Ham isn’t just for special occasions. Ham is fantastic for every day of the week! Here are some of our favorite delicious ham dinners.
Whether you have leftover Easter ham or grab some ham steaks at the grocery store, these great ham dinner ideas are sure to please. With these ham recipes, you can enjoy this juicy, tender meat all year long for a cozy dinner!
Tools for Cooking a Perfect Ham
Amazing, Quick Meals with Ham
1. Ham and Swiss Cheese Sliders
These ham and cheese sliders are my favorite thing to make with leftover ham. They are so simple to put together, but will really fill you up. These savory sliders are a perfect dinner, lunch, or even breakfast!
I also love that you can quickly make 12 perfect sliders in under 30 minutes. This is a great dish to feed a crowd and I have made them many times for brunch buffets and even as passed appetizers.
Sweet sandwich rolls are stacked with Swiss cheese, cooked ham, and mayonnaise. A mix of melted butter, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce is spread on top of the rolls and then the sliders are baked until warm. Pull them apart and enjoy them right away—I think they are best when hot!
2. Ham and Cheese Quiche
This is another great meal to make using leftover ham. I actually make a few of these quiches in the week after Easter and freeze them. It’s a fantastic way to use all my Easter ham and stock my freezer with meals for the next few months.
Use a store-bought pie crust or a homemade pie crust. You’ll make the filling with heavy cream, chopped ham, shredded cheese, and simple seasonings. While the recipe does call for chopped ham, it is also fantastic when made with bacon.
3. Crock Pot Ham
Cooking ham in the crockpot is such an easy way to make a whole ham for dinner. This is my go-to recipe when my local store has ham on sale, but I don’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen. It is easy, delicious, and perfect as a Tuesday dinner or a Christmas ham.
Place the boneless smoked ham in a slow cooker and with a maple syrup, brown sugar, and mustard glaze. The ham takes about 6 hours to cook so plan ahead! Make a green bean casserole or some hot cross buns to complete the meal.
4. Ham Salad
Ham salad is a tasty side dish that uses a lot of ham. If you have lots of ham leftovers, this is the recipe to make! Ham salad is a deli classic that you can quickly make at home and it’s a satisfying dinner salad because it’s so filling.
Cooked ham, chopped celery, onions, and hard-boiled eggs are mashed together. A little relish, mustard, mayonnaise, and lemon juice finishes off the cold ham salad, adding the perfect amount of flavor.
Serve ham salad on crackers, bread, or just in a bowl as a side. It is best when enjoyed cold.
Quick Tip
Ham salad is a great addition to charcuterie boards. Add a small bowl of ham salad to any savory board and serve it with a spoon. It is delicious on all kinds of crackers or toasts and goes well with lots of different types of cheese.
5. Ham and Bean Soup
I love a warm bowl of ham and bean soup. It’s a classic, satisfying soup that is hearty enough to be a complete meal. It is worth buying an entire ham just to make a huge batch of this ham and bean soup recipe. Plus, it freezes really well if you can’t eat it all.
My ham and bean soup has carrots, onions, celery, and garlic in the mix. I use canned cannellini beans which are already perfectly soft and don’t need to cook long. A little bit of thyme, salt, and pepper are all the seasonings you need!
6. Leftover Ham Casserole
My whole family loves this ham casserole and I love making it. It’s the perfect way to use up a honey baked ham and turn it into a new, delicious dinner. I also love that it’s a complete meal, big enough to serve 8, in one casserole dish.
Toss cooked egg noodles with diced ham, cream of mushroom soup, milk, sour cream, garlic powder, and onion powder. The noodles mixture is spread in a casserole dish, topped with some crunchy buttered breadcrumbs then baked until bubbling. Scoop the ham casserole and serve while nice and hot!
7. Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole
If you like the idea of ham casserole, then you should definitely give this recipe a try. It’s a great ham dinner idea that is so easy to make. You only need 7 simple ingredients and your dinner will be ready in under an hour.
Frozen hash browns, chicken soup, sour cream, butter, cheese, and onions are mixed together with some cooked, chopped ham. The whole mix is put into a casserole dish and baked to golden brown perfection. Add some chopped frozen green beans to the casserole to get your daily dinner veggies.
8. Ham and Cheese Pinwheels
Ham and cheese pinwheels may look like an appetizer, but they definitely make for a filling meal. My family actually asks me to make these on Easter as part of the Easter meal. They just can’t wait for the ham leftovers!
Crescent roll dough is slathered with butter, garlic, dijon mustard, and poppy seeds. Thinly sliced deli ham and swiss cheese is layered on top of the crescent dough and rolled up into pinwheels. The ham and cheese pinwheels bake quickly and you will soon have 8 warm ham pinwheels that are ready to eat for dinner.
9. Ham Tetrazzini
Ham tetrazzini is a fun way to use leftover ham and also a great way to use any leftover spaghetti you may have. It’s creamy, cheesy, and a perfect one-pan meal to make during the week.
Onions and mushrooms are sautéed together until golden brown. Condensed mushroom soup, milk, salt, and pepper are added to the pan and mixed with some ham, cheddar, and parmesan cheese. Once the sauce is melted, the spaghetti is added to the pan and the whole thing is put into the oven to bake. Once you see that cheese sauce bubbling, you know that the ham tetrazzini dinner is ready!
10. Ham Breakfast Burritos
I actually love to serve breakfast foods for dinner. Why should we limit nutritious eggs to just one meal? These easy ham and cheese breakfast burritos are so fast to make, hearty enough to be a dinner, and delicious enough to please the whole family.
Eggs and cream are whisked together and then scrambled in a pan with butter. The chopped ham and cheese are mixed into the eggs and then wrapped inside warm flour tortillas. I like to use leftover maple glazed ham to make ham and egg burritos as it adds that maple, “breakfast” taste to the meal.
Make the burritos ahead and wrap them in foil to reheat later. This is also a great dinner to prepare for eating on the go. They are fantastic for busy family sports nights when you will need to serve dinner in a hurry!
FAQs
The best way to cook ham is to bake it. Preheat your oven to 325ºF and spread a layer of mustard over the ham. Place the ham in a roasting pan, fat side up, and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 18 minutes per pound and then remove the foil and brush more mustard onto the top. Return the ham to the oven and bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes. Let the cooked ham rest for 10 minutes before slicing, and serve with your favorite sides.
Yes, ham is a healthy meat to eat. It’s a good source of protein and provides essential vitamins and minerals like phosphorus, selenium, zinc and B vitamins. However, it is high in sodium so it should be eaten in moderation. Additionally, when choosing pre-packaged ham at the grocery store make sure to check the nutrition facts label to make sure you’re not consuming too much sodium.
Ham pairs wonderfully with a variety of side dishes, such as roasted potatoes, roasted vegetables, salads, and cornbread. You can also make sandwiches with leftover ham or serve it with scrambled eggs for breakfast. Additionally, for a special occasion, consider serving ham with an apricot or pineapple glaze. No matter what side dish you choose, it’s sure to go great with your sliced ham!
Cooked ham can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
No, you don’t need to wash ham before cooking. It is important to keep raw meat away from other food items in order to prevent cross contamination but it is not necessary to wash it. Additionally, washing a ham can make the meat tough as the water washes away some of the natural fats and moisture present in the meat.
One of the best ways to keep ham moist is to cover it with foil while baking. This will help trap the natural moisture in the meat and prevent it from drying out during cooking. Additionally, basting the ham with a glaze or mix of oil, honey, and broth can also help keep it nice and moist. Be sure to cover the ham in between basting sessions and remove from the oven when it has reached an internal temperature of 145°F.
Yes, you can freeze cooked ham. It is best to store the cooked meat in an airtight container or wrap it tightly with plastic wrap before placing it in the freezer. Cooked ham will stay fresh for up to 3 months when stored correctly. When you’re ready to eat it, thaw the ham in the refrigerator and heat it back up before serving.
Easy Ham Dinner Recipes
There are so many fantastic ham dinner recipes that you can make with leftover ham. From hearty ham pies to easy ham and cheese pinwheels, the possibilities really are endless! So grab that extra large ham at the grocery store and don’t worry about having leftovers. You now have plenty of ham dinner ideas to try! Enjoy.
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