Leftover Easter ham can go in next day’s soup and biscuits

As sure as small children will hunt colored eggs and refrains of “Here Comes Peter Cottontail” will lodge in your head, a ham will be front and center on most American tables this Easter.

While the rest of the world celebrates the arrival of spring with lamb, the pink, salty-sweet slices of cured pork, slathered in a sticky glaze, have become a tradition in the South.

The only problem is, hams tend to run on the large side, and once all of the side dishes are on the buffet, you realize something: Perhaps your ham is a bit too big and you’ll be faced with a tremendous amount of leftovers. And honestly, how many plain ham sandwiches can one person eat? That first sandwich is good, but after that, you may be in need of new ideas that go beyond deviling or using bits of ham as a topper for salads.

A bit of advice: Don’t throw the bone out. That ham bone has lots of flavor left in it — and most likely a good bit of meat. Place it in a pot, cover it with water, add an onion and some seasonings and let it simmer for a couple of hours. The broth can be used for things like split pea or vegetable soup.

But in my opinion, there’s no better way to use up that Easter ham than filling your soup pot with creamy ham soup and serving it with a biscuit — not just any biscuit, but one embedded with ham and sharp cheddar cheese.

Creamy Potato Ham Soup

4 strips bacon

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

3-4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (2-3 cups)

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade (see note)

1 1/2 cups cooked ham, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 cup corn, canned (drained) or frozen (no need to thaw)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Salt, to taste

1 teaspoon fresh parsley, finely chopped

Sauté bacon in a large stockpot over medium-high heat until crisp. Chop the bacon, and set it aside on a plate, reserving bacon drippings in a pot. Add onion and potatoes to pot, and sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in flour, and mix well to combine until flour is fully incorporated. Stir in chicken broth, and mix until the soup is smooth and uniform. Bring the soup to a boil over medium heat. Cover and let it continue to simmer for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender.

Mash half of the potatoes in the pot with a potato masher to help thicken the soup.

Stir in ham, corn, heavy cream and black pepper. Let the soup simmer over medium heat, and whisk occasionally until thickened to a desired consistency, 5-10 minutes. If the chowder gets too thick, add a little bit more water to dilute it. Add salt, to taste. Serve topped with reserved crispy bacon and fresh parsley. Makes about 4 servings.

Cheesy Ham Biscuits

These biscuits are a great side for soup, or cut them in half and add a fried egg to make a breakfast biscuit.

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup salted butter (1 stick)

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup chopped ham

1 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

Heat the oven to 450 degrees.

Mix dry ingredients. Cut butter into thin slices, then cut it into the flour until pieces of butter are pea-size. Add the buttermilk slowly, and incorporate with the flour mixture. Don’t overmix.

Sprinkle a small amount of flour on a work surface, and place dough on top of it. Press down to make flat, then add the ham and cheddar cheese to the top. Knead dough a few times to incorporate the ham and cheese. Again, don’t overmix.

Press or roll out into 1/2-inch thickness. Use a biscuit cutter or rim of a glass to cut out biscuits.

Place biscuits on a baking sheet, and bake for 10-12 minutes. Makes about a dozen biscuits.

WHISKEY ROADSHOW

Easy Bistro & Bar, 801 Chestnut St., will welcome Tennessee’s first female master distiller for a bar pop-up next week. Alex Castle, the master distiller for Old Dominick Distillery, will be behind the bar to introduce guests to the brand’s new straight Tennessee whiskey and a special cocktail menu created by the team at Easy Bistro. Castle will be on hand from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 11, as part of Old Dominick’s Tennessee Whiskey Roadshow tour.

Old Dominick was originally founded in Memphis in 1866 by Italian immigrant Domenico Canale. In 2013, two great-grandsons discovered some dusty, unopened bottles, inspiring them to build a distillery and resurrect the brand. This past November, they released their first straight Tennessee whiskey, making it the first whiskey distilled, aged and bottled in Memphis since the Prohibition.

EASTER RSVP

Time is running out to assure a table in Chattanooga restaurants accepting reservations for Easter dinner or to place orders for restaurant or supermarket specialties to enhance the meal at home. Last week, we published a list of 20 places — from Acropolis Mediterranean Grill to Whole Foods — that can help with your Easter feasts, whether you eat in or get dishes to go.

One later addition is Puckett’s, 2 W. Aquarium Way. Although Puckett’s will be closed Easter Sunday, their To Go Packs are available for advance pickup. They start at $55 and include a choice of 2 pounds of meat (six options including smoked meatloaf and pulled barbecue pork) two quart-size sides (choose from eight options) and bread (yeast rolls or Cajun corn cakes). There are also add-ons such as sweet tea and the cobbler of the day. See the complete menu and place an order at puckettsgro.com/togopacks.

Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com or annebraly.com.