By Becky Hardin
Published Nov 5, 2023
These easy leftover ham recipes are the best way to use up any cooked ham after the holidays. All of these tasty soups, casseroles, and sandwiches will help you finish that extra spiral ham you have from Easter, Christmas, or Thanksgiving. There are plenty of ham leftover ideas for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, including ham sliders, ham and potato casserole, ham fried rice, ham and bean soup, and more.
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What to do with Leftover Ham
After Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, or really any holiday, you probably have some leftover spiral ham that’s just waiting to be eaten. Don’t let it sit in your fridge and go to waste–make these easy leftover ham recipes instead!
You can use slices or cubes of ham to make sandwiches, soups, pastas, casseroles, and lots of other tasty dishes, so you won’t be stuck eating the same plate of food again and again.
Whether you have a honey baked ham , pineapple ham , Christmas ham , or one of our favorite Easter ham recipes to start with, you can use it to make these breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes with leftover ham.
Ham Fried Rice
Leftover Ham Recipes (Soups, Casseroles, and More!)
No need to agonize over what to make with that leftover ham, because these recipes are all easy and delicious!
- Ham Fried Rice : Rice, leftover cubes of ham, and mixed vegetables pan-fry up in just 15 minutes for a quick and easy meal!
- Ham and Potato Casserole : Diced ham and potatoes are baked with tons of cheese and a creamy sauce to make a comforting leftover casserole.
- Ham and Potato Soup : This quick and easy soup is filled with cubes of ham, hearty potatoes, veggies, and a delightfully creamy base. And it only takes 30 minutes to make!
- Chicken Cordon Bleu : Chicken breasts are stuffed with ham and cheese, coated in breadcrumbs, and baked until crispy.
- Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup : Make this hearty soup in just 20 minutes! It’s a super easy way to use up your leftover ham in the days after a holiday dinner.
- Loaded Cornbread Casserole : Throw some diced ham into this casserole, along with extra cans of corn, a box of corn muffin mix, and a few other ingredients.
Ham and Cheese Sliders
Lunch Ideas with Leftover Ham
Make your Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Easter leftovers a little more exciting with these lunch ideas. Sandwiches are always a great way to use extra food.
- Ham and Cheese Sliders : These hot, baked sliders are an easy post-holiday lunch. Use leftover slices of ham and extra bags of Hawaiian rolls (I always buy extra for holidays) to make them!
- Tortilla Roll-ups : Cut up your ham and mix it with cream cheese and ranch, then roll it up inside some tortillas. It’s a great snack or appetizer for when people start to get hungry again.
- Ham Salad : This creamy mix of ham, celery, and sweet relish is perfect to serve as sliders on leftover dinner rolls .
- Hawaiian Pizza Grilled Cheese : Slices of ham, cheese, and pineapple rings make the most delicious spin on grilled cheese. It’s such a quick leftover sandwich idea!
- Cheesy Sandwich Skewers : Slices of leftover ham, turkey, and cheese are piled onto buns, coated in garlic butter, and baked in the oven.
Apple, Ham, and Cheese Frittata
Use Ham Leftovers for Breakfast
Use any spiral ham leftovers from your holiday dinner to make breakfast the next morning! Whether you have lingering guests to feed, or just a few people, these recipes are perfect.
- Apple, Ham, and Cheese Frittata : This amazing frittata is filled with apple, onion, cheese, hash browns, and ham.
- Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole : This egg casserole is so easy to make. Filled with cubes of leftover bread, ham, and cheese, it’s just so tasty.
- Make Ahead Breakfast Burritos : This is such a great way to use up that extra ham, because you can make a batch of burritos and freeze them for later. Nothing will go to waste!
- Cheesy Baked Breakfast Sliders : Pile on slices of ham and cheese, along with eggs, to make these irresistible sliders in 30 minutes.
- Egg Mcmuffins : Use ham instead of Canadian bacon to make these breakfast sandwiches for a quick, on-the-go meal post-holiday.
Leftover Ham and Potato Casserole
With all of these easy leftover ham recipes, you’ll have plenty of tasty meals to eat after your holiday feast is done!
More Post-Holiday Recipe Ideas
Find easy dinner ideas, like cozy soups and hearty casseroles, so you can keep cooking after the holidays without stressing.
20 Chicken Casserole Recipes
40 Comfort Food Recipes
37 Easy Dinner Ideas for Kids
40 Easy Ground Beef Recipes (Dinner Ideas)
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
