A big, beautiful holiday ham is the centerpiece of many Christmas dinners, but for a lot of us, it’s the leftovers that are the best part of the meal.
Donna Knowles Killian always gets her ham from the HoneyBaked Ham store. Before she leaves, she adds a bag with the makings of the company’s white bean soup to her order. And since her husband, Bill, is a native of South Pittsburg, home to Lodge Manufacturing, no serving of the soup is complete without a piece of cornbread made in their Lodge cast-iron skillet.
“Buying a large ham for the holidays has always been a tradition in our family,” she says. “And the soup simmering for hours on the stove makes the leftover ham so tender and adds such a delicious flavor. Having leftover ham is something we always look forward to.”
Bo Mucciarone, assistant manager of the meat department at Publix in Hixson, says ham sales are strong around Christmas, and many people buy the largest they can in order to have leftovers.
“They also buy bone-in hams specifically so that they can flavor pinto beans and other things,” he adds.
Tennyson Dickinson appreciates the leftovers from her Christmas ham long after the holidays are over.
“I make six to eight trays of Hallelujah Ham Rolls, a recipe I found in the Junior League’s ‘Dinner on the Diner.’ I freeze them and have a great appetizer, as needed. That is, if the family doesn’t raid the freezer. They love these!”
So what other things can you do with your leftover ham besides making a ham-and-cheese sandwich?
Try a ham and cheese quesadilla for something deliciously different, topped with salsa and sour cream, or one of these ideas from cooks around Chattanooga.
And remember: Never ever throw away the unused ham bone. It’s an important seasoning for soups, stews and other savory mixtures. “My ham bone always goes into my next pot of Cajun red beans,” says Sandy Zitkus.
* Grace Taylor Vogelzang makes the most out of her holiday ham by making ham salad to spread on crackers, along with a cup of soup for an easy meal. Or it can be made into a sandwich or stuffed in a tomato. “It’s almost like chicken salad with mayo, chopped pickles and a bit of onion, blended together in a food processor,” she says. “And it’s nice on toast, too.” Gussying it up with some chopped grapes makes it even better, she adds.
* Greg Demars says his wife, Lisa, “makes an incredible casserole with scalloped potatoes and leftover chopped ham in a cream sauce.”
* Lynda Steele Vincent, who’s part of the Bea’s Restaurant family dynasty, says there’s no better way to remember her father than by making “what he called hash. He used to cut up the leftover ham and mix it with potatoes and onion. It’s excellent with cornbread.”
* Margaret McNeil always bakes a ham for Christmas and freezes the leftovers, but saves some to make a broccoli-ham ring. “It only uses five ingredients and is very tasty.”
* Cathy Cain DesLauriers makes a delicious skillet of cornbread with shredded ham baked in it. “Drizzle it with honey, and just thinking about it makes me hungry now!”
* Patti Lamsey Dungan makes a breakfast casserole out of her leftover ham, but also extends the leftovers into lunch and dinner with her navy bean soup.
* Emily Ahlquist O’Donnell adds chunks of leftover ham to white beans she’s simmered for hours and serves it over cornbread.
If your Christmas dinner leaves you with a little more ham than expected, don’t just stick it in a freezer bag and let it go unused. Here are some ways to make it do double duty.
Broccoli Ham Ring
1 cup chopped ham
1 cup frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 (8-ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls
Combine the ham, broccoli, onion, cheese and lemon juice in a large bowl; mix well.
To assemble the ring, unroll crescent dough; separate into 16 triangles. Arrange triangles in a circle on a 15-inch round baking stone with wide ends of triangles overlapping in the center and points toward the outside (there should be a 5-inch diameter opening in center of stone). Scoop ham mixture evenly onto widest end of each triangle. Bring points of triangle up over filling and tuck under wide ends of dough at center of ring. Filling will not be completely covered.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cut into 8 servings.
– Margaret McNeil
Hallelujah Ham Rolls
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided
3 tablespoons poppy seeds, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
1 cup sweet onion, minced
1 pound boneless cooked ham, minced
16 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded, divided
36 King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together 14 tablespoons of softened butter, poppy seeds, Worcestershire sauce and mustard until blended. Add the minced onion, ham and cheese, and fold together with a wooden spoon until well mixed.
Slice the rolls in half lengthwise, and place cut side up in a 13- by 9-inch baking pan lined with parchment, or place on sheets of foil large enough to cover the rolls. Divide the ham mixture equally on top of the three pans of rolls. Cover with the top half of the rolls. Cover with a double thickness of foil to seal. (If desired, seal and refrigerate or freeze at this point.)
Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes or until heated through. If making 24 thicker rolls, bake for an additional 5 minutes. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, and brush on top of the hot rolls, if desired. Sprinkle with poppy seeds, and serve.
Note: If made ahead and refrigerated, bring to room temperature, about 30 minutes before baking.
If frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then set out for 30 minutes before baking.
– Tennyson Dickinson, from “Dinner on the Diner” cookbook
Ham Salad
2 cups finely diced or ground ham (about 3/4 pound)
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons minced green onion
2 tablespoons minced celery
2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper, optional
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoons lemon juice
Large pinch of cayenne (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Mix together all ingredients except seasonings. Taste and add cayenne, salt and pepper, if needed.
– Grace Taylor Vogelzang
Ham Tetrazzini
Sandy Zitkus found this one a while back in a Southern Living magazine and has been using it ever since. It is an easy recipe and lends itself to lots of variations. The bell peppers are not part of the original recipe, but she says they add lots to the recipe, both in flavor and color. Substituting Italian Fontinella or Asiago cheese for the parmesan is also good, she adds.
12 ounces thin spaghetti
1/4 cup butter (or margarine)
1 (8-ounce) package fresh mushrooms
1/4 green bell pepper, chopped (optional)
1/4 red bell pepper, chopped (optional)
1/4 yellow bell pepper, chopped (optional)
6 green onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups half-and-half or whipping cream
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, divided
2-3 cups chopped cooked ham
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, and set aside.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add sliced mushrooms, bell peppers, if using, chopped green onions and minced garlic; sauté 3-4 minutes or until tender. Add salt and pepper. Whisk in flour gradually until blended. Gradually whisk in half-and half until smooth. Stir in cheddar cheese and cup parmesan cheese until melted; stir in ham and pasta.
Pour into a lightly greased 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes until hot and bubbly.
Baking/freezing option: Divide the tetrazzini into two smaller baking dishes. Bake one for tonight’s dinner, and freeze the other for later.
Email Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com.