20 Meals to Make With Leftover Ham

Serving a ham often yields plenty of welcome leftovers. Use that leftover ham as the inspiration for these 20 breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner recipes.

By
Robin Shreeves
Robin Shreeves
Robin Shreeves
Robin Shreeves is a food and beverage writer.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated November 11, 2024
Robin Shreeves
Three recipes made with leftover ham: a brothy soup, an omelet, and a breakfast casserole

Simply Recipes

When I buy a ham, I always choose one bigger than I need for one meal, whether that meal is Easter dinner or one on any old weeknight. Leftover ham makes for a great ingredient in a variety of recipes. My sons love it when I add cubed ham to scalloped potatoes. Ham leftovers are perfect in all sorts of soups, quiches, casseroles, sandwiches, and more.

Leftover ham is good for up to 4 days in the refrigerator or up to 4 months in the freezer. I freeze it in several batches so I can pull only what I need out of the freezer for whatever deliciousness I want to add the ham to. If you're looking for inspiration, here are 20 recipes that use leftover ham.

  • Ham and Potato Soup

    Ham and Potato Soup
    Elise Bauer

    One of our most popular soup recipes! Leftover ham adds a salty layer of flavor to potato soup. Sauté carrots, onions, and celery before adding ham, potatoes, stock, and seasonings. When the soup finishes cooking, purée the potatoes and other vegetables to make a creamy, hearty soup.

  • Denver Omelet

    Denver Omelet with Mixed Greens on Plate

    Ross Yoder / Simply Recipes

    Fill this classic omelet with diced ham, onion, bell pepper, and plenty of cheddar for a quick and satisfying breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. Serve with a side of home fries and a simple leafy green salad.

  • Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders

    Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches on a Cutting Board with a Knife

    Simply Recipes / Ross Yoder

    Fill Hawaiian slider rolls with sliced ham and Swiss cheese and drizzle with melted Dijon and shallot butter, then bake. The recipe calls for deli ham, but using thin slices leftover from a baked ham takes these little sandwiches up a notch. They're definitely crowd pleasers, especially on game day.

  • Ham and Cheese Pasta Bake

    Ham and Cheese Casserole Pasta Bake warm out of the oven
    Elise Bauer

    If you want comfort food, this will do the trick. White sauce made with butter, milk, cream, mozzarella, Parmesan, ham, and herbs is a creamy sauce for cooked fusilli pasta. Combine the sauce and pasta and then bake to get the top brown and crusty.

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  • Cheesy Crustless Quiche with Broccoli and Ham

    Crustless Quiche with Ham - close up of ham and broccoli quiche in a white dish
    Sally Vargas

    Leaving the crust off of a quiche makes it low-carb and (depending on the fillings) gluten-free. You still get to enjoy all the rich, cheesy, silky custard that's filled with ham and broccoli. If you must have a crust with your quiche, though, this recipe works with your favorite pie crust, too.

  • Lentils and Ham

    lentils and ham in a dark gray bowl
    Elise Bauer

    Quick and satisfying, this dish simmers on the stovetop after making a ham broth that takes just 30 minutes. Add sautéed onion, garlic, and lentils to the broth. When it's done cooking, strain the ham and lentils out (and reserve the broth for soup). Serve hot or at room temperature.

  • Pasta With Ham and Peas

    Pasta and peas and ham in a dutch oven
    Elise Bauer

    Dinner ends up on the table in 30 minutes when you make this easy pasta dish. Make a simple garlic, cream, and Parmesan sauce with peas and diced ham. Pour it over cooked pasta and stir. That's it!

  • Ham, Cheddar, and Green Chile Egg Bites

    Ham, Cheddar, and Green Chile Egg Bites on a Plate

    Simply Recipes / Ross Yoder

    These make-ahead bites reheat in the microwave for quick breakfasts. Egg, half-and-half, ham, cheddar, and green chile bake up in muffin tins. They freeze well, and you can keep them on hand for whenever you need a healthy breakfast but don't have time to make it. Or, make them in batches and freeze them before hosting a big brunch so half your work is already done before the day of.

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  • Pineapple Glazed Ham Balls

    pineapple glazed ham balls
    Elise Bauer

    Switch up the meat in your meatballs. Instead of beef, use ham, ground pork, and bacon. Instead of tomato sauce, make a glaze of pineapple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, mustard, and vinegar. Bake the pork-based meatballs in the oven and in the last few minutes add the glaze. Serve as-is or on top of pineapple rings for a crowd-pleasing appetizer.

  • Ham and Potato Hash

    ham and potato hash with a fried egg
    Elise Bauer

    What a filling weekend breakfast/brunch dish. Potatoes, onion, bell pepper, and ham fry up together in butter to make a savory hash. Serve it with eggs done just the way you like them. I suggest sunny side up and when you break the yolk, mix it in with the hash.

  • Greens, Eggs, and Ham Grilled Cheese Sandwich

    Greens Eggs Ham Sandwich

    The classic grilled cheese and ham gets fancy when you add a fried egg, spinach, and switch out American or cheddar cheese for Gruyère. One bite and you'll say "I like greens, eggs, and ham!"

  • Ham Salad

    Ham Salad on a roll
    Elise Bauer

    Diced ham, hard boiled eggs, pickle relish, mayo, onion, celery, bell pepper, and mustard come together to make a tasty cold salad. Eat it by the forkfull or spread it on bread or a roll for one of the best take-to-work lunches. If you already have hard boiled eggs, this salad comes together in just 10 minutes.

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  • Cuban Sandwich (Cubano)

    Two halves of a traditional cuban sandwich are resting on parchment paper and a wooden cutting board. Ridged potato chips and a pickle are in the background.
    Marta Rivera

    Cuban sandwiches, or Cubanos, are one of those foods that vary from region to region. Sometimes they vary from family to family living on the same block. This version alternates seasoned pork roast and sliced ham between layers of Swiss cheese and sour pickles placed in between slices of Cuban bread. Yellow mustard and a garlic butter schmear add tons of complementary flavor.

  • German Farmer's Breakfast

    German Farmer's Breakfast on a white plate
    Elise Bauer

    Fancy some Bauernfruhstuck? That's what the Germans call this stick-to-your-ribs breakfast, and it translates into farmer's breakfast. Potatoes, ham, onions, bell peppers, and eggs come together to make a sort of hash-like breakfast that would also make a good brunch or dinner dish.

  • Ham and Asparagus Quiche

    ham and asparagus quiche
    Elise Bauer

    This quiche full of ham, asparagus, shallots, and of course cheese, cream, and eggs is a smart use of leftover ham, especially if you want to make the leftovers last. You can make and eat the quiche immediately, but you can also freeze the unbaked quiche for up to 2 months. You don't even have to thaw it before popping it in the oven!

  • Stuffed Zucchini With Ham and Mushrooms

    ham and mushroom stuffed zucchini topped with cheese
    Elise Bauer

    What do you do with the super-sized zucchinis that appear out of nowhere in the garden? Stuff them! This recipe calls for stuffing hollowed out zucchini boats with mushrooms, onions, ham, and butter seasoned with Worcestershire sauce and cayenne, then sprinkled with cheese.

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  • Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole

    slice ham and cheese overnight breakfast casserole on plate
    Sheryl Julian

    Make breakfast for a crowd with this overnight casserole. Layer white bread, ham, cheese, and tomatoes. Pour an egg and milk mixture over top. Cover and let sit in the fridge for 12 to 48 hours. When you're ready to bake it, remove from the fridge and pop it in the oven. The result is a perfect morning wake-up call for a house full of guests.

  • Ham, Potato, and Leek Soup

    Potato Leek Ham Soup
    Sally Vargas

    Load up this simple potato leek soup with some chopped ham, and you have a savory, creamy soup. Purée the soup slightly before adding the ham for chunkier soup or purée it fully for a creamier version.

  • Croque Monsieur Ham and Cheese Sandwich

    French Croque Monsieur sandwich
    Elise Bauer

    This classic Croque Monsieur sandwich is the French way to use up leftover slices of ham. It seems fancy, but it's basically a grilled cheese with extra cheese on top that's also slathered with béchamel sauce before spending a little time under the broiler. It's rather decadent. You can also use leftover ham slices in the sandwich's fraternal twin sister, the Croque Madame that you top with a fried egg.

  • Kohlrabi Ham Bake

    Ham and kohlrabi bake in a casserole dish
    Elise Bauer

    If you've been staring at kohlrabi in the produce section wondering what to do with it, this is an easy recipe to start with. Kohlrabi and ham are the stars of this bake that uses cream, eggs, and a little flour to hold it all together.

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