7 Ways to Use Up Leftover Ham

Ham is wonderful for many reasons. On Easter Sunday, it can serve a crowd without breaking a sweat. Just set it out with mustard, sliced bread or rolls, and a few pickles, and watch it disappear.

But ham can come to the table in pretty oversized form. If your guests filled up on cheese plates, or you didn’t have as many people over as you’d anticipated, you might be looking at pounds of leftover ham. Here are our favorite, most delicious ways to make the most of that happy fact.

1. Quiche

Crème fraîche and Gruyère add wonderfully luxe, delicate notes to this otherwise classic quiche recipe. Ready in about an hour, it’s a wonderful recipe to have in your back pocket, since you can prepare it in advance and let it sit at room temperature. Do try to find fresh chives; they’re such a fresh finishing note.

2. Persimmons Wrapped in Smoked Ham

This bright variation on Devils on Horseback features persimmons, which if you’re lucky are still in season near you. Balsamic vinegar and rosemary—such classic partners—play very nicely with the sweet fruit and salty meat. We love that they’re ready in just half an hour.

3. Pea Soup With Grilled Ham and Cheese

Grilled ham and cheese is in style and in demand any month of the year, whether or not you have a springy bowl of pea soup close at hand. If you don’t have the panini press this recipe suggests, don’t fret. Just weigh down that grilled cheese in a cast-iron skillet using the lid of your Dutch oven (or some other similarly heavy, flat, food-safe item.) Gruyère is a great choice for cheese, but no one will judge you if you slide some melty American cheese in there instead.

4. Sweet Potato Hash With Poached Eggs

Haven’t had sweet potatoes, paprika and ham in one bite yet? Let today be the happy day you try the combo for the first time. Diced ham adds necessary salt and fat to this simple sweet potato hash, which gets an instant sauce from perfectly poached eggs.

5. Croquetas

Those who love to deep-fry but hate the mess: Don’t worry, as these tasty croquetas only call for a cup of oil. (Less splatter; more fun.) The classic Spanish bar snack is dreamily easy to pull together. It particularly bowls over guests when served as a hearty side at a late lunch, with cider or beer.

6. Ham and Gruyère Pot Pies

If Easter is still front of mind, try these adorable pot pies bedecked with a puff pastry bunnies. Inside is a brilliant mix of ham, potatoes and peas in a sauce thickened with Gruyère cheese and scented with tarragon. And, if Easter is well into the rearview mirror, give the bunnies a rest; an easy egg wash results in a smooth and lustrous golden brown crust.

7. Slow-Cooker White Bean Ham Hock Soup

How glorious is this slow-cooker soup? Make it in advance and serve it on any weeknight, or simmer it all afternoon for a lovely Sunday supper. Though the recipe calls for a ham hock, you could easily tuck in bits of leftover ham for the same porky flavor profile. It makes the holiday stretch just a little longer, and in the best way.