Cooking a large Easter meal takes time, careful planning, and a lot of work in the kitchen. While you are in the planning stage, you may want to think of some downtime after the big meal. Often we think of leftovers as an afterthought, but what if we decide to plan for them.
When cooking for the big holiday meal, purchase a ham larger than the portions needed for the dinner. Have on hand recipes that can make meals a breeze using the leftover cooked ham. That will make the next few days easier for you. Here are some recipes that are delicious to serve, as well as easy to make.
Southwestern Baked Omelet
Ingredients
• Red bell pepper
• Green bell pepper
• Yellow onion
• Olive oil
• Cooked ham
• Organic free-range large eggs
• Milk
• Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• Sliced avocados
• Chopped chives
• Hot sauce
Directions
1) Preheat your oven to 400° F.
2) Chop the peppers, onion, and ham into small cubes.
3) Using cooking spray, prepare a glass baking dish.
4) Spread the ham cubes in an even layer across the bottom of the baking dish.
5) In an oiled skillet over medium-high heat, add the bell peppers and onion.
6) Cook until softened, about 4-5 minutes.
7) Add pepper mixture evenly over ham layer then sprinkle
8) Add the next layer with shredded cheese.
9) Using a whisk, blend together eggs and milk.
10) Season with salt and pepper,
11) Pour the seasoned egg and milk over the layered ingredients in the baking dish.
12) Bake in the preheated oven, about 20 – 25 minutes until set and puffy.
13) Cut and garnish with avocado slices and chives.
14) Plate and serve warm.
15) Have hot sauce on the side as an option.
Aloha Ham And Cheese Sliders
Ingredients
• Hawaiian sweet rolls
• Cooked ham
• Smoked gouda cheese
• Pineapple rings
• Mayo
• Melted butter
• Honey mustard
• Garlic powder
• Poppy seeds
Directions
1) Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2) Lightly grease a baking dish large enough to hold your sliders
3) Without separating the rolls, slice the sheet of rolls crosswise and split in half.
4) Over the bottom half of the sheet of rolls, spread the mayonnaise.
5) Layer with ham slices, adding sliced gouda cheese, and top with pineapple slices.
6) Cover with the top halves of the rolls.
7) Place connected rolls in prepared baking dish
8) Blend together melted butter, honey mustard, garlic powder, and poppy seeds in a small bowl.
9) Brush the mixture over the sandwiches in the baking dish.
10) Bake for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted.
11) Sliders should be browned on top.
12) Remove from the oven and let rest for a couple of minutes.
13) Separate sandwiches and serve warm.
Ham Casserole
Ingredients
• Cheese Soup in a can
• Water
• Italian Seasoning
• Garlic powder
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Jasmine rice, rinsed and uncooked
• Broccoli florets
• Cauliflower
• Cooked ham
• Colby Jack cheese
Directions
1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2) Using a large mixing bowl, add and blend together the soup, water, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
3) Chop the ham, broccoli, and cauliflower into small pieces.
4) Shred the cheese.
5) Add the rice, broccoli, cauliflower, and ham to the mixture in the mixing bowl.
6) Pour mixture into a casserole dish.
7) Cover with a lid or tightly with foil.
8) Place in preheated oven and bake for about an hour or until the rice is tender.
9) The casserole may appear watery on the surface.
10) Stir the casserole to blend the liquid as well as fluff the rice.
11) Top with the shredded Colby cheese.
12) Return to the oven for an additional 5 to 7 minutes to melt the cheese.
13) Remove from oven.
14) Let rest for a couple of minutes before dishing.
15) Serve warm.
Hot, Sweet, and Cheesy Ham Dip
Ingredients
• Yellow onion
• Butter
• Cooked ham
• Cream cheese
• Swiss cheese
• Cheddar cheese
•
• Provolone cheese grated
• Chives
• Cayenne pepper powder
• Paprika for garnish
Directions
1) Preheat your oven to 350F.
2) Grate the cheddar, swiss, and provolone cheeses.
3) Finely chop the cooked ham.
4) Chop the onion into fine pieces.
5) Using a medium-size skillet, add and melt the butter over medium heat.
6) Add chopped onions and allow to soften and caramelize.
7) Add cream cheese and allow to soften while stirring.
8) Blend in the rest of the ingredients using low heat until well mixed.
9) Remove mixture to a baking dish if skillet is not oven proof.
10) Bake in oven until the cheeses have fully melted (about 20 minutes).
11) Remove from oven and sprinkle with paprika powder.
12) Serve warm with crackers, corn chips, or small slices bread.
Corny Ham Chowder
Ingredients
• Butter
• Yellow onion
• Fresh carrots
• Flour
• Ham
• Chicken broth
• Fresh corn off the cob or frozen corn
• Fresh thyme leaves
• Small russet potatoes
• Heavy cream
• Bacon
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper
Directions
1) Cook bacon until crispy, drain, and crumble into bits.
2) Peel, halve and dice onion carrot, and potatoes.
3) Cube ham.
4) Place a large pot or dutch oven on the burner and set the temperature at medium-high.
5) Add butter and let melt.
6) Add in onions and carrot.
7) Cook for about 5 minutes or until they start softening.
8) Using a whisk, add flour;
9) Stir continuously for about a minute until flour is well mixed with buttery liquid.
10) Gradually pour in the chicken broth with one hand while mixing with the other hand.
11) Bring the mixture to a simmer.
12) Add in the cubed ham, potatoes, corn, and thyme.
13) Allow simmering until potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes.
14) Check and stir several times while cooking.
15) When potatoes are soft, add cream and bacon bits.
16) Allow cooking for another 5 minutes.
17) Serve warm in bowls with crackers on the side.
Hamy Cheese Puffs
Ingredients
• Pre-made frozen puff pastry
• Butter
• Yellow onion
• All-purpose flour
• Whole milk
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Ground nutmeg
• Cooked ham
• Fresh spinach, roughly chopped
• Gruyere or Swiss cheese, shredded
• Egg
• Water
• Fresh parsley, for garnish
Directions
1) Thaw puff pastry.
2) Roughly chop fresh spinach leaves after removing stems.
3) Shred cheese.
4) Finely dice onion and ham.
5)Preheat your oven to 400F.
6) Slice the pastry sheet into 4 squares that are around 5″.
7) Cover and chill.
8) Over medium heat, place a medium-size saucepan.
9) Add butter and chopped onion.
10) Cook for around 3 minutes until the onion has softened.
11) Add the flour to the mixture in the saucepan.
12) Whisk until the mixture resembles lumpy sand.
13) Stir continuously for about a minute.
14) While whisking, slowly blend in 1/3 of the milk until lumps are gone.
15) Repeat twice more until all the milk has been used.
16) Continue to stir until the thickened mixture coats the back of the spoon (between 5-7 minutes.)
17) Turn off heat.
18) Add ham and the chopped spinach.
19) Add 2/3 of the shredded cheese.
20) Stir until the cheese has melted into a sauce.
21) Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste.
22) Using parchment paper, line your baking sheet(s).
23) Place puff pastry squares on the lined baking sheet.
24) On the center of each puff pastry square, add about a tablespoon and a half of the sauce.
25) Top sauce with shredded cheese,
26) Fold all 4 corners of each pastry upwards toward the center without letting them touch.
27) Blend egg with water to make an egg wash.
28) Brush onto the outside of each pastry.
29) Bake in preheated oven on a lined baking sheet until golden brown.
30) Garnish with parsley.
