These 45 Recipes Have Us Getting Creative With The Leftover Ham This Year

Over the last few years, we’ve really learned to expect the unexpected, particularly when it comes to big dinner-centric holidays (ahem, Thanksgiving). We’ve gotten used to moving things outdoors, guests canceling, being unable to find certain ingredients, and completely rescheduling holiday meals to keep up with the needs of our friends and family. What we’ll never accept is food waste, so we’ve gotten creative with what to do with more leftovers than we anticipated having. If you can relate and are feeling overwhelmed with extra ham this Easter, check out our favorite recipes that’ll give your leftovers new life.

Many of these recipes call for deli sliced ham, which you can easily swap for whatever leftovers you have. Slice it as thinly as you can, then enjoy the added texture and flavor you'll never get from the deli. It can start the very next morning after your holiday dinner. Have overnight guests after the big holiday meal? Combine leftover ham with eggs or potatoes and turn it into our crowd-pleasing ham & cheese quiche or Croque Monsieur breakfast casserole that are sure to make everyone happy. For lunch, you can make all the variations on classic ham sandwiches, of course—top it with a fried egg and you’ve got a delicious Croque Madame that can be enjoyed for any meal.

Having another get-together soon after a holiday? Make things easy on yourself by throwing together some Hawaiian roll sliders or ham and cheese pinwheels for easy, tasty party appetizers. For dinner, our chicken cordon bleu is impressive and surprisingly simple (we skip the frying and oven bake instead). Want even easier? It’s all about the cordon bleu sauce, and we make the most of it in our one-pot chicken cordon bleu skillet and our chicken cordon bleu casserole.

Whatever you do, don’t forget to save that ham bone! It’s the secret to an out-of-this-world split pea soup (that, and bacon!).

Want more leftover inspiration? Check out our are our top go-to ways to make leftovers more exciting. And since you’re using leftovers for your main meal, why not go “ham” on dessert?!