Whether it's ham or lamb at Easter, turkey at Thanksgiving or prime rib on New Year's Eve, one of the joys of cooking a big cut of meat is having a fridge full of leftovers to draw upon for the coming week. Typically we slice up our Easter ham and freeze half of the leftovers. The other half of the salty, tender meat becomes fodder for dishes ranging from frittatas and breakfast wraps to pasta salads and grilled sandwiches.
Before starting on Easter dinner yesterday, there were far more important things to be done. The Easter Bunny did a bang-up job of hiding the boys' Easter baskets this year. T found his nestled in the washing machine (good thing I didn't set it for the spin cycle first thing in the morning). After a long search and an eventual game of hot/cold, M finally found his tucked away on the shelf above the pantry. Oh, that sneaky Easter Bunny!
Whether you are observing Passover this week or you celebrated Easter yesterday, I hope you enjoyed some spring weather and time with family and friends this past weekend. Now, on to the recipe ideas.
Some of these recipes call for bacon or pancetta. Simply replace them with your leftover ham.
Breakfast:
While these are classic breakfast dishes, they work well for dinner, too.
Left to right:
Make-Ahead Egg Wrap with Ham, Avocado & Salsa
Sweet Potato Hash with Canadian Bacon, Red Pepper & Sage
Scrambled Eggs with Turkey Sausage, Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Basil
Left to right:
Frittata with Pancetta, Mushrooms & Roasted Garlic
How to: Make an Omelet
Tarragon Crepes with Ham, Asparagus & Mascarpone Cheese
Other lunch and dinner ideas:
Left to right:
Chicken BLT (or Bacon, Spinach & Tomato) Pasta Salad
Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Jarlsberg Fondue, Ham & Tomato
Left to right:
Toasted Panini with Ham, Cheddar & Pepper Jelly
Tortellini Pasta Salad with Bacon, Broccoli & Basil
If you have some favorite recipes for using leftover ham, please feel free to share the recipes or links in the comment section.
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com
That sweet potato hash is calling my name -- looks so yummy!!!
sippitysup.com
I skipped the ham this year, but these ideas help soften the blow. GREG
Danijela
Hello,
I agree, one of the main characteristics of every holiday are leftovers. Thanks for this nice collection of recipes, they are truly useful. Thanks.
Cindy @ Once Upon a Loaf
Oooh, the panini is really speaking to me! These all look fantastic. Thanks, Dara!
Katrina
Kinda bummed--this year instead of buying a big ol' ham, I just got some sliced at the deli with just the amount we'd need, so no leftovers. But these all look great for anytime just getting some ham to make these--that sweet potato hash especially!
Drick
boy, are your boys growing up - bet you own stock in a shoe company...
ya know, I love holiday left-overs, there are so many good things to come in the coming weeks and your selection is, as always, tops....
Roz@weightingfor50
Hi Dara. Thanks so much for these recipes. I wish I'd made a bigger ham yesterday!!! 🙂 Have a wonderful week.
Barbara | Creative Culinary
I love the leftovers from a holiday meal more than the meal itself I think...and you've given us some great ideas. Fritatta it is!
Nancy Brown
Great recipes for leftover ham!
Brandy
Had to pin the tarragon crepes...dinner for one nice this week for sure! My family has always made a curry rice ham dish after Easter that I love. That'll be dinner for another night this week. LOL
Rachel @ Baked by Rachel
Great leftover ideas 🙂
Bev Weidner
Goooood grief, it all looks SO GERD.
Maria
Great ideas for leftover ham!
Alex@Spoonful of Sugar Free
Yes, I definitely have some leftover ham....thanks for the ideas!
Belinda @zomppa
Great baskets - loving these "leftovers" - that tarragon crepe....
bellini
If only I had cooked a delicious ham for Easter, I am regretting it now.
Mark
This is a great list! Because we don't usually buy processed or deli meats, one of the things I look forward to the most when we have a big roast or ham is making sandwiches. I know, silly, right?
Last year, I put some of my sister's left over ham recipes on my blog. She has a recipe for creamy ham soup that is quite good.