Food and Recipes Meat Bacon 47 Leftover Ham Recipes To Feed The Whole Family Got extra ham on your hands? Lucky you. By Kimberly Holland Kimberly Holland Kimberly Holland is a writer and editor with 15 years of experience in food, lifestyle, health, and nutrition content. She has been published in Southern Living, Real Simple, Allrecipes, EatingWell, Cooking Light, and other publications. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on March 31, 2024 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Missie Neville Crawford That glistening glazed ham makes a lovely centerpiece at any dinner party or holiday soirée, but more often than not, we're left with lots of extra ham to spare. In true Southern fashion, it's essential to ensure that there's enough to go around and then some, so we typically end up with half a ham leftover from our holiday meals. Part of the fun of the holidays is finding new ways to repurpose those leftovers to feed the whole family for the days after. From sandwiches to soups, there are so many ways to plan makeovers for that leftover meat. We've rounded up our favorite recipes—from spectacular sides to catch-all casseroles—that will bring new life to your leftover ham. 01 of 47 Ham-and-Cheese Puff Pastries Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Frozen puff pastry makes this impressive looking recipe a breeze to put together. Get the Recipe 02 of 47 Hawaiian Rolls Breakfast Sliders Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster If you have a hungry crew looking for breakfast after the feast, look no further than Hawaiian roll breakfast sliders. Squishy, sweet Hawaiian rolls are piled high with scrambled eggs, savory deli ham, and tangy Cheddar cheese. Get The Recipe 03 of 47 Ham Cheese Ball Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely This party-ready cheese ball recipe calls for deli ham, but you can substitute the same amount of ham steak or spiral cut ham as long as you chop it very finely. Get The Recipe 04 of 47 Double-The-Potlikker Greens Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster If you've got a few spare ham hocks in the freezer, put them to good use in this amped up collards recipe. Made with two hocks and bacon, the greens and the potlikker are powerfully rich and savory. Get The Recipe 05 of 47 Creamy Linguine with Corn, Leeks, and Mushrooms Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Salty bites of ham help make this light and bright pasta dish a little more savory. Get the Recipe 06 of 47 Split Pea Soup With Ham Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox While this soup calls for Cajun Tasso ham, leftovers from your holiday roast will work too. Get the Recipe 07 of 47 Stuffed Ham-and-Cheese Croissant Casserole Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Missie Neville Crawford This breakfast casserole combines all your favorite components of a breakfast sandwich, including ham, to make a warm and comforting dish you'll be excited to wake up to in the morning. Get the Recipe 08 of 47 Virginia Ham-And-Cheese Wafers Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christina Dailey These bites are just like cheese straws in cookie form and include bits of ham along with toasted pecans, loads of extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, and a bit of cayenne pepper to amp things up. Get the Recipe 09 of 47 Ham and Potato Soup Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox If a sandwich just don't cut it, fill yourself up with this warming bowl of ham and potato soup. Leftover ham is perfect with the onions, carrots, celery, and russet potatoes. Get the Recipe 10 of 47 Ham and Swiss Sliders Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Classic ham and cheese sliders served on a sweet Hawaiian roll are as simple to make as they are tasty. Swap the cheese on these sliders with tangy Swiss for a twist on this Southern-favorite appetizer. Get the Recipe 11 of 47 Ham Sandwiches With Smoky Honey Mustard Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox While a ham sandwich may seem like the easy way out of using your leftovers, this recipe is truly the best version of this typical sandwich. Replace the deli ham with your leftover ham and enjoy this loaded, flavorful lunch. Get the Recipe 12 of 47 Mac and Cheese with Ham Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine Ham adds a substantial, meaty component to this oh-so-classic gooey mac and cheese recipe. The kids will love it. Get the Recipe 13 of 47 Classic Macaroni Salad with Ham Jen Causey On warm days, pack up a picnic basket with this Macaroni Salad and head to the park. We can't think of a better way to spend an afternoon. Get the Recipe 14 of 47 Ham and Noodle Casserole Jen Causey When we have leftovers, our first trick is to throw them into a casserole. This dish tastes like the comforting post-holiday meals of our childhood. Get the Recipe 15 of 47 Crustless Ham and Collard Greens Quiche Antonis Achilleos Make a light, healthy family breakfast while using up your leftovers. Get the Recipe 16 of 47 Country Ham Hash Hector Manuel Sanchez Dice that leftover ham up and toss it in with your skillet potatoes to make a lovely campfire hash. Get the Recipe 17 of 47 Southern-Style Collard Greens Photographer: Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Props Stylist: Christina Brockman All Southerners know that the stewed collards are not complete without a healthy dose of ham hocks. Get the Recipe 18 of 47 Gnocchi Gratin with Ham and Peas Photo: Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox This baked gnocchi dish looks just as impressive as it sounds. Ham, peas, and melty Gruyere cheese add serious finesse to this French meal. Get the Recipe 19 of 47 Croissant Breakfast Casserole Victor Protasio Bring new life to those day-old croissants with this dreamy breakfast casserole. From eggs to ham, it's got all of your breakfast staples in one dish. Get the Recipe 20 of 47 Warm Spinach-Sweet Onion Dip with Country Ham Warm Spinach-Sweet Onion Dip with Country Ham This ultra-creamy twist on spinach and artichoke dip trades the artichoke for sautéed sweet onions and ham. It's built for game days and tailgate season. Get the Recipe 21 of 47 Ham Biscuits Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas No Southern potluck spread is complete without a plate of Ham Biscuits. They're plain and simple—and absolutely irresistible. Get the Recipe 22 of 47 Ham-and-Bean Soup Hector Manuel Sanchez Stew up that leftover ham into a hearty Ham-and-Bean Soup. The broth is light enough to enjoy all year round. Get the Recipe 23 of 47 Cheese Puffs with Ham Salad Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Torie Cox Make these pretty pink puffs for your afternoon luncheon. This vintage recipe isn't going out of style any time soon. Get The Recipe 24 of 47 Jambalaya de Covington Jambalaya de Covington You may not expect to find ham in your jambalaya, but this dish welcomes it with open arms. Jambalaya de Covington has a little bit of everything. Get the Recipe 25 of 47 Soup Beans Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood These hearty pinto beans get their smoky, savory depth of flavor from bacon and a 2-pound ham bone. Serve with chow chow and cornbread on the side for a warming and satisfying Appalachian-style supper. Get The Recipe 26 of 47 Capitol Hill Bean Soup Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox This dish has been on the Senate menu every day since 1903. If that doesn't convince you to try it, we don't know what will. Get the Recipe 27 of 47 Cheesy Ham, Corn, and Grits Bake Hector Manuel Sanchez Whether you serve it as a picture-perfect side or as a breakfast bowl (topped with a sunny-side-up egg, of course), this cheesy dish can rise to any occasion. Get the Recipe 28 of 47 Pumpkin-Buttermilk Biscuits with Crispy Ham and Honey Butter Photo: Victor Protasio; Propr Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox We like our ham extra crispy, and this recipe makes all of our day-after-the-holiday dreams come true. Get the Recipe 29 of 47 Slow-Cooker Collard Greens with Ham Hocks Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall What would Mama's collard greens taste like without ham? We don't want to know. Get the Recipe 30 of 47 Creamy Potato-and-Ham Hock Slow-Cooker Soup Photo: Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Toss all those leftover ingredients in the slow cooker and let it go low and slow all day long. By dinnertime, you'll have a hearty effort-free meal. Get the Recipe 31 of 47 Funeral Sandwiches Photo: Tina Cornett These big-batch sandwiches, also known as Funeral Sandwiches, certainly aren't just for sad occasions. You can find these popular finger foods at tailgates and potlucks across the South. Get the Recipe 32 of 47 Ham-and-Cheese Sliders Photography and Styling: Karen Rankin These croque monsieur-inspired sliders are fit for a weekend brunch, a spring picnic, a beach day, or the kids' lunchboxes. Get the Recipe 33 of 47 Ham and Cheese Cake Salé Quick Bread Sheri Castle Enjoy the savory side of cake with this creative recipe that will pair beautifully with your morning coffee. Get the Recipe 34 of 47 Scalloped Potatoes With Ham Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall You need just a few ingredients to put this decadent dish on the table for a holiday or weeknight dinner. Get the Recipe 35 of 47 Ham Delights Photographer: Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer A Southern potluck wouldn't be complete without a tray of ham biscuits, and we love this recipe that's served on sweet Hawaiian rolls. Get the Recipe 36 of 47 Paola Velez's Ham-and-Cheese Empanadas Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Repurpose holiday leftovers with this inventive recipe from Washington D.C. pastry chef Paola Velez. Get the Recipe 37 of 47 Collard Greens with Smoked Ham Hocks and Pickled Collard Green Stems Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox Is there anything more comforting than some collard greens cooked with savory ham? We think not. Get the Recipe 38 of 47 Savory Ham-and-Swiss Breakfast Pie Don't forget that pies can be savory! This comforting recipe may even become your go-to dish when company calls. Get the Recipe 39 of 47 Ham-and-Vegetable Cobbler Iain Bagwell Move over chicken pot pie! There's a new savory bake in town and ham plays a starring role. Get the Recipe 40 of 47 Buttermilk Grits with Country Ham and Shrimp Antonis Achilleos Upgrade your classic shrimp and grits with the addition of a Southern favorite, country ham. Get the Recipe 41 of 47 Oven-Baked Risotto with Ham, Leeks, and Peas Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Grab your Dutch oven and dice up some leftover ham. This hearty risotto is anything but time consuming. Get the Recipe 42 of 47 Classic Fresh Field Peas Photo: Iain Bagwell Fresh peas and ham are a match made in heaven, and this simple side just about proves it. Get the Recipe 43 of 47 Instant Pot Black-Eyed Pea Soup Photography: Alison Miksch, Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland, Food Styling: Melissa Gray Although traditionally eaten at New Years, this good luck dish can be enjoyed year-round, and happens to be a great way to use up leftover ham. Get the Recipe 44 of 47 Deep-Dish Ham Pot Pie Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Fold leftover ham into this French-inspired pot pie with a creamy Dijon mustard and tarragon-flavored sauce. Get the Recipe 45 of 47 Navy Bean and Ham Soup Photo: Hector M. Sanchez This easy recipe really has only one step: Combine everything in the slow-cooker, set it, then forget it. Get the Recipe 46 of 47 Pesto Primavera Ravioli with Ham Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch This fast and fresh weeknight meal combines spring veggies and ham for a filling and easy pasta dinner. Get the Recipe 47 of 47 Okra In A Blanket PHOTO: JAMES RANSOM, PROP STYLIST: CHRISTINE KEELY, FOOD STYLIST: RUTH BLACKBURN Turn leftover ham into a cute and delicious appetizer for entertaining made easy. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit