A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about what to do with the Thanksgiving Turkey. If you have leftover turkey that you don’t know what to do with, check out that post for ideas. Check out this post if you haven’t seen it yet. Today, we’ll be discussing what to do with the Christmas ham.
Sharing with the Less Fortunate
In Great Britain, the wealthier members of society have what they call Boxing Day which is the day after Christmas. On this day, they box up the leftovers and take the food to the less fortunate members of their society.
This is a good idea for anyone. Rather than throwing out your leftovers on the day after Christmas, consider joining neighbors in creating healthy meals to give to the homeless in the area. You can also consider sharing with elderly or single-parent families who attend your church. You might even consider sharing one or two of the dishes that I share below.
Of course, if like many of us, your leftovers are not extras, but ingredients for meals that you can use to get you through not only Christmas week but well into January.
Ham Freezer Meals
One of the easiest ways to use ham leftovers is by creating freezer dinners using ham. Make meals using your ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, and green beans using freezer-safe containers.
Ham Sandwiches
Slices of ham, especially spiral ham make some of the best ham sandwiches. Add some cheese and grill the sandwiches, serve with a bowl of soup and you’ve got a hardy lunch to eat at home or at work.
If you like ham salad sandwiches, you can also easily grind the ham, add mayonnaise and sweet relish for this type of sandwich instead.
Ham and Scalloped Potatoes
If you made mashed potatoes from freshly peeled potatoes, then you probably have leftover fresh potatoes therefore you can make ham and scalloped potatoes from scratch.
Making ham and scalloped potatoes from scratch is easy. In my opinion, it also tastes better than the boxed scalloped potatoes. Here’s my recipe:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
Peel and slice potatoes.
Chop one onion
Cube the desired amount of ham
Layer potatoes, chopped onion, and ham in casserole baking dish.
Salt and pepper between layers.
Layer until the casserole dish is full.
Create a thickener. Mix a couple tablespoons of white flour or corn starch with a half cup of water. Pour over the vegetables in the pan. Now pour additional milk to cover the vegetables. Top with a couple tablespoons of butter.
Baking until potatoes are done and top lightly browned.
Allow the dish to cool slightly to thicken.
Serve hot.
Ham and Beans
Don’t let the ham bone or the fat go to waste! You can use many different types of beans to make ham and beans. Northern, navy, black, and pinto beans as well as black-eyed peas are often used for ham and beans.
Wash beans and soak overnight.
In the morning, throw out the rinse water and rinse the beans. Cover with water and cook in pot on stove for an hour. Throw out the cooking water and rinse again. I then put the into my crockpot along with ham bone and extra fat if it is available. I then add a chopped onion and chopped green pepper if I have it.
Add desired seasonings.
New England Dinner
Another meal that I enjoy making with leftover ham is a meal my mother always called New England Dinner. In this meal, we cook potatoes, chopped onion, carrots, and cabbage in ham and ham drippings until vegetables are done.
Ham for Breakfast
Don’t leave breakfasts out of the mix. Ham can be served with eggs as a side. It can also be diced and mixed with eggs as ham and scrambled eggs.
These ham and eggs can also be added with cheese, salsa, sour cream and put in a tortilla.
Ham omelets can also be added to the breakfast menu.
You can also slice ham and serve as a breakfast side for pancakes and waffles.
Don’t Let that Ham Go to Waste!
As you can see, ham left over from the holidays should not end up in the trash can. With proper planning, we all can improve our utilization of it and save money in the process.
Are you looking for more ways to save even more on your food budget? Check out my book The Survival Garden! Available on Amazon.
The Perpetual Homesteader 