These delectable leftover ham recipes are the ideal way to use any ham that didn’t make it into your feast! Many great meals are prepared during Christmas, and you’ll have some leftover ham after dinner. But that isn’t an issue. These simple leftover ham recipes will ensure that none of that delicious pork goes to waste!
During Easter and Christmas, ham is typically the show’s star on dinner tables. However, it’s nearly hard to avoid having leftovers. Because there’s also a casserole, a pie, and other sweet treats on the Christmas menu. The good news is that you may utilize your leftover ham for different dishes the next day.
From breakfast to dinner, here are some innovative yet simple leftover ham recipes to satisfy you.
Leftover Baked Ham Recipes
Casserole with Leftover Ham
This casserole recipe makes it simple to prepare a soon relaxing for the family on a hectic day after the holidays.
You’ll have a delicious pasta meal roasted to perfection with corn, creamy garlic sauce, noodles, and ham.
Don’t forget to top with panko breadcrumbs for a wonderful crunch in every bite.
Salad with Leftover Ham
This ham salad only involves a few minutes of prep work and a simple tossing, but trust me when I say it’ll be a fulfilling dinner.
Because you need mayonnaise for the base, it’s not too creamy or saucy.
A delicious dressing can be made with a little mustard, pepper, and salt.
Soup with Leftover Ham and Beans
On chilly nights, I like to warm up with a cup of ham and bean soup. Make this for supper, and you’ll warm everyone’s hearts and stomachs!
The ham bone in this soup adds to the overall flavor.
Cannellini beans are the most usual choice for the beans, although you can also use lentils or navy beans.
Pies with Leftover Ham and Leek
Freshly sliced mushrooms, vegetables, and soft ham chunks are hidden beneath the crispy, golden brown pie crust.
Inside, a rich soup smothers all of these ingredients.
You’ll get a taste of great comfort cuisine dripping with warm tastes with just one bite. For a substantial supper, serve with mashed potatoes and peas.
Penne Pasta with Baked Ham
The combination of ham and spaghetti is already ideal. Oh, my, when they’re baked together! You’re going to be in for a real treat!
The creamy garlic-cheese sauce is the key to this delectable casserole. Everything slathered in this sauce is my favorite.
Make this casserole ahead of time and bake it when you’re ready to eat it.
Croissant Casserole with Ham and Cheese
This casserole recipe will make your post-holiday brunch extra memorable. With a dash of sweetness, it’s full of savory and cheesy flavors.
Meanwhile, the buttery flavor of the croissants complements the ham and cheese well.
Do you want to turn things up a notch? Serve this dish with a side of spicy sauce. Better still, toss some into the dish before it goes in the oven.
Hot Pockets with Ham and Cheese
It’s preferable to make your own hot pockets with classic ham and cheese than to buy them from the supermarket.
This hand-held meal is a fantastic option if you’re searching for something easy to pack for lunch.
While the stuffing for this recipe is ham and cheese, you may also use meatballs, eggs, sausages, or chicken parmesan.
Ham with Scalloped Potatoes
Scalloped potatoes and ham will give your home a southern flavor.
Sliced potatoes are cooked in a creamy sauce before being topped with cheese.
This meal gets a smoky flavor boost from leftover ham, making it more savory and filling.
This main casserole dish pairs wonderfully with roasted spinach, carrot salad, and southern fried apples, among other sides.
Pizza with leftover ham and cheese
If you enjoy the flavor combination of ham and cheese, you’ll enjoy seeing it on a pizza!
This recipe calls for onions, pizza sauce, and, of course, pizza dough, aside from the ham and cheese.
Feel free to add more toppings if you want more colors and flavors.
https://youtu.be/fSNDyN_qEaM
How to Reheat Ham that has been Left Over?
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and place leftover ham in a small baking dish. Reheat for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through, by adding 12 cups more broth to the dish. This will vary depending on the size of the ham, the cut (thick vs. thin), and the amount of ham being reheated.
Do you only need to reheat a couple of pieces? Use the air fryer to reheat the leftover ham. Remember that the ham is already cooked and must only be reheated.
How to Store Leftover Ham?
When it comes to cooked ham, how long does it last? It’ll last a few days in the fridge, and in the freezer, it’ll survive even longer. Dice and package it in 1 cup chunks to make it easier to use in recipes. Soups with a ham bone are delicious. Keep it frozen and use it straight from the freezer!
Cooked leftover ham (spiral or otherwise) can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. (This includes any leftover sandwich meat ham that has been opened.) It will last longer if you freeze it.
Leftover ham should be properly sealed (or vacuum sealed) and stored in the freezer for up to two months.
How to Heat Ham that has been Fully Cooked?
Spiral Sliced Ham
These hams are great cold, but the instructions for reheating them are usually on the packaging. Place the cut-side-down ham on heavy-duty aluminum foil and wrap it tightly. Alternatively, use an oven roasting bag and prepare according to the bag’s instructions. Bake for 10-14 minutes per pound in a preheated 325F oven or until a meat thermometer reaches 135F. Before serving, remove from the oven and set aside for 10 minutes. If the ham came with extra glaze, add it and cook it according to the package recommendations.
Turn the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, brush the ham with the glaze, and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the glaze is golden and bubbling. Allow for a 10-minute rest before slicing to serve.
Method for cooking in a slow cooker
The hams come out of the slow cooker, juicy and tender. Check to see if your ham will fit in your slow cooker. Add the glaze ingredients to the ham in the appliance. Add 1 cup of Coke or Pepsi, chicken broth, or water. Cook on low for 5-8 hours, or until the ham is well warmed. Place the ham on a broiler pan and coat with glaze; broil 10″ from the fire for 10-15 minutes, until glaze is cooked, looking closely.
The Method in the oven
The idea is to keep the ham from drying out when reheating it. Place the ham on a rack in a roasting pan for the best results. Fill the bottom of the pan with water and cover it securely with foil. Preheat the oven to 325°F and bake for 16-20 minutes per pound, or until a meat thermometer reads 135°F. Unwrap the ham and brush on the glaze; bake for another 15-20 minutes at 400F until the glaze is burnished.
Method of Grilling
Grilling a whole or half ham is challenging because the method uses such dry high heat. Grilled ham steaks or slices, on the other hand, are delicious. If you wish to grill a huge ham, use indirect grilling and ensure the coals have burned down to a grey ash layer before adding the ham. To ensure that you prepare the ham properly, check the label carefully before purchasing it. You’re merely reheating the ham in this scenario, and the essential thing to keep in mind is that it doesn’t dry out.
What are the Signs that Ham is Terrible, Rotten, or Spoiled?
Foodborne diseases can be avoided by following proper cleanliness and food safety procedures.
Although not perfect, your senses are usually the most trustworthy instruments for determining whether or not your ham is terrible. A sour fragrance and a flat, slimy body are two prominent characteristics of poor ham. When the ham has rotted, the pink color of the meat begins to change to a grey color.
Of course, some health hazards are linked with rotting goods, so always remember to practice food safety and consume your food before its expiration date!
The indicators of a spoiled ham are comparable to the rotting signs in other meat varieties. An unpleasant odor strongly indicates that you shouldn’t eat that meat. If your meat becomes an unappealing green, grey, or black hue, it’s time to throw it out.
While ham is normally cured, mold is unlikely to develop; it’s time to toss out that science project if your meat develops mold. You should also avoid sniffing a moldy piece of meat. Those mold spores can get into your lungs and make you sick. When you see mold on a food item, you should throw it away as quickly as possible.
To prevent the mold spores from going airborne and making people sick, wrap the meat in a plastic bag before tossing it. Another red flag is if your ham or other meat has a slick, slimy feel or film coating. While your meat might deteriorate in various ways, the good news is that it’s usually easy to recognize when it does. Some items, such as cheese, can be saved if they go bad. However, ham and other pork products are usually not. Remove the meat and thoroughly clean the container in which it was stored.
When it Comes to Ham, How Long does it Last?
When it comes to ham, how long does it last? When all of the above elements are considered, ham can last 1-2 weeks beyond its labeled expiration date. The shelf life of ham is determined by several factors, including the sell-by date, the method of preparation, and how it was stored.
Ham is a cured meat from a hog’s hind thighs, similar to bacon. The pig’s back is thick and delicious. Ham is made through the curing process; it is fully cooked. A full or half ham is a centerpiece on special events like Easter or Christmas and is my favorite sandwich meat all year.
So, how long can you keep ham? When properly preserved, ham can last well beyond its sell-by date.
How to Choose the Best Ham?
Ham is a slice of meat sliced from a pig’s back legs or, in certain cases, shoulders. It can be smoked, aged, or raw, and it can be wet-cured, dry-cured, smoked, or aged. The appropriate cooking method will be determined depending on the ham you purchase.
City Ham
Most hams sold in stores are city hams, and they’ve been brine-soaked (wet-cured) before being smoked, boiled, and sold completely cooked. Spiral-sliced hams are completely cooked city hams that may be eaten cold right out of the package. However, most people like to glaze and heat them before eating.
The internal temperature of fully cooked hams can be raised to 140 degrees F.
Country-Cured Hams
Country-cured hams are smoked over fragrant hardwoods and aged after being dry-cured by wrapping them in salt. They’re manufactured from pigs-fed fruits and nuts to increase the flavor of their meat. Some of the children are seven years old. Country-cured hams have a stronger flavor than wet-cured, brined hams, but they’re drier.
This Easy Slow Cooker Recipe For a traditional holiday meal, Ham bathes a bone-in country ham in apple cider, maple syrup, and spices before cooking it low and slow.
Ham, fresh or raw
Fresh hams are sold uncured and undercooked and must be cooked thoroughly before consumption.
Ham in a can
Canned ham can be a whole piece of ham, but it’s most typically a ham “loaf” made of many pieces of ham squeezed together. It’s fully cooked and packaged in a can. To glaze and heat, follow the package directions or try this easy Sweet Ham recipe with orange juice, brown sugar, and pineapple.
Bone-in vs. Boneless Ham
Hams with the bone in are tastier than hams without it. Bone-in hams are also more aesthetically pleasing and make for a more formal presentation on important occasions. You also get the ham hock, which you can use in soups and stews!
Spiral-cut hams have been sliced in a continuous spiral around the bone, resulting in thin slices that readily pull away.
Conclusion
If you have leftover ham and are stumped about what to do with it, my Best Leftover Ham Recipes will help! These are simple leftover ham recipes, from basic ham and cheese sliders to pasta dishes, soups, and more. With these ham casseroles, soups, pasta dishes, breakfast ideas, and more favorite leftover ham recipes, you’ll find new ways to use your Easter or Christmas leftovers.
