Easter is done. The eggs have been colored and found. The chocolate bunnies are mostly eaten. And everyone is more than a little tired of leftover ham from Easter Sunday. Small problem. You bought a big one and there is quite a bit left. Here are recipes to use up that leftover ham plus the hard-boiled Easter eggs, in new and delicious ways. Healthy ham-wich spread. So along with extra ham, you bought lots of holiday fruits, nuts and vegetables: pineapple, grapes, apples, raisins, carrots, celery, onions. So make a fabu-fruit and veggie ham-wich spread. In the food processor, grind ham with seeded, cored, peeled apples and/or pineapple, Chop carrots, cucumbers, celery and onion. Add sliced grapes and chopped walnuts.
Blend with light mayonnaise and celery seed. Spread on leftover rolls. Use up buns too!
Ham bone bean soup You can never get all the ham off from the bone and it's a shame to waste
soup stock potential. Put ham bone in a kettle covered with water. Toss in a bag of rinsed, sorted
dried beans. I have a penchant for Hambeens 15-Bean Soup, but just about any kind will do. Boil on
medium-low for two hours to soften beans and cook meat from bone. Reduce heat and add chopped
celery, onion, carrots and bay leaves and ground pepper. Simmer till bones are clean.
Specially scrumptious scalloped potatoes: Scrub and slice 6-8 large cooking potatoes. Spray a glass
baking dish with cooking oil. Place a layer of potatoes in dish. Arrange ham slices over potatoes. Dot
with butter slices. Sprinkle two T. of flour, chopped onions, Colby and Parmesan cheeses, dill weed
and black pepper over potatoes. Repeat for three layers. Pour one and one half cup of milk over
potatoes. Cover and bake at 400 for about an hour. Potatoes are done when they are tender and
sauce has thickened. For Au gratin potatoes add layers of blue cheese and shredded Parmesan and
Colby cheeses.
Hearty ham supper breads. Cube leftover ham and freeze. Use as an add-in for soup, Chef's Salad
or pizza topping. Make hearty supper bread in breadmaker. To bread dough, add ham cubes, grated
cheese, dill weed, onion and garlic. Swap dill for Italian seasoning and add mushrooms, green
pepper and pepperoni for Pizza bread. Use fruit-nut setting.
Ham Stuffed Squash: Halve and clean acorn squash (one half per diner). Fill cleaned squash cavity
with ham cubes, raisins, apples and one pat butter. Sprinkle with Splenda brown sugar. Bake in
covered glass dish, stuffing side up. Fill pan with 1/2 inch of water and bake.
