swap for the bacon) or this delicious Rustic Lentil Stew (swap leftover ham for the sausage).
- Classic Ham Sandwich or Wrap: No shame in the sliced ham game! Use that ham to make a yummy ham and cheese sandwich or simple ham and cheese wrap.
- Casseroles: I noted one of my favorite casseroles above, but, you can also add ham to my Loaded Cauliflower Casserole. Just swap chopped ham in for the bacon.
- Salads: Diced ham is excellent in salads! In fact, my kids love it when I send salads with leftover ham in their school lunches.
- Pizza Toppings: Who doesn’t love a Hawaiian pizza? Add that extra ham to your pizza along with some pineapple for a tropical twist on a Friday night classic.
- Fried Rice: Add a savory touch to your favorite stir fry recipe by adding diced leftover ham.
- Ham Salad: Make your own homemade ham salad and serve on crackers or your favorite bread. This is a great way to use-up every last bit of your leftover holiday ham. Here’s a great recipe for leftover ham salad.
I hope you found just what you’re looking for in my list of the best leftover ham recipes! Ham is such a versatile meat that really works in so many delicious dishes. Happy Cooking!
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