What can I make with leftover ham?
Leftover Ham is the ingredient most weeknight dinners get built around, and it rewards a little technique more than a long ingredient list. Below are recipes from our library that use leftover ham, followed by the browning, temperature, and storage notes that make the difference between a good result and a grey one.
12 recipes with leftover ham
Classic Ham Sandwich
A simple yet satisfying sandwich filled with ham and served on toasted bread.
American15m2
Monte Cristo Sandwich
Ham, turkey, and Swiss battered and griddled French-toast style.
American20m4
Croque Monsieur
French ham and cheese sandwich with bechamel and broiled gruyere.
French20m2Sloppy Joes
Sweet-tangy saucy ground beef piled on soft buns.
American25m6
Cheesecake
Rich New York-style cheesecake on a graham cracker crust.
American90m12
Chivito uruguayo
Crush the meat so that it is finite and we put it on a griddle to brown.
Uruguayan4
Torta de fiambre
Line the bottom of a springform of 20-2cm (8-9inches) with parchment paper, I usually leave some overhang as the batter is very liquid and may spill a bit.
Uruguayan4
Slow-roasted ham with lemon, garlic & sage
step 1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
Polish4
Spanish tomato bread with jamón Serrano
step 1 Mix together the chopped tomatoes, garlic clove, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Spanish4
Zapiekanki
step 1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
Polish4
Chorba Hamra bel Frik (Algerian Lamb, Tomato, and Freekeh Soup)
Place freekeh in a small bowl and cover with cold water.
Algerian4
Ham hock colcannon
STEP 1 Peel and cut the potatoes into even, medium-sized chunks.
Irish4
How to cook leftover ham so it stays tender
- 1Pat the leftover ham dry and salt it 15-40 minutes ahead. Dry surface means browning instead of steaming.
- 2Preheat the pan until a drop of water skitters, then add a thin film of oil. Crowding the pan is the number one reason leftover ham turns grey.
- 3Brown in a single layer without moving it for 2-3 minutes per side, then build the sauce in the same pan so the browned bits dissolve into it.
- 4Cook to temperature, not time: 160F for ground meat, 130-135F for a medium-rare cut, then rest 5 minutes before slicing.
What goes well with leftover ham
Leftover Ham is at its best with onion, garlic, tomato, potato, paprika and red wine. Any two or three of those, plus leftover ham, is already a dinner rather than an ingredient list.
Storing leftover ham
Keep raw leftover ham on the bottom shelf of the fridge and use it within 1-2 days, or freeze it flat in a bag for up to three months. Cooked leftovers keep 3-4 days and reheat best with a splash of stock in a covered pan rather than in the microwave.
Substituting leftover ham
If you are out of leftover ham, look for something that behaves the same way in the pan rather than something that tastes the same. Match the moisture level, the cooking time, and the richness, and adjust the liquid slightly if your substitute releases more water. When in doubt, describe what you actually have in the chat and Mr. Chef will rewrite the recipe around it.
Leftover Ham recipes: common questions
- What can I make with leftover ham and not much else?
- Plenty. With leftover ham plus an onion, garlic, oil, and salt you already have the base of a skillet dinner, a soup, or a simple sauce. Add a starch - rice, pasta, bread, or potatoes - and it becomes a full meal. The recipes above are ordered so the ones needing the fewest extra items come first.
- What is the quickest leftover ham recipe?
- Look for the entries above marked 20 minutes or less. As a rule, anything cut small and cooked in a hot pan beats anything roasted whole, and one-pan recipes save more time in cleanup than in cooking.
- Can I substitute leftover ham?
- In most recipes yes, as long as the replacement plays a similar role - similar moisture, similar cooking time, similar richness. Swapping across roles (a watery vegetable for a starchy one, for instance) usually needs a change in liquid or cooking time too.
- How do I use up leftover leftover ham?
- Fried rice, a frittata, a grain bowl, a soup, or a quesadilla will absorb almost any leftover leftover ham without a recipe. If you want something specific, tell Mr. Chef exactly what is in the fridge and it will build a recipe around it.
- What temperature should leftover ham be cooked to?
- Use an instant-read thermometer rather than timing: 165F for poultry, 160F for ground meat, 145F for whole cuts and fish, all measured at the thickest point away from bone. Rest larger cuts for five minutes before cutting.