Last week's recipe for Bourbon-Glazed Ham left us with lots of welcomed post-Easter dinner leftovers. After eating our fill of ham sandwiches (we're partial to grilled ham and cheese with spicy-sweet mustard and pickles), we used the ham and its bone in a variety of other dishes.
Depending on the type of ham, leftovers are safe to eat for five to seven days after opening.
Heat-and-serve or ready-to-eat hams and country hams are generally good for up to seven days after opening. According to petitjeanmeats.com, its hams are good for seven days. Smithfield.com recommends consuming its hams within three to five days.
The leftovers from any brand of ham can be frozen for up to three months without a significant loss in quality if tightly wrapped in aluminum foil or freezer paper and placed in freezer storage bag.
For more information about food safety and ham storage, visit tinyurl.com/hamstorage.
Deviled Ham
1 pound leftover ham, diced (about 3 cups)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon spicy mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Generous pinch garlic powder
Generous pinch onion powder
Splash vinegar (I used champagne vinegar)
In a food processor or chopper, pulse the ham until finely minced.
Transfer ham to a large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate for an hour or 2 before serving.
Makes about 3 cups.
Ham and Egg Salad
2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped ham
1 green onion, finely sliced
1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup mayonnaise, or to taste
1 tablespoon coarse-grain mustard
Salt and ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
Makes 2 to 4 servings.
Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole
Butter
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 (24-ounce) bag frozen tater tots (about 5 1/2 cups)
8 eggs
1 cup milk OR half-and-half
Salt and ground black pepper
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
4 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded
2 cups chopped ham
Generously coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or similar capacity baking dish with butter.
In a skillet over medium heat, melt enough butter to coat. Add bell pepper and onion and cook until vegetables begin to soften; set aside.
Arrange half of the tater tots in the bottom of the prepared pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Pour mixture over tater tots. Top egg mixture with the bell pepper and onion, half of the cheeses and all of the ham. Top with the remaining tater tots, then the remaining cheese. (Casserole can be covered with foil and refrigerated overnight at this point.)
Bake casserole at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until eggs are set and cheese is golden brown. If cheese browns too quickly, tent casserole with foil.
Makes 6 generous servings.
Refrigerated pie crust makes these little hand pies easy to whip up.
Ham and Cheese Hand Pies
3 ounces finely chopped ham
2 ounces shredded cheese such as cheddar, Swiss or manchego
2 green onions, finely diced
Ground black pepper
1 box refrigerated pie crusts
1 egg, beaten
Mustard, chutney or jam, for serving
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.
In a medium bowl, stir together the ham, cheese, green onion and a generous grind of black pepper.
Unroll pie crusts according to package instructions. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter, cut crusts into 24 circles. You will need to gently, but firmly press together the scraps to cut the last 4 circles of dough.
Arrange 12 of the dough circles on the prepared baking sheet. Top each circle with about 1 tablespoon of ham-cheese mixture, leaving 1/4-inch border around the rim of the dough. Brush one side of the remaining 12 dough circles with beaten egg. Top the ham and cheese, egg-side down, with the circles. Press dough firmly and crimp edges with the tines of a fork to seal. Pierce the top of each hand pie with the fork to vent. Brush tops with egg. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with mustard, chutney or jam.
Makes 12 (3-inch) hand pies.
Don't let that ham bone go to waste.
Ham Stock
2 tablespoons bacon fat or olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 ham bone (with scraps attached)
2 sprigs parsley
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
Heat bacon fat in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onion, celery, carrot and garlic, stirring frequently, until golden, about 10 minutes. Add ham bone, parsley, bay leaves and peppercorns, and add enough water to cover the bone by 1 inch (we used 3 quarts). Simmer, uncovered, until stock is flavorful and fragrant, about 3 hours.
Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl; pick out and save bits of ham; discard the remaining solids. Use immediately or transfer stock to an airtight container and refrigerate for 3 to 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months.
Makes about 2 quarts.
Green Pea and Ham Soup
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint, plus several leaves for garnish
4 cups ham stock
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen baby peas
1 cup finely chopped leftover ham (can use bits from making the stock)
Salt and ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
3 or 4 tablespoons creme fraiche OR sour cream OR Greek yogurt
Heat butter in a large pot over medium-low heat. When butter is foamy, add the onion, carrot, and salt and stir. Cover and cook, stirring every now and again, until the onions are soft and creamy, about 15 minutes.
Add the wine and increase heat and bring to a boil. Boil until wine is significantly reduced, about 5 minutes. Add the mint and ham stock and bring the liquid to a boil, then add the peas. Reduce heat and simmer until the peas are heated through, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and, using an immersion blender or working in batches in a traditional blender, puree soup until smooth. Return to heat and add the ham pieces and gently simmer for about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve drizzled with olive oil, reserved mint leaves and a dollop of creme fraiche.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Recipe adapted from epicurious.com
Food on 03/30/2016