25+ Leftover Ham Recipes

The Holiday Season is the perfect time to bake a giant ham. In the days following a big holiday feast, there are so many easy ways to use and repurpose leftover ham into even more delicious meals.

A delicious ham is a staple on the table for so many major holidays – but there is always so much ham left over! I am always looking for new ways to use up some of the leftover ham. I love making red beans and rice, white beans and ham, and a breakfast frittata, but there are so many other easy ham recipes!

When looking for good uses for leftover holiday ham, you are pretty much looking for recipes using ham as an ingredient – not recipes where ham is the main course. These are all recipes using diced or sliced, cooked ham.

So many hearty soup and casserole recipes that normally use turkey or chicken can be made with ham, so if you have a favorite recipe – give it a try with your extra ham!

How to Store Leftover Ham

Leftover ham can be stored refrigerated or frozen. I love to dice it up into small pieces and store the ham in batches of 1 cup. Most recipes use 1/2 – 1 cup or 2 cups, so storing it this way makes it easier to cook with later on.

• Store Leftover Ham in the Refrigerator – I generally keep a small amount of leftover ham slices in the fridge. We will eat this for a meal of leftovers in the days immediately after the holiday to finish up the holiday side dishes. Then, I will usually make one recipe with some ham – usually Ham & Cheddar Cheese Scones – and I freeze the rest. Leftover ham will keep for 3 – 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container.

• Freeze Leftover Ham – My favorite way to freeze ham is diced up or cubed so it’s ready to thaw whenever I want to use it. I usually wrap the ham tightly in plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil, and then I put that in a Stasher bag. This helps to protect the ham from freezer burn.

Many of the recipes listed here can be made ahead of time and frozen, so if you are really feeling motivated to cook even more, you can prep some meals while the ham is fresh and freeze them for even easier meals down the road.

Save the Ham Bone

If you don’t have a lot of leftover ham, at the very least, save the bone inside from inside the ham! If you can’t use it right away, stick it in the freezer and save it for later. I love to save a ham bone from Christmas dinner to cook in a pot of black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day in place of a ham hock.

It imparts a delicious smoky flavor into the broth and is a great way to use every bit of the ham. You can also use the ham bone to season a pot of collard greens.

Tips for Leftover Ham Success

• Ham is Usually Pre-Cooked – Hams from the grocery store are almost always already fully cooked or cured; they just require reheating and glazing. There’s no need to worry about cooking ham all the way through or heating it before adding it to a “leftover” recipe since it’s already been cooked at least once.
• Avoid Drying Out Leftover Ham – Ham doesn’t have a lot of fat, so it can dry out very easily. Be sure to reheat ham covered, and ideally with a spoonful of broth or water in the pan or dish with it. If you’re adding ham to a casserole, soup, or pasta with a sauce, this isn’t needed, as the ham will absorb the sauce or liquid from the dish.

My Favorite Leftover Ham Recipes

If you’re looking to try something new, these easy leftover ham recipes will make your holiday ham go even further. If you don’t have any leftover ham, but these recipes are just calling your name, you can buy some deli ham and dice it up!

Ham, Gruyere, and Potato Breakfast Frittata

Ham & Cheddar Cheese Scones with Green Onions

Breakfast Pizza with Ham & Eggs

Southern Ham Gravy with Cheesy Biscuits & Eggs

Cheesy Hash Brown Ham Breakfast Casserole

Easy Breakfast Ham & Cheese Casserole

Leftover Ham Soup Recipes

If you used a bone-in ham, ham stock is a delicious option. You can use ham stock as you would use chicken stock – as the base of so many stews & soups. Creamy Ham and Split Pea Soup is one of my dad’s favorite recipes, and it can be made on the stove, in a crock pot, or in the Instant Pot. It is the perfect way to use up a leftover Easter ham.

Creamy Tortellini Soup Recipe with Ham

Creamed Ham with Buttermilk Cornbread

Split Pea Soup

Listed in the Instant Pot Ham Recipes & Slow Cooker Ham Recipes sections below, I also have more soup recipes.

What to Make with Leftover Ham 

In the cold winter months, I love to turn a leftover Christmas ham into a filling and flavorful casserole recipe or a delicious brunch recipe that the entire family will love.

Leftover Ham Casserole Recipes

Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Noodle Casserole

The Best Au Gratin Potatoes with Ham

Ham Tetrazzini

​Southern Broccoli Casserole

While not traditionally made with him, you can mix it into this casserole, and it will be so delicious!

Leftover Ham Sandwiches

Monte Cristo Sandwich Recipe

Ham Salad Recipe

Chicken Cordon Bleu Panini

Hawaiian Roll Ham Swiss Cheese & Sliders

Torta de Jamón (Mexican Ham Sandwich)

Leftover Ham Crockpot Recipes

Ham & White Bean Soup

Slow Cooker Ham & Corn Chowder

Instant Pot Leftover Ham Recipes

I love using my Instant Pot to make easy meals, and when the ham is already cooked, it is even easier to make a quick dinner that the whole family will enjoy.

Instant Pot Collard Greens

Instant Pot Ham & Potato Soup

Instant Pot Split Pea & Ham Soup

Leftover Ham Appetizer Recipes

Dinners Using Leftover Ham

Louisiana Red Beans and Rice

Griddle Ham Fried Rice

Ham Pot Pie

Leftover Ham Cobb Salad

Leftover Ham Pasta Dishes

Easy Pasta Salad with Ham

Add ham to your favorite pasta salad recipe!

Antipasto Pasta Salad

Ham and Pea Pasta Alfredo

Ham & Cheese Macaroni Salad

I hope this list of recipes using leftover ham will help you come up with lots of delicious meals. There are endless possibilities to repurpose leftover ham. You can not only save money and reduce food waste but also enjoy some new, tasty meals. So next time you have leftover ham in your fridge, don’t throw it away!