Inexpensive Tasty Ways To Use Up Holiday Ham

Don’t let your leftover holiday ham go to waste. Try some of these ideas for using it for future tasty, affordable meals.

by Kathryn Tyler

My family used to eat turkey for almost every holiday. One year, ham was on sale, and I announced we would be having ham for Easter dinner. While we enjoyed the feast night equally well with ham as with turkey, we enjoyed the days “after” the holiday much more when we had ham.

It was then that I realized ham is more versatile than turkey. For us, leftover turkey, turkey sandwiches, turkey soup, and turkey enchiladas got old pretty quickly. In fact, I’d been known to (gasp!) throw turkey out after a few days (or feed it to the dog) because we were just sick of eating it. When we have ham, this doesn’t happen with our leftover ham because we find so many ways to use it.

If you have a lot of leftover ham this Easter, consider making the following:

Ham and Bean Soup

Use the ham bone and some leftover ham to make a hearty soup. I like to use Ham Been’s 15 Bean Soup Mix. Soak the beans overnight, beginning on Easter, so that they are ready to use on Easter Monday.

Ham and Eggs

Not just for Dr. Seuss, kids love breakfast for dinner. Eggs are one of the cheapest sources of protein available (aside from tuna fish). Pair this dish with some toast and juice or milk, and you’ve got a nutritious, quick, and inexpensive dinner.

Fried Rice With Ham

This is a great way to use up leftover white rice, too. Throw it in a wok with some butter, chopped carrots, sauteed onions, and sesame oil (at the end for flavor, not for cooking). Delicious!

Sign Up for Savings

Subscribe to get money-saving content by email that can help you stretch your dollars further.

Twice each week, you'll receive articles and tips that can help you free up and keep more of your hard-earned money, even on the tightest of budgets.

We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time.

Ham Salad

An unemployed single friend of ours came for a ham dinner one night. I sent her home with some of the leftover ham, and she made this dish. She said it lasted for days!

Homemade Pizza With Ham Topping

There’s no unique recipe for this use of ham. Just substitute ham for pepperoni. It tastes better, is cheaper, and has less fat and fewer preservatives.

Fried Potatoes and Ham

I like to mix the fried potatoes with onions and pieces of ham, but you can serve the ham on the side, too. Sprinkle with a little cheddar cheese for a “skillet” type of meal.

Ham Sandwiches

This old standby is great for lunch. No more expensive lunchmeat!

Leftovers

And, of course, you can just eat the leftover ham with the same dishes you had on Easter.

The next time you plan a big holiday meal, consider not only what you’ll eat that night but also how you’ll use the leftovers. It may make a difference in your original menu!

Reviewed March 2024