Our 13 Best Leftover Ham Recipes

Smoked Ham-Hock and Lentil Soup
Photo: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

If your holiday dinner has left your fridge stocked with ham, don't fret! We've compiled a list of leftover ham recipes that will help you ensure none of it goes to waste. Holiday ham can be turned into dishes like Smoked Ham Hock and Lentil Soup, Buttermilk Ham and Cheese Biscuits, and a Polenta Dutch Baby with Ham and Swiss. Read on for even more delicious ways to use leftover ham.

01 of 13

Mashed Potato and Ham Agnolotti in Turkey Bone Broth

Mashed Potato and Ham Agnolotti in Turkey Bone Broth
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

"After eating such heavy food on Thanksgiving, it's nice to have something lighter the day after," says 2020 F&W Best New Chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph. His delicate agnolotti, filled with leftover mashed potatoes and ham, feature a smart shortcut—store-bought fresh lasagna sheets—served in a broth made from leftover turkey bones.

02 of 13

Creamy Spaghetti Carbonara with Peas and Ham

Spring Pea and Ham Carbonara Recipe
Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland

Just like cooking an omelet for breakfast, mastering a perfectly luscious carbonara depends on treating the eggs just right. A few simple steps will ensure success. First, be sure to toss the cooked pasta with the sauce off the heat so that the eggs will cook evenly once they return to the heat. Second, since the sauce will continue to cook after it leaves the skillet, pull the carbonara off the heat a little sooner than you think you should so it'll hit the table saucy and creamy.

03 of 13

Polenta Dutch Baby with Ham and Swiss

Polenta Dutch Baby with Ham and Swiss Recipe
Gregory DuPree

A large-format pancake with a light, airy interior and rich, savory toppings, this Dutch baby is perfect for brunch. Add the toppings around the edges, leaving the center clear to allow it to rise properly. Preheating the pan is also crucial to a beautiful rise; the batter should begin to puff immediately after you pour it into the pan.

04 of 13

Ham and Deviled Egg Breakfast Sandwiches

Ham and Deviled Egg Breakfast Sandwiches
Christina Holmes

This irresistible breakfast is a hybrid of an egg salad sandwich and an Egg McMuffin. It combines spicy, pickle-laced egg salad on a toasted English muffin with warm smoky ham and crispy frisée.

05 of 13

Époisses, Ham and Apple Tart

Époisses, Ham and Apple Tart
Jorgensen Photography

Chef Ludo Lefebvre uses the pungent, soft cow-milk cheese Époisses to flavor this delicious tart. He adds ham and apples as well, to balance the rich filling.

06 of 13

Soft Scrambled Eggs with Ham and Truffles

Soft Scrambled Eggs with Ham and Truffles Recipe
Victor Protasio

Light and fluffy, these eggs are gently seasoned and generously perfumed by fresh black truffles. For the perfect creamy, tender bite, pull the eggs off of the heat before they set; they will continue to cook after they leave the stove.

07 of 13

Grilled Ham-and-Pimento-Cheese Sandwiches with Fonduta and Fried Eggs

Grilled Ham-and-Pimento-Cheese Sandwiches with Fonduta and Fried Eggs

Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman created this wow sandwich that just keeps on going with a filling of crispy, cheesy grilled ham-and-pimento-cheese. The amazing sandwich is topped with creamy three-cheese sauce and a fried egg.

08 of 13

Ham and Potato Chip Tortilla

Ham and Potato Chip Tortilla

Adding jalapeño potato chips to a simple egg tortilla (a Spanish omelet) gives it a salty, spicy zing. Serve extra chips on the side.

09 of 13

Grilled Ham and Cheese with Strawberry-Red-Wine Jam

Day 20: Grilled Ham and Cheese with Strawberry-Red-Wine Jam
© CEDRIC ANGELES

The secret to Chris Kronner's delectable sandwiches is the jam spiked with Pinot Noir. Kronner got the idea when he was helping Elisabeth Prueitt test jam recipes while they drank wine.

10 of 13

Buttermilk Ham and Cheese Biscuits

Buttermilk Ham and Cheese Biscuits
© Lucy Schaeffer

Lee Hefter gets so caught up in cooking Thanksgiving dinner that he hardly has time to eat it. He has a turkey-and-stuffing sandwich on these biscuits while he's cleaning up.

11 of 13

Smoked Ham Hock and Lentil Soup

Smoked Ham-Hock and Lentil Soup
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

"I love making this lentil soup when the weather begins to cool," says 2017 Food & Wine Best New Chef Nina Compton, chef-owner of New Orleans hot spot Compère Lapin. "The ham-hock aroma hangs around the kitchen beautifully; the smell alone makes you warmer. Adding a little ginger and lemongrass brightens the soup and reminds me of being back home in St. Lucia. Using local okra reminds me of my Louisiana home and adds a different texture."

12 of 13

Bean and Ham Hock Stew

Bean and Ham Hock Soup
Abby Hocking

Inspired by her mother's ham hock stew, Tiffani Thiessen created her own version of classic Bean and Ham Hock Stew for her cookbook Pull Up a Chair. Thiessen uses fennel where her mother used celery, adding a bit of anise flavor while retaining the tender bite. She also adds some herbes de Provence, whose fragrant, lightly floral flavor brightens up the slow cooking, rich stew.

13 of 13

Country Ham Breakfast Strata

Country Ham Breakfast Strata
© Abby Hocking

Chef Kevin Gillespie has become a master of no-waste cooking. At his restaurant Revival in Decatur, Georgia, they've used the leftover scraps from their house-smoked ham in dishes such as stewed collard greens, fat back soup and a breakfast casserole.

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