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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 abreakfast 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!
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, Gruyere, and Potato Frittata
5 from 6 votes
Frittatas are such a delicious and versatile meal and are a great way to use up leftovers, especially ham & cheese. They are so easy to put together and take plain, boring eggs to a whole new level.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and this Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole has all the makings of a perfect breakfast! Originally made with bacon, it can be made with leftover ham as well! Add bell peppers, hash browns, and top with shredded cheese, this casserole will be a crowd-pleaser.
This ham and cheese breakfast casserole can be made in just minutes! Simply combine a few ingredients, pop it in the oven, and enjoy a delicious breakfast!
Whether you plan on serving a holiday ham or not, buy a ham or two near the holidays while they are on sale and keep one in the freezer. You can make a lot of meals from just one ham!
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
Creamy Tortellini Soup Recipe with Ham
Creamy Tortellini Soup Recipe with cured pieces of ham, beans, veggies & cheese filled tortellini?
This BEST Pea Soup recipe is made with a ham bone and is easy to make on the Stove Top, Instant Pot, or Crock Pot! It’s super thick and full of flavor!
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
Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Noodle Casserole
5 from 4 votes
This Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Noodle Casserole is originally made with chicken, but it is so good made with ham. It’s perfect as a quick dinner option, a great way to use up leftovers, or as a make-ahead freezer meal.
Easy Au Gratin Potatoes and Ham is a cheesy dish of deliciousness which is perfect for a quiet weeknight family dinner, yet fancy enough to serve guests.
Ham Tetrazzini is a twist on the classic turkey tetrazzini. This delicious ham casserole is perfect to make with leftover ham and it can be made ahead of time.
While not traditionally made with him, you can mix it into this casserole, and it will be so delicious!
Southern Broccoli Casserole
5 from 4 votes
Southern Broccoli Casserole is cheesy, creamy, and perfectly delicious. The buttery cracker topping is perfectly crunchy and balances out the soft broccoli and creamy sauce. It's the perfect Southern side dish.
If you’ve never enjoyed a Monte Cristo, well, we’ve got to change that. What is a Monte Cristo you say? Basically it’s just the best ham and cheese sandwich ever! And it’s so cosmopolitan-ish sounding too.
These Hawaiian Roll Sliders are stacked with ham and Swiss cheese, covered in a tangy honey mustard glaze and toasted until they’re perfectly hot and melty!
Slow Cooker White Beans and Ham is the very definition of comfort food. It is an easy way to make a hearty, flavorful dinner and a great way to use up leftover ham.
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 Collard Greens
5 from 19 votes
Collard Greens made in an Instant Pot are a shortcut to Southern perfection. What normally takes hours on the stove is ready in less than an hour using a pressure cooker. Made with bacon, onions, ham, and garlic – these collard greens couldn't be more delicious.
Instant Pot Potato Ham Soup is rich & creamy, made with leftover ham & potatoes. Delicious pressure cooker potato ham soup is easy to make in about an hour.
Red Beans and Rice is a mouth-watering dish with a thick and creamy texture and a depth of flavor that is simply irresistible. Passed down through generations, this family recipe is sure to leave your guests asking for seconds.
This Pasta Salad is a bite from my childhood. It is overflowing with vegetables and reminds me of springtime and grilling with my parents. It is light enough for a hot day and is bursting with so much flavor.
Looking for a super simple, super tasty macaroni salad? Give Ham & Cheese Macaroni Salad a try! Made with just a few basic ingredients, this simple macaroni salad is easy to pull together and loaded with flavor, too. Not to mention, it’s a great dish for enjoying that leftover ham.
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!
I am a newlywed, food blogger, health coach, and mama to a hot mess of a border collie. I love to put a new spin on old family recipes and I try to make as many meals as possible with an Instant Pot.
