What to do with leftover ham?
With the remnants of a 20 lb. ham after Easter, it's time to get creative!
I vacuum packaged up the ham slices in 1 or 2 lb. packages and put them in the freezer, with about 3 lbs. left in the fridge. Then I wrapped up the bone for making soup within a few days.
Leftover Ham Possibilities
Split Pea and Ham Soup
Scrape most of the ham from the bone and reserve. In a large pot of water (enough to cover) add a few bay leaves, 4 or 5 whole garlic cloves, a couple of finely chopped carrots and celery sticks, a little thyme, a chopped onion or leek and a shallot or two if you have them. Add 1/2 tsp. or whole peppercorns. Later when you decide what you want to use it for you can add more seasonings, if desired, such as whole allspice or cloves, or freshen up the seasonings you've already tossed in.
Pasta and Beans
Made as above, but dried baby limas, cannelini or navy pea beans are added and cooked til tender. Add a few more carrots and onions. Scoop out a few ladles of the beans when they're tender and puree them to add back to the soup as a thickener. Season with garlic, basil, oregano and a tablespoon of tomato paste, if desired. Serve with a tube type pasta such as ziti or penne. Float a tablespoon of olive oil just before serving. The baby limas cook the quickest.
Deviled Ham
Ham, coarsely chopped in the food processor with celery, fresh garlic cloves, some onion or shallots and a few sweet gherkins. Very little (if any) mayonnaise can be added as a binder, depending upon what the ham will be used for. A pinch of dry mustard, celery seed and cayenne can be added to perk up the flavor. To make a sandwich spread, process until smooth; as a filling, leave it a bit coarsely chopped. May be used to fill ham and cheese sandwich pockets, flaky pastry turnovers, eggs, ravioli or pierogies, coarsely chopped and layered with ricotta and mozzarella to fill a calzone, or to stuff peppers, mushrooms, baked potatoes or as a filling for deviled eggs. This filling is especially good in flaky pastries or stuffed in a sour cream baked potato and topped with a slice of bacon or cheese.
diced ham (used for omelets, salads, but mostly to saute as a soup starter with greens).
I make several very different kinds of salads with ham. My favorite is one made with a plain Italian vinaigrette with good quality olive oil, red wine vinegar, a pinch of basil, oregano, salt and pepper, chopped shallots, peperoncini salad peppers, red pepper flakes, fresh chives (and on occasion a pinch of dry mustard seed or even fresh mint if its in the garden). Chunks or thin slices of ham, pepperoni, oil packed tuna, sharp aged hard cheese slivers, etc can be a part of this salad. It's like a toss and jumble of an antipasto salad. Oh and let's not forget the olives!
Then there is the standard chopped ham, celery, celery seed, mustard, pickles, onions and mayo salad which I make less often but is good for a quick sandwich or take along (but not as good as the flaky pastry pockets!). And chopped ham is also a good addition to a pasta salad.
Ham and Broccoli Raab
Ham is great chopped and sauteed in olive oil and garlic with Spring greens and a pinch of hot pepper or a few drops of hot pepper sauce or good quality vinegar added before serving. Just saute the greens as you normally would but add diced ham to the olive oil.
Ham and Swiss Chard Soup
Either beet tops or Swiss chard may be used; simmer the soup bone until the broth is flavorful, adding water if needed along the way and seasonings like whole fresh garlic, oregano and thyme, and a pinch of red pepper flakes, etc. Thinly sliced celery, onions and leeks can be added. Cut the coarse bottoms off the greens (I like to use the rhubarb or red chard). Toss the coarse bits into the soup allowing enough time for them to tenderize. Save the tender tops of the greens for the last 15 minutes; add them last and simmer just until tender.
Add chunks of the leftover ham to the soup just before serving.
Remember, "Soup Boiled is Soup Spoiled!"
I like to keep some of the leftover ham soup broth for boiling homemade pot pie noodles, ravioli, wide noodles or pierogi. The homemade noodles really soak up the flavor and no sauce is needed other than a dot of butter. Remove them from the broth with a slotted spoon and season with salt and pepper.
Ham wrapped asparagus is an impressive use for leftover ham slices.
And if there's still any leftover ham, ham croquettes or dumplings are a good way to use up the rest.
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