Ham is a holiday favorite and the perfect Sunday supper! We love it oven roasted, slow-cooked, or even smoked. Add a sweet caramelized glaze, salt, pineapple, or mustard.
As much as we love the main event, I think we love leftovers even more. Below are our favorite Leftover Ham Recipes
What To Do With Leftover Ham
My family prefers glazed ham to turkey and I love that it’s so easy to make! It takes very little prep work (especially if you Cook a Spiral Ham or cook it in the air fryer).
But one of the best parts of a big meal (like a baked ham dinner) is the leftovers! Start by just reheating leftover ham slices and eating them as is, or get creative with our favorite recipes for leftover ham below!
To Reheat Leftover Ham
Preheat the oven to 325°F and cover leftover ham in a shallow baking dish. Add ½ cup of broth to the dish and reheat for 20-25 minutes or until heated through. This will vary based on how large the piece of ham is, how it is cut (thick vs. thin), and how much ham is being reheated.
Only need to reheat a piece or two? Try reheating the leftover ham in the air fryer. Keep in mind the ham is already cooked so it just needs to be reheated, not cooked!
How to Store Leftover Ham
So exactly how long does cooked ham last? It’ll last a few days in the fridge or longer in the freezer. Dice and package it into 1 cup portions to make it easy to use in recipes! A ham bone makes great soups. Keep it in the freezer and then use it right from frozen!
Fridge: Cooked leftover ham (spiral or other) can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days. (This also includes leftover sandwich meat ham once opened). Freeze it and it will last longer.
Freezer: Leftover ham should be well sealed (or vacuum sealed) and the leftovers can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Main Ham Dish Recipes
Ham is so versatile, that is why there are so many recipes with ham as an ingredient. Because of its smoky flavor, it is great in almost all soups, stews, and casseroles in place of chicken or other proteins.
Glazed Ham Loaf is almost like a traditional meatloaf, but it is made from ground ham and pork. This is a great recipe for all that leftover ham.
- Black Eyed Peas Recipe (with Ham) is a little bit like a soup but with less broth. So chunky and flavorful, perfect for serving with rice.
- Chicken Cordon Bleu is made from chicken breast rolled with cheese and ham. Just look at that picture! So hard to resist.
- Ham Balls are made from ground ham and then covered in a sweet red sauce. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
- Linguine Carbonara is a creamy Italian dish, made with a white sauce, and pieces of ham. So delicious.
Ham Casserole Recipes
Ham, with its smoky-sweet flavor, is a great addition to any casserole. Add some cheese, and dinner is made.
Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole is a comforting casserole where ham and potatoes are smothered in warm melted cheese.
Ham Sliders and Sandwiches
One great thing about leftover ham is that it can be eaten either hot or cold, sliced, diced, or chopped. Anything goes! Top a salad with it, add it to a favorite pasta salad or sandwich it in the middle of grilled cheese. The possibilities are endless!
Ham and Cheese Sliders are little sandwiches made with dinner rolls, that are super easy to make. These are perfect for a buffet-style meal.
Ham Salad is great for using leftover ham and for sandwiching between two slices of white bread.
Monte Cristo Sandwich is the king of grilled cheese sandwiches.
Ham Soup Recipes
Leftover diced ham is a flavorful addition to soups and stews. It pairs well with sweet veggies like corn and sweet potatoes and adds great flavor to cream or potato-based soups.
As for what to do with the leftover hambone… it’s great for ham soups or to make a flavorful ham broth.
Ham and Corn Chowder is a quick weeknight meal with lots of corn, veggies, bacon and ham. This corn soup recipe is rich, creamy and delicious.
Wondering what to do with that leftover ham? Split pea soup is such a flavorful dish! Split peas and ham are simmered in a delicious broth to give you a thick and hearty soup.
Ham and Bean Soup is an easy “no-soaking required” recipe. Perfect for your leftover holiday ham, this takes just minutes to prepare and cooks effortlessly in the slow cooker all day long!
Looking for a hearty soup to fed a crowd? This ham and lentil soup is so easy to make! Made with a ham bone or diced leftover ham, it is so delish! Serve with a loaf of crusty bread for the perfect meal!
Ham Breakfast Recipes
Start the day off with one of these delicious ham recipes. Ham is a great addition to breakfast as it’s leaner than sausage or bacon and adds a delicious smoky flavor! Chop it up and add it to an omelet or reheat the ham slices in a frying pan and top with poached eggs and voila!
Ham and Cheese Drop Biscuits are made in 15 minutes. A little pat of butter, and these biscuits are sure to be devoured.
10 More Ways to Use Leftover Ham
Ham is such an easy cut of meat to cook with. Use it to replace chicken or ground beef. It also makes great sandwiches or is perfect for snacking on its own!
- Add it in place of chicken in a quick fried rice recipe!
- Replace the chicken in your favorite chicken pot pie recipe.
- Serve a simple ham sandwich by frying the ham and putting it on toast with cheddar cheese and mustard.
- Top your favorite pizza dough with ham (or add it to a frozen pizza).
- Dice leftover ham into small pieces and add it to cooked peas with butter.
- Deck out your fave baked potatoes with butter, sour cream, cheddar, and ham for an easy meal!
- Add ham and cheddar to homemade biscuits and serve warm with butter.
- Add ham to almost any pasta salad recipe or macaroni salad!
- Add diced ham to scrambled eggs or omelets.
- Chop it up and add it to mashed potatoes or mashed potato cakes
Leave a comment below and let us know what your favorite leftover ham recipe is!
