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A holiday ham is usually the most expensive thing on the table, and there’s almost always more of it than one dinner needs. That’s good news. With a little planning, the leftovers can cover lunches and dinners for most of the following week.
With grocery prices where they are, getting every last meal out of a ham is one of the smartest moves a home cook can make. These seven recipes use two cups of ham or less each, so even a modest amount of leftovers goes a long way.
Each one is quick, uses everyday ingredients and tastes nothing like the holiday dinner it came from, so nobody feels like they’re eating leftovers all week.
How Long Does Leftover Ham Last?
- Refrigerate leftover ham within 2 hours of serving.
- It keeps in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
- For longer storage, slice or dice the ham and pack it in meal-size portions of 1½ to 2 cups, which is what most of the recipes below use. One pack is one dinner, so you only thaw what you need and nothing goes to waste.
- A vacuum sealer is the best way to freeze those portions. Pulling out the air protects the ham from freezer burn, so it keeps its flavor and texture far longer than it does in a regular bag.
- No vacuum sealer? Use quart-size freezer bags, press out as much air as you can, and use the ham within 1 to 2 months for the best quality.
- Label each pack with the date and the amount.
- Thaw frozen ham overnight in the fridge.
- Save the bone if there is one. Simmer it in soup for extra flavor, or freeze it for later.
The Recipes
1. Baked Ham and Cheese Sliders
Ham and Swiss on soft rolls with a buttery mustard glaze, baked until golden. They’re ready in 30 minutes and work for lunch or a casual dinner.
Ham needed: about 2 cups.
Time: 30 minutes · Serves: 6
2. Ham Fried Rice
Diced ham, cold rice, scrambled egg and frozen vegetables in one skillet. It’s a 20-minute dinner that also uses up leftover rice.
Ham needed: 1½ cups.
Time: 20 minutes · Serves: 4
3. Creamy Ham and Potato Soup
A thick, cozy one-pot soup with ham, potatoes, carrots and celery, made creamy without heavy cream. If you saved the ham bone, this is where it goes.
Ham needed: 2 cups.
Time: 45 minutes · Serves: 6
4. Creamy Ham and Pea Pasta
Short pasta, diced ham and sweet peas in a simple Parmesan sauce made with milk. Dinner is on the table in about 25 minutes.
Ham needed: 1½ cups.
Time: 25 minutes · Serves: 4
5. Ham and Cheddar Breakfast Casserole
Bread, ham and cheddar baked in a savory egg custard. Assemble it the night before for an easy brunch, or serve it as breakfast-for-dinner.
Ham needed: 2 cups.
Time: 1 hour (15 minutes of prep) · Serves: 8
6. Ham and Cheese Omelet
The fastest way to use up a small handful of ham. Add diced ham along with the cheddar in our cheese omelet for a filling meal in less than 10 minutes.
Ham needed: ¼ cup per omelet.
Time: 7 minutes · Serves: 1
7. Ham and Veggie Frittata
Stir diced ham into the vegetables in our veggie frittata before the eggs go in. It feeds four from one skillet and is just as good cold the next day.
Ham needed: 1 cup.
Time: 30 minutes · Serves: 4
More Ways to Use a Little Leftover Ham
- Dice it into skillet breakfast potatoes or scrambled eggs.
- Stir it into buttered noodles or mac and cheese.
- Layer it in a grilled cheese sandwich or a quesadilla.
- Pile it on a baked potato with cheese and broccoli.
Final Thoughts
The ham is the big purchase, and the meals that come after it cost very little. Freeze what you won’t use in a few days, pull out a bag when dinner needs to be fast, and one ham can keep paying you back for weeks.
Need the ham first? Start with our Pineapple-Honey Glazed Ham and the full Easter Dinner on a Budget menu.
