Easy Leftover Ham Recipes You’ll Actually Want to Make
Don’t let that delicious holiday ham go to waste. These easy leftover ham recipes turn extra slices into quick family dinners, freezer-friendly casseroles, hearty soups, easy pasta dishes, and delicious breakfast or brunch ideas that you’ll be more excited to eat than the main dish itself!
A big glazed ham is one of my favorite things to serve for Christmas or Easter dinner, but I almost always buy one that’s much bigger than my family could possibly finish in one meal, on purpose!
After all that crazy cooking for the holiday, I look forward to having leftover ham that I can slice and dice and stash in my freezer for easy dinners on busy nights in the weeks ahead.
Rather than eating the same plate of reheated holiday leftovers for several nights in a row, we love to use the ham to make an entirely new meal the very next night.
Here are some of my favorite easy recipes for using leftover ham for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
How to Store Leftover Ham
My two favorite ham recipes start with either this crockpot spiral ham or my mustard glazed ham with pineapple. I usually make them for Christmas and Easter dinner most years.
Once the holiday feast is over, I take the leftover ham and I dice the slices before storing.
Once the ham has been diced, it’s easy to section off into 1- to 2-cup portions. I store them in individual freezer bags and mark the quantity on the front of the bag.
Most leftover ham recipes call for a small amount of ham, so this lets me defrost just what I need to use for dinner.
How to Use Leftover Ham
Many of the leftover ham recipes below don’t even require the ham to be thawed. You can use it directly from frozen as long as it’s not stuck in one large chunk.
This is especially true any time the ham will simmer in a sauce or a soup.
If you need the ham to be equally distributed before cooking a recipe, it can help to defrost it in the microwave first.
Diced ham is the perfect way to add an extra dose of protein to a wide variety of recipes for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
I love to stir it into soups, add it to scrambled eggs, and mix it in with cheeses for savory fillings for baked goods and casseroles.
Here are some of my favorite leftover ham recipes for you to use:
Recipes for Just 1 Cup of Ham
Only have a little ham leftover from your dinner? Don’t let any of it go to waste!
You can stir that small portion of ham into soups, pasta dishes, rice bowls, scrambled eggs, or even a simple quiche. Use it to top a homemade pizza or flatbread or roll it into bread dough for easy sandwich rolls.
I’ve got plenty of ideas for you in the recipes below.
Easy Ham Dinner Ideas
Leftover ham is already cooked, which makes it such a handy shortcut for getting an easy dinner on the table.
Use it to make these hearty family dinners that feel completely different from the original holiday meal.
Baked Ham and Cheese Rolls
These savory baked ham and cheese rolls use leftover ham and shredded cheddar cheese rolled into an easy bread dough. They make a delicious handheld sandwich to serve for family dinner or to bring to a party.
Ham and Cheese Stuffed Potatoes
My easy ham and cheese stuffed potatoes start by microwaving the potatoes and finish in the oven for that golden, crispy topping.
Ham Fried Rice
You can easily swap leftover ham for the chicken in my easy chicken fried rice recipe.
Ham Pot Pie with Pie Crust
Pot pies are perfect for leftover meats of all kinds. This ham pot pie has a buttery and flaky pie crust that is so delicious, it’s worthy of the holiday meal itself!
Ham Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping
If you don’t want to mess around with pie crust, this savory ham pot pie has a flaky biscuit topping.
Pasta Recipes with Ham
Diced ham pairs perfectly with creamy pasta sauces and cheesy casseroles.
These easy pasta recipes are especially helpful when you only have a small portion of ham left to use.
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Alfredo Pasta with Ham and Peas
I think my kids got more excited about this creamy Alfredo with leftover ham and peas for dinner after the holiday was over than they did for the holiday meal itself.
Ham and Mac and Cheese
Stir diced ham into my easy stovetop mac and cheese recipe. Frozen peas would be excellent, too.
Ham Tetrazzini Casserole
Use diced ham instead of chicken in this easy chicken tetrazzini casserole. This would be a great recipe to prep and then freeze instead of freezing the ham packets alone.
Saucy Ham Noodle Bake
Use diced ham instead of leftover pork in my mom’s best recipe: saucy pork and noodle bake. The ham would add a new element of flavor to this family dinner classic.
Ham Soup Recipes
Leftover ham adds plenty of savory flavor to a cozy pot of soup.
If your ham came with a bone, be sure to save that too. You can use both the ham and the ham bone to add even more flavor to your soup.
Split Pea Soup with Ham
Did your ham come with a bone? You’re definitely going to want to save it to make this homemade split pea and carrot soup with leftover ham.
Ham and Corn Chowder
My slow cooker corn chowder has a touch of bacon. You could skip that and just use diced ham to add some protein and saltiness.
Breakfast and Brunch Recipes with Ham
Ham, eggs, and cheese are always a winning combo.
Save a little of your leftover ham for these easy breakfast and brunch recipes that are perfect for a lazy weekend morning or holiday brunch.
Egg and Ham Slab Pie
Looking for a breakfast treat? Try this egg and ham slab pie with a buttery, flaky pie crust. It’s an excellent brunch dish.
Ham and Cheese Quiche
Ham and cheddar are the perfect fillings for a classic easy quiche.
More Leftover Recipes
Make that huge roast stretch as far as it can go with these budget-friendly leftover recipe tips:
About Tiffany
Tiffany is a home-cooking enthusiast, three-time cookbook author, and creator of the sites Peanut Blossom, Peanut Blossom Book Club, and Don’t Just Fly. She believes that family dinner can be manageable, fun, and — most importantly — tasty. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband and two daughters and can often be found baking a loaf of bread with her beloved bread machine, reading a good book, or planning her family’s next adventure.