The Ultimate Collection Of Ham Recipes - Gonna Want Seconds (2024)

Our complete collection of ham recipes covers any meal you desire for the hamtastic dish of your dreams! Bonus, food safety, and storage tips too.

The Ultimate Collection Of Ham Recipes - Gonna Want Seconds (1)

Ham Appetizers

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Mississippi Sin Dip

Mississippi sin dip is a creamy, ooey-gooey, party favorite dip that’s baked in a hollowed-out loaf of bread. Guaranteed to be a new favorite.

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Creamy Ham Salad

My creamy ham salad is a perfectly balanced delight of salty, sweet, and spicy, with smoky bits of ham and a light, creamy base that’s destined to top every cracker on your party buffet.

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Ham And Cheese Pinwheels

Perfect for lunchboxes or party appetizers, these ham and cheese pinwheels are a bite-size pick-me-up packed with protein and flavor. It’s a classic!

Ham Soups + Salads

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Ham And Bean Soup

My ham and bean soup is full of hearty, creamy white beans with a hint of fresh thyme and tender chunks of everyone’s favorite smoky, salty piece of pork.

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Black Eyed Pea Soup

This hearty and comforting black eyed pea soup is loaded with layers of delicious flavor, lots of bacon and sausage, and of course black-eyed peas.

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Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

Hawaiian macaroni salad brings a unique flavor to the table. The veggies & pasta are brought together by a super creamy dressing!

Ham Casseroles

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Ham Casserole

Smoky ham, tender noodles, and a velvety cream sauce marry together in this winner of a meaty dinner, my sensational ham casserole!

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Scalloped Potatoes And Ham

A heaping helping of cheesy scalloped potatoes and ham is big-time comfort. A truly delicious special event side dish or weeknight main course!

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Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Chicken cordon bleu casserole is creamy indulgence with the salty hints of ham, plenty of cheesy goodness and a crispy topping to pull it all together.

Ham Main Dishes

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Impossibly Easy Ham And Swiss Pie

This impossibly easy ham and Swiss pie is incredibly delicious and easy to make! This savory main-dish pie is best served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

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Ham Balls

These unusual, slightly sweet and savory little ham balls are smothered in a thick, zesty brown sugar glaze! Perfect for potlucks, special occasions, even Easter dinner!

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Jambalaya

Take a trip down the bayou with the best Jambalaya recipe for busy cooks! This smoky, meaty entrée will conjure warm evenings with a zydeco beat.

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Ham Tetrazzini

My ham tetrazzini is a creamy, comfort food casserole that your family will love! It’s great to make with leftover ham from the holidays or Sunday supper!

Side Dishes

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Southern Collard Greens Recipe

These Southern collard greens recipe are slowly simmered with bacon, ham and a ham hock to create the best and meatiest collard greens ever!

Yikes, what do I do with all that leftover ham from dinner! Whether you are dreaming of a leftover ham casserole, planning to indulge in the sort of leftover ham recipes Paula Deen would create or searching for recipes for leftover ham where veggies feature centrally, this is the guide for you! We’ve compiled and categorized the recipes that range from appetizers to entrees and most things in between.

In some of these leftover ham recipes, pasta is the star; in others, the ham itself does most of the shining. That there are so many terrific recipes using leftover ham, we’ve tried to summon up our favham dishes(to date).

Because I know you don’t want to let that delicious (and expensive!) meat go to waste, and I also suspect you don’t have hours to scour the internet for cooking temperatures, storage tips, and all of the best recipes with leftover ham. So I did that work for you! You can thank me later!

We’ll get to the recipes but first, let’s start with some fussy and commonly overlooked health and safety issues.

How Long Does Cooked Ham Last?

Deciding what to do with leftover ham can be trickier than you might initially imagine! Before you jump to browsing Mary Berry leftover ham recipes or ogling the leftover ham recipes food network experts promote, you might want to double-check the “use by” date of your goods. Because the chief requirement of healthy leftover ham recipes is, of course, unexpired ham!

The FDA covers an amazing 20 different varieties of ham in this food safety chart. They explain that cooked uncured ham lasts for 3 – 4 days in the refrigerator and 3 – 4 months in the freezer. Cooked cured ham, on the other hand, lasts 3 – 5 days in the fridge, and only 1 – 2 months in the freezer.

Unopened vacuum-sealed cooked ham lasts 2 weeks in the fridge (unless there is a “use by” date printed on the package, in which case go with that!) and 1 – 2 months in the freezer. Once you open that vacuum seal, however, a 3 – 5 day countdown begins. Who knew a simple ham dinner could be so finicky!

The FDA’s chart also covers store-wrapped ham, spiral-cut ham, country ham, canned ham, lunch meat ham, and specialty ham, oh my! Just scroll down to find your variety on the chart, and then you can get started on leftover ham recipes Jamie Oliver would endorse with peace of mind!

How Do You Store Cooked Ham?

Thankfully, storing ham is much more straightforward! Storage may be the easiest part of prepping ham leftover recipes. The FDA has a few recommendations to help you minimize waste and maximize health.

First, keep the ham in its original packaging for as long as possible. If you are planning to freeze the ham in its packaging for longer than 2 months, though, wrap it up in an additional layer of airtight plastic, tinfoil, or freezer paper.

When dealing with leftovers, remember to refrigerate the goods within two hours in normal temperatures, or within one hour on hotter days (days that are above 90 degrees). Check to make sure your fridge temperature is 40 degrees or lower, and your freezer’s temperature is 0 degrees or below. And try not to overstuff the fridge! Cold air needs to circulate around each item.

The FDA also recommends cleaning fridge spills promptly to avoid cross-contamination and the growth of bacteria. It always helps to cover foods well and check for spoilage frequently. Labels are your friend here!

How To Reheat Leftover Ham :

The FDA also has your back when it comes to the fine art of reheating. Leftover hams should generally be reheated to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. The FDA suggests setting the oven to 325 degrees, covering the ham in foil, and cooking for 10 minutes per pound. You can reheat smaller portions on the stove or in the microwave if you’d prefer.

For more amazing ham facts, take a gander at this comprehensive overview of all things ham! Knowing that you have handy guides such as these just a click away, you can turn your attention to the fun part: what to make with leftover ham!

The Ultimate Collection Of Ham Recipes - Gonna Want Seconds (2024)

FAQs

How long should ham rest after cooking? ›

An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center, making sure it is not touching the bone, should read at least 160 degrees F (72 degrees C). Let ham rest for about 20 minutes before carving.

How long to cook ham? ›

Ham is traditionally baked in the oven. Cook for approximately 15 to 20 minutes per pound at 300 F. No matter the size of the ham and the temperature of the oven, it should be cooked until the internal temperature reaches 140 F. Covering with foil throughout the cooking process keeps it moist.

How do you cook smoked ham? ›

Oven-Cooking

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Once oven temperature reaches 300 degrees, bake approximately 3 hours or 20 minutes per pound. Using a meat thermometer, check for a 163 degree internal temperature in the thickest part of the ham.

What happens if you don't cover ham with foil? ›

If you don't cover your ham while cooking it will quickly dry out. Instead: Put some aluminum foil over your ham while it's cooking. It is recommended that the ham is covered for at least half of the cooking process and only removed during the last half when you glaze it.

What liquid keeps ham moist? ›

You don't want to make a ham soup, so put just enough to coat the ham and cover the bottom of the pan. You can use water, but if you want to add more flavor, you should use wine or beef, chicken, or vegetable stock. Most of this liquid will cook off, but your tinfoil cover will help your meat absorb those juices.

Do you cook a ham at 325 or 350? ›

Cooking Temperature and Time

If the ham is a half ham weighing five to seven pounds, it should heat at 325°F for 22-25 minutes per pound. If it is a whole ham weighing between 10 to 14 pounds, heat the ham at 325°F for 18-20 minutes per pound. The internal temperature should be 140°F.

Does ham get more tender the longer you cook it? ›

Editor's Tip: For a fall-apart tender ham, let it cook longer; 10 to 12 hours on low. This method is perfect for families who prefer a more casual dinner of shredded hot ham and roll sandwiches.

Can I eat smoked ham directly? ›

Hams are either ready-to-eat or not. Ready-to-eat hams include prosciutto and cooked hams; they can be eaten right out of the package. Fresh hams and hams that are only treated to destroy trichinae (which may include heating, freezing or curing in the processing plant) must be cooked by the consumer before eating.

Does smoked ham mean fully cooked? ›

The answer, in short, is if it is cured, smoked or baked, ham is considered “pre-cooked,” and would not technically need to be cooked. This includes the ham that is purchased at the deli. In fact, most ham that is sold to consumers is already cured, smoked or baked.

When to glaze a ham? ›

The glaze should not be applied until the final hour to 30 minutes, in order to avoid burning the sugars. What you're going to do with the glaze ingredients is just combine most of them into a paste, and then apply it to the ham. After that, the heat in your oven will take care of everything.

Do you cover ham while resting? ›

During the resting period, cover meat loosely with aluminum foil to prevent the surface from cooling off too fast.

How long do you let ham rest before cutting? ›

“Regardless of the style of ham, after it comes out of the oven, let it rest at least 15 minutes before carving to allow the juices to redistribute throughout the entire cut of meat,” Brekke says.

Does a cooked ham need to rest? ›

Cook to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) and allow to rest for at least 3 minutes.

Does ham continue to cook while resting? ›

It will continue to cook while it rests and stopping at this point will keep your ham juicy. The recommended rest period is 30 minutes, tented under foil, prior to slicing and serving.

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