A ham joint is something that I cook regularly at home. I usually serve this in a similar manner as a roast dinner, with potatoes and seasonal vegetables. Alternatively, I make ham, egg, chips, and peas. I generally cook a large piece of meat so there is plenty of leftover ham to make something for lunch or dinner the next day.
Using the leftovers is a great way to make budget-friendly meals and to avoid waste. Ham is a delicious and versatile meat, so there are plenty of different options when it comes to using up the leftovers.
12 Ways to Use Leftover Ham
Here are 12 of my favourite ways to use leftover ham in simple recipes.
- Soups- Save the stock to use in a soup, as this adds a meaty and salty flavour. Pea and ham soup or ham and vegetable broth are both perfect for using up the leftover meat.
- Croque Monsieur– Add a European twist to your day by creating a French-style cheese and ham toastie.
- Ploughman’s lunch– More filling than a regular salad, a ploughman’s lunch combines an array of delicious flavours. This simple to prepare meal consists of a thick slice of ham, a wedge of your favourite cheese, a chunk of granary bread and butter, a selection of salad ingredients, and some tasty chutney.
- Spaghetti carbonara– My version of this dish is not strictly speaking an authentic spaghetti carbonara that the Italians make, but it is still a hearty and flavoursome meal. To spaghetti, I add cream cheese, leftover ham, sliced button mushrooms, cream and black pepper. On serving, I add grated parmesan to taste. Another great option is macaroni cheese with ham.
- Hawaiin pizza– The Hawaiin is one of the most popular pizza toppings and it is a great way to use up leftover ham. To a pizza base, add tomato puree, mozzarella cheese, pineapple chunks and diced ham.
- Ham hash– If you are wondering how to use leftover ham, then ham hash is a simple option. Boil diced potatoes before transferring into a pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Lightly fry the potatoes with finely chopped onions then add the ham. Season with black pepper.
- Chicken stuffed with ham and cream cheese– Ham and cream cheese is the perfect filling for a chicken breast. Bake in the oven and then serve with either salad or vegetables.
- Loaded potato skins– Bake jacket potatoes in the oven and then remove the filling. Mix chopped ham, grated cheese and finely sliced spring onions into the filling before returning the filling into the potato skins. Sprinkle with a little more grated cheese before returning to the oven. Cook until the cheese topping is golden.
- Mac ‘n’ cheese ‘n’ ham– Mac ‘n’ cheese is a household favourite as it is so simple to make. Give the dish a twist by adding your leftover ham.
- Chicken, leek and ham pie– This hearty dish has a pie filling of chicken, ham and leeks. If you are not a fan of leeks, you can use mushrooms as an alternative ingredient. This dish can be made as a plate pie with a shortcrust pastry or as a pie in an individual pot with a puffed pastry topping. You might also like ham and mushroom pie.
- Simple eggs benedict– Eggs Benedict is a slice of ham and a poached egg served on a toasted muffin and topped with hollandaise sauce. Add wilted spinach to this and you have a merger between eggs Benedict and eggs Florentine.
- Cauliflower cheese with ham– Adding leftover ham turns cauliflower cheese from an accompaniment to a dish in its own right.
Feel free to add your own ways to use leftover ham in the comments section below. We would love to hear your ideas!