Having ham for the holidays? Here are 40 satisfying leftover ham recipes to make that extra ham anything but boring! These ham recipes include options for breakfast, lunch and dinner such as hearty soups, fresh salads and easy casseroles.
Serving ham for holidays has been a tradition for many years. How many times do you actually eat up all the ham though? Let me help you out with these leftover ham recipes.
During Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas, ham sales are through the roof. Even the smallest of hams are often too big for your family to consume in one meal. Stock up on resealable plastic bags and freeze your leftovers. You can consult these leftover ham recipes and create new and exciting dishes out of your leftovers. I’ve got everything from fresh and colorful salads to breakfast delights and hearty casseroles.
Maybe you are a turkey serving family instead. I have you covered there as well, try out these Leftover Turkey Recipes to mix up your meal planning. I kind of want to go out and buy a ham right now so that I can sample each and every one of these amazing recipes!
40 Satisfying Leftover Ham Recipes
- Leftover Ham and Cheese Penne
- Ham and Cheese Spinach Puffs
- Hash Brown Egg Casserole
- Sweet Potato Hash with Ham
- Breakfast Fajitas
- Slow Cooker Ham and White Bean Soup
- Ham and Cheese Scones
- Ham and Cheese Hashbrown Waffles
- Baked Denver Omelet
- Ham and Cheese Salad with Homemade Ranch
How long does cooked ham last?
You can keep cooked ham in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months. I like to package my ham for the freezer in smaller sized bags so that I can just thaw a little at a time as needed to make these recipes.
- Hawaiian Fried Rice
- Leftover Hambone Soup
- Deviled Ham
- Overnight Eggs Benedict Casserole
- Ham and Cheddar Zucchini Frittata
- Slow Cooker Baked Beans with Ham
- Leftover Ham Scalloped Potatoes
- Ham and Cheese Stromboli
- Crock Pot Ham and Bean Soup
- Ham Cobb Salad
How do you store cooked ham?
The best way to store your cooked ham is to slice it off the bone, then store the slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If you’re planning to freeze your ham, I like to dice it into chunks, then package it in freezer store bags.
- Ham and Cheese Tortellini
- Creamy White Bean and Ham Tortellini Soup
- BBQ Hawaiian Pizza
- Hashbrowns and Ham Quiche
- Italian Chopped Salad
- Ham and Broccoli Crescent Pockets
- Hawaiian Ham and Cheese Sliders
- Cuban Quesadillas
- Ham and Cheese Breakfast Enchiladas
- Cheesy Ham and Rice Casserole
How to reheat leftover ham
You can reheat your leftover ham by placing it in a baking dish covered with foil and baking it at 275 degrees until warmed through. If you’re reheating a whole ham, you can plan on heating it for 10 minutes per pound. For sliced ham, plan on 5-7 minutes per pound of ham.
- Ham and Corn Chowder (see recipe below!)
- Ham and Cheese Pasta Bake
- Ham Macaroni and Cheese
- Ham and Cheese Breakfast Souffle
- Country Green Beans and Ham
- Ham Pot Pie
- Hawaiian Ham and Pineapple Skewers
- Creamy Ham and Bean Soup
- Hot Ham and Cheese Dip
- Ham and Cheese Gnocchi
Leftover Ham and Corn Chowder
My favorite way to use up leftover ham is in a rich and hearty soup. This creamy ham and corn chowder is full of savory flavors and is the perfect way to warm up on a cold night. My kids adore this soup, I think they might even like their ham best in soup form. This chowder is loaded with ham, bacon, veggies and potatoes in a creamy base.
Tips for leftover ham and corn chowder
- You can substitute half and half or low fat milk for the cream if you’d like. The end result will be slightly less creamy, but still totally delicious.
- If you have a ham bone, you can also add it to the pot for extra flavor. If you add the ham bone, be sure to use low sodium chicken broth to compensate for the extra salt.
- This recipe calls for frozen corn, but if you have fresh corn, feel free to use that instead.
- This soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, but I don’t recommend freezing it because of the dairy content.
With all these great ham recipes, you’ll find yourself looking forward to your leftovers just as much as the main holiday meal!
Ham and Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion chopped
- 1/2 cup carrots peeled, halved and sliced
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 1/2 cups ham diced
- 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups frozen corn
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 small russet potatoes peeled and cut into small cubes
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the onions and carrot and cook for 4-5 minutes or until just softened.
- Whisk in the flour, stirring constantly. Cook for 1 minute.
- Slowly add the chicken broth, whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer. Add the ham, corn, thyme and potatoes.
- Simmer for 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. Add the heavy cream and bacon. Cook for 5 more minutes. Serve.
MICHELLE says
I (shockingly) had no frozen or canned corn on hand, so I skipped it, and I didn’t add the bacon. It was still good without!
cobugi says
This chowder is sooooo good! I don’t usually make chowder but this sounded like such a wonderful recipe to use the leftover ham and it did not disappoint. The smokiness of the ham and bacon come through and is wonderful surprise. Will try to get ham this Christmas just so I can make this chowder again. Thanks for sharing!
Donald Brown says
This recipe is ridiculous. It is so damn good, unreal. Thank you.
Jennifer Buchan says
Do you think it will be ok without bacon? I don’t have any !
Sara says
Yes it should be fine!
Anne says
This recipe is absolutely amazing, I did up it to a cup of carrots but I like carrots. This soup is perfection and I will be making it again, it’s also incredibly easy!
Donna says
Made this with leftover double smoked ham! Awesome! Wonder if it can be frozen
Andrea says
Made this with leftover spiral ham and it was DELICIOUS! Definitely a keeper recipe. I used red potatoes rather than russet and it still turned out well.
Marcia Base says
Just made this for supper. Had some leftover ham from a spiral ham. It was so delicious!!! Didn’t change anything on the recipe. Thanks for a great soup to add to my recipes.
Brandy says
Just made this for the family with leftover ham. We ate the whole thing! Due to gluten issues, I used cornstarch to thicken. And I didn’t have russets so used red, which obviously changed the consistency. So I used my immersion blend for more thickness. Oh and since I used home canned chicken broth, I had to add salt, but not much because of the ham. This was delicious. Thank you! My changes were because of lack of planning, not because the recipe needed it.
Susan Johnston says
Fantastic chowder. Will become one of our standbys with leftover ham. I make my stock in the instant pot so the depth of flavour is really impressive and these ingredients just shine. Thank you!
Stacey L. Day says
Can this be made in a crockpot?
Sara says
I think it would work fine but I haven’t tried it myself.
Terrie says
I make a lot of soup, and this was one of the best soups I’ve come across! I’ll be making it again in a couple of days. I put in more corn by accident and it was yummy. I think I’ll cut back on the milk by half. Thanks so much for a great recipe!
Jaime says
Just got finished making this chowder. It is so delicious. I did not change anything about the recipe nor would I. Was amazing just the way it was. Thanks for sharing these wonderful recipes!
Sara says
So glad you enjoyed it, thank you for reporting back!
Howard says
Just made this and loved it! Although I feel there was a lot of thyme in this soup. Almost over powering. Otherwise delicious! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Julie Navin says
Did you use dry thyme? If so you shouldn’t put the same amount as the fresh. I made that mistake years ago when I first started cooking. The recipe called for 1/2 cup of fresh parsley and I used 1/2 cup dried. Lol. It was super bad. But hey, I learned.
AngiePanda says
I did the same thing with cilantro once, many years ago, lesson learned the first time! LoL it was truly terrible but I never made that mistake again!