35 Ways to Use Up Leftover Ham

If your refrigerator is full of extras after a big holiday meal, these ideas will help you put it to good use.

March 10, 2023

By: Food Network Kitchen

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Twice As Nice

So, you baked a showstopping ham for Easter dinner and now your refrigerator is full of leftovers? We’ve all been there. And, as much as we love tucking it into bread for a quick lunch in the days that follow, we’ll be the first to admit that you can only eat so many ham sandwiches! You can freeze extra ham, but only for about 2 months—so you’re going to need some ideas for using it up eventually. So, we’ve rounded up a handful of recipes where almost anything goes, making it easy to work all that extra ham into your breakfasts, lunches and dinners. You’ll find lots of good options here but it’s hard to pass up this pasta salad. It gets a nice kick from crushed red pepper flakes and chopped pepperoncini—while rich, salty ham makes the perfect complement to the heat.

Get the Recipe: Spicy Italian Pasta Salad with Ham and Pepperoncini

Deep-Dish Hash Brown Ham and Cheese Quiche

How to improve on ham-and-cheese quiche? Bake it in an uber-crispy hash brown crust for the perfect breakfast dish for a crowd.

Get the Recipe: Deep-Dish Hash Brown Ham and Cheese Quiche

Ham, Spinach and Potato Pizza

Take pizza night to a whole new level with Molly’s fun twist on the classic meat and potatoes. Slice leftover ham into thick pieces, then sprinkle it on a no-knead pizza dough with spinach, potatoes and mozzarella.

Get the Recipe: Ham, Spinach and Potato Pizza

Lentil Soup with Peas and Ham

More soup, peas! The sweet peas in this lentil soup pair wonderfully with the saltiness of the ham and slight tanginess of the yogurt.

Get the Recipe: Lentil Soup With Peas and Ham

Garlicky Ham and Swiss

All of the elements of a great French country picnic are rolled into one grilled cheese sandwich.

Get the Recipe: Garlicky Ham and Swiss

Sweet and Spicy Ham Fried Rice

Pair sweet chili sauce with chili oil to get a sweet heat for this ham-and-shiitake rice dish.

Get the Recipe: Sweet and Spicy Ham Fried Rice

Ham and Spinach Quiche

Bump up the richness of this from-scratch quiche by adding Monterey Jack to the ham-and-spinach filling.

Get the Recipe: Ham and Spinach Quiche

Cheesy Country Ham Dip

You can never go wrong with a ham-and-cheese combo, especially when it’s transformed into a gooey baked dip. Salty ham makes a wonderful addition to Trisha’s cheesy appetizer, which is made even better by adding crunchy chopped pecans on top.

Get the Recipe: Cheesy Country Ham Dip

Mustard Greens and Ham with Toasted Couscous

Mustard greens are known for being assertive and bitter. To match its potency we've paired it with other strong flavors, like garlic and salty ham. If you have some whole-grain mustard or hot sauce on hand, try adding a touch before serving.

Get the Recipe: Mustard Greens and Ham with Toasted Couscous

Spanish Ham and Manchego Pasta Salad

Evoke the flavors of Spain with this pasta salad that features ham, manchego and smoked paprika.

Get the Recipe: Spanish Ham and Manchego Pasta Salad

Ham Salad

Don't know what to do with all that leftover ham from Easter? Try this fast and easy ham salad with tangy mustard and crunchy celery. Enjoy it in a sandwich or just on its own.

Get the Recipe: Ham Salad

Quinoa, Ham and Pepper Breakfast Salad

You'll find all the fixings of a western omelet — egg, ham, peppers, onions and cheese — in this made-for-breakfast salad. But what an omelet doesn't give you is this salad's hefty 6 grams of fiber!

Get the Recipe: Quinoa, Ham and Pepper Breakfast Salad

Spaghetti with Ham and Brie

Upgrade a simple spaghetti dinner with chunks of leftover ham and creamy brie.

Get the Recipe: Spaghetti with Ham and Brie

The Hammy Down

This is the best Hammy Down that you will ever receive! Thick caraway-flavored bread adds a warmth and heartiness to this sandwich, apple jelly adds sweetness, and toasted pecans a bit of texture.

Get the Recipe: The Hammy Down

Grandma's Anything Goes Strata

Grandma knew how to make a hearty meal out of leftover bits of bread and cheese. This recipe is meant for riffing, so use any type of cheese, leafy greens, meat or bread you happen to have on hand.

Get the Recipe: Grandma's Anything Goes Strata

Country Ham Carbonara

The prettiest way to serve pasta? Twirl it into a nest and top with diced ham and extra Parmesan cheese.

Get the Recipe: Country Ham Carbonara

Potato Nests with Peas, Ham and Cream Cheese

This elegant appetizer comes together easily with simple, time-saving ingredients. Frozen hash browns are pressed into mini muffin tins and baked into crispy nests filled with ham, lemony cream cheese and peas. Serve them at your Easter dinner or spring cocktail party.

Get the Recipe: Potato Nests with Peas, Ham and Cream Cheese

Jambalaya with Shrimp and Ham

Ellie combines land and sea with this healthy and hearty jambalaya. If you like it spicy, try adding a bit of hot pepper sauce to your dish at the end.

Get the Recipe: Jambalaya with Shrimp and Ham

Breakfast Cornbread Casserole with Ham and Kale

The combination of ham and hardy greens is always unbeleivably delicious. Make this satisfying casserole as-is or easily adapt it to whatever ingredients you have on hand.

Get the Recipe: Breakfast Cornbread Casserole with Ham and Kale

Country Ham Biscuits and Scallion-Pimento Cheese

Thanks to Trisha’s recipe, it’s easier than ever to get creative with leftover ham. She incorporates chopped ham into a buttermilk biscuit dough, then tops each biscuit with a scallion-pimento cheese.

Get the Recipe: Country Ham Biscuits and Scallion-Pimento Cheese

Cheesy Gnocchi Casserole with Ham and Peas

A one-pan meal covered in golden, bubbly cheese? Yes please! Potato gnocchi, ham and peas are coated in a creamy sauce infused with thyme. Sprinkle with shredded Swiss or Gruyere and broil until it's all lovely and melted.

Get the Recipe: Cheesy Gnocchi Casserole with Ham and Peas

Hash Brown Crusted Veggie and Ham Quiche

With leftover ham and a frozen hash brown crust, Trisha’s quiche is both easy and delicious. Have leftover veggies? Feel free to throw those in, too!

Get the Recipe: Hash Brown Crusted Veggie and Ham Quiche

Macaroni and Cheese

"The mac and cheese is for the kids." Who are we kidding when we make that statement? Giada knows that we adults like mac and cheese, too. The bits of ham and melted mozzarella elevate this classic pasta dish.

Get the Recipe: Macaroni and Cheese

Smoked Ham Biscuit Sandwich

Ham and honey complement each other beautifully, so it's no wonder Chef Amanda Freitag has created this enticing biscuit sandwich with thinly sliced ham. The lightly-sweetened biscuits are made using — you guessed it — honey.

Get the Recipe: Smoked Ham Biscuit Sandwich

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

Slicing the potatoes for Ree's scalloped potato recipe is totally worth the effort. For best results, slice the potatoes thinly — and add lots (and lots) of cheese!

Get the Recipe: Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

Hot Brown Soup

Springtime doesn't mean you can't enjoy a tasty bowl of soup. This cheesy, creamy soup is filled with ham, turkey and, best of all, bacon.

Get the Recipe: Hot Brown Soup

Put-An-Egg-In-It Ham and Cheese Corn Muffins

This breakfast muffin has an egg-cellent surprise inside! Corn muffins are the perfect medium to incorporate leftover ham, or other ingredients you have on hand after Easter.

Get the Recipe: Put-An-Egg-In-It Ham and Cheese Corn Muffins

Orecchiette with Ham and Leeks

Leeks and peas create a bright pasta dish that is perfect for spring. Add your leftover ham from Easter to fill out the dish; it goes great with the slight sweetness of the peas.

Get the Recipe: Orecchiette with Ham and Leeks

Country Ham and Smashed-Potato Home Fries

Home fries without having to grate potatoes —now that's something we can all get behind! Damaris uses a cast-iron skillet to achieve maximum crispiness.

Get the Recipe: Country Ham and Smashed-Potato Home Fries

Barley Risotto with Ham and Mushrooms

Quick-cooking barley is the trick to this earthy risotto filled with mushrooms. Diced leftover ham adds a bit of saltiness to this hearty, flavorful meal.

Get the Recipe: Barley Risotto With Ham and Mushrooms

Ham and Cheese Bake

Dice up some leftover ham, and sprinkle it into this cheesey bake. It's a great way to use up leftover ingredients (like roasted vegetables) from your holiday gathering.

Get the Recipe: Ham and Cheese Bake