Still have lots of baked jam left over, make this easy soup, and freeze it for a later time when you are not tired of ham.
I like to use instant mashed potatoes in soup to help thicken it instead of using flour.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter
1 large baking potato, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1/2 of a large onion, diced
2 cups diced cooked ham
4 cups chicken broth
4 servings of instant mashed potato flakes
2 cups milk
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Directions
Melt the butter in a large saucepan or Dutch Oven/ Add the potatoes, onion, and celery. Cook on medium for 5 minutes. Stir frequently. Add the chopped ham and cook for 5 minutes. Add the broth and bring it to a low boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the vegetables are cooked.
Srie in the instant mashed potatoes and stir until thickened, Stir in the milk and chives. Stir frequently until the mixture is incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.
Make a special Ham and Cheese Sandwich, such as a Monte Cristo or the French version of Croque Monsieur
Food historians believe that the Monte Cristo sandwich is a variation of a French dish called Croque Monsieur that was originally first served in a Paris cafe. According to oral accounts, the Monte Cristo sandwich is said to have been first served in southern California.
Croque Monsieur, the French version has ham, Gruyère cheese, and béchamel sauce. Monte Cristo sandwich contains ham and cheese that is dipped in egg, fried, and topped with powdered sugar.
These sandwiches can be rich and not very healthy. My easy version is better for you [somewhat!!] because I don’t deep-fry them. I prefer the Monte Cristo sandwich. You can make this sandwich with two layers or three. I make the 2-layer sandwich for my family and served it with a cup of my Asparagus soup. See recipe.
Monte Cristo Sandwich
2 servings
Ingredients For 3 Layer Sandwich
6 slices of sturdy bread
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
8 thin slices of baked ham
4 slices Swiss cheese
4 slices American cheese
2 eggs
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Pinches of salt and pepper
3 tablespoons butter
Directions
Beat eggs in a shallow dish (large enough to fit a sandwich) along with the milk and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Set aside.
Combine the mustard and mayonnaise.
Spread the bread slices with the mustard/mayonnaise mixture.
Divide the ham and cheese between the layers of bread to make 2 sandwiches. Slightly compress sandwiches.
Heat skillet over medium heat. Add butter; allow to melt.
Dip and coat each sandwich in beaten egg, and place in skillet.
Cook sandwiches for 2-3 minutes on each side, until browned to a liking and the cheese has melted.
Serve with pickles and a garden salad.
Monte Cristo Sandwich
2 servings
Ingredients For 2 Layer Sandwich
4 slices of sturdy bread
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
4 thin slices of baked ham
2 slices Swiss cheese
2 slices American cheese
1 egg
1 tablespoon heavy cream
Pinches of salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
Directions
Beat the egg in a shallow dish (large enough to fit a sandwich) along with the milk and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Set aside.
Combine the mustard and mayonnaise.
Spread the bread slices with the mustard/mayonnaise mixture.
Divide the ham and cheese and place half on two bread slices.
Top each with a bread slice mustard side down. Slightly compress sandwiches.
Heat skillet over medium heat. Add butter; allow to melt.
Dip and coat each sandwich in beaten egg, and place in skillet.
Cook sandwiches for 2-3 minutes on each side, until browned to a liking and the cheese has melted.
Ingredients
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
½ cup {8 tablespoons} unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 cloves minced garlic
3 cups cubed leftover ham
16 oz dried short pasta shape, such as elbows, cavatappi, or Penn pasta
5 cups whole milk
½ teaspoon ground mustard
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup diced processed cheese, such as Velveeta
¼ cup chopped parsley
Directions
Heat one tablespoon of butter in a large Dutch Ove. Mix this melted butter with the panko breadcrumbs and set aside.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the same Dutch Oven. Add the onion, ham, and garlic and saute for 5 minutes or until the onion is tender. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
Pour the milk into the pot and bring to a simmer (medium heat). Stir frequently to prevent sticking or burning on the bottom of the pot.
Add remaining butter and mustard. Mix everything together until the butter has completely melted. Add the 1 cup of diced Velveeta and heat until melted, stirring constantly.
Add 1 cup of cheddar cheese and mix until fully melted. Add the remaining 1 cup of cheddar cheese and mix well/ Add parsley and peas. Stir.
Remove from the heat source. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
Top with buttered panko crumbs and place under the broiler for a few minutes to lightly brown the crumbs. Serve in pasta bowls.
Baked Chicken Roll-Ups
Ingredients
3 large boneless chicken breasts
6-8 slices deli ham
6-8 slices Swiss cheese
1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 sick-8 oz- undated butter
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
Directions
Cut the beasts into 2 or 3 thin cutlets. Place between sheets of plastic wrap to flatten into 1/4 inch cutlets.
Season the cutlets with salt and pepper.
Melt the butter and add the onion and garlic powder to the butter.
Combine the brad crumbs with the grated Parmesan and basil.
Cut each slice of Swiss cheese in half. Fold each slice of ham in half.
Place a half slice on Swiss cheese on top of each cutlet. Place a slice of folded jam on top of each Swiss cheese covered cutlet. Top the ham with a half slice of cheese. Starting with the narrow end of each cutlet. Roll up the cutlet tightly.
Dip each rolled cutlet in the melted butter and roll in the breadcrumb mixture.
Place the rolls seam side down in a buttered baking dish. Pour any extra butter over the breaded cutlets.
Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake the cutlets for 30 minutes. The coating will be lightly brown. Serve with roasted potatoes and a green vegetable.
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts
2 slices Gruyere or Swiss cheese
2 slices of baked deli ham
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1:2!teaspoon dried thyme leaves
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Lemon juice
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400F.
Coat a baking dish with cooking spray.
Toss the bread crumbs with the butter, garlic powder, and thyme. Spread in a shallow dish.
Butterfly each chicken breast.
Pound each piece of chicken into a thin sheet between plastic wraps.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add a slice of swiss cheese and a slice of ham to one side of each chicken breast.
Fold the uncovered part of the breast over the ham and cheese side.
Whisk together the mayonnaise and Dijon mustard. Slather it over the chicken, coating it on all sides.
Press the bread crumbs mixture onto the chicken to completely coat.
Place in the prepared dish and bake at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165F. Drizzle with lemon juice and serve.
Fennel, Potato, and Leek Bake
Ingredients
14 oz baby yellow potatoes, cut into half
1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 leek, sliced in circles
¼ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
2 tablespoons. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the baking dish
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Pour into a greased 8×8 inch baking dish.
Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes.
Uncover and continue baking until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork and the top is golden brown, 20 minutes longer. Let rest at least 10 minutes before serving.
Chef’s Salad
Ingredients
Any combination of vegetables and deli meats that you like can be used for this salad. The attractive arrangement of the salad ingredients makes it eye-pleasing.
I used the following to make two salad plates.
2 hat boiled eggs, quartered
10 olives
1/4of an onion, sliced thin
1/4 of red bell pepper, sliced thin
1’3 of a cucumber, sliced thin
1 celery stalk, chopped
12 grape tomatoes
1/2 an avocado, sliced
2 slices of deli turkey, cut into thin strips
2 slices deli ham, cut into thin strips
2 slices of Swiss or cheddar cheese
Lettuce
Ranch dressing
Directions
Arrange lettuce leaves over the bottoms of two dinner plates. Add the remaking ingredients in small groups around the plates. See photo. Drizzle each plate with dressing and serve.
Ham and Bean Soup
For this recipe, I used a ham bone I had in the freezer from my Easter ham. If you do not have a ham bone, use two ham hocks
Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen
6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
6 cups water
1 large ham bone
1 pound dried navy beans, soaked overnight (see below}
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
The day before
Soak the beans in cold water for at least 8 hours (or up to 24 hours) before cooking.
Directions
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until just smoking. Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Stir in broth, water, hocks, and beans. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until beans are completely tender and soup is slightly thickened, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.
Remove the ham bone from the pot to cool, then shred the meat and add to the soup.
Stir in thyme, pepper, and vinegar. Serve for lunch or dinner.
Ham Salad
4 servings
Ingredients
2 cups finely diced baked ham
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Half medium onion, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
Half a bell pepper, finely diced
Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
Combine the mayonnaise, mustard, and pickle relish in a large bowl. Add the ham, vegetables, salt, and black pepper to taste. Stir well and refrigerate until serving time.
This salad is also tasty mixed into cooked elbow macaroni for a ham and macaroni salad or as a sandwich filling.
Chicken Cordon Bleu
2 servings
Ingredients
4 slicesSwiss, Gruyère or Italian Fontina cheese or a combination
2 slices deli ham
2 teaspoons
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets
1 egg
¼ cup All-purpose flour
1/2 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons butter
Directions
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Pound chicken cutlets thin.
Place a slice of cheese, a folded slice of ham, and another slice of cheese on one half of the cutlet, fold the other side of the cutlet over the filling.
Press the edges firmly together to seal. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts and filling.
Lightly beat egg with a teaspoon of water in a medium bowl. Place breadcrumbs and flour in separate shallow dishes. Hold each chicken breast half together and dip in flour, egg then dredge in breadcrumbs. (Discard leftovers.)
Heat oil in an ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts; cook until browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Place the chicken, browned side up, on the prepared baking sheet. Bake, until the chicken is no longer pink in the center or until an instant-read thermometer, registers 165°F, about 20 minutes.
Broccoli with Quick Lemon Sauce
Ingredients For two servings
1 large stalk of raw broccoli florets, rinsed well
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove, grated
4 tablespoons room temperature butter
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions
For the sauce
Place the sauce ingredients in a small microwave bowl. Heat the sauce on high until the butter melts. About 2 minutes. Stir well and set aside.
For the broccoli
Preheat oven to 425 F.
Cut the stalk into 4 pieces. Place in a plastic bag with the oil and seasonings.
Place the broccoli on a foil-lined sheet pan large enough to hold them all in a single. Bake until tender for about 15 minutes, Place the broccoli on a serving plate and pour the lemon sauce over the broccoli.
Oven Roasted Potato Wedges
2 servings
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
1 large russet potato, scrubbed and cut into eighths
Directions
Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Place olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, salt, and potatoes into a resealable plastic bag. Seal the bag, then shake to coat the potatoes with the seasoning. Spread the potatoes over a baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes.
Ham and Bean Soup
For this recipe, I used a ham bone I had in the freezer from my Easter ham. If you do not have a ham bone, use two ham hocks
Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen
6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
6 cups water
1 large ham bone
1 pound dried navy beans, soaked overnight (see below}
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
The day before
Soak the beans in cold water for at least 8 hours (or up to 24 hours) before cooking.
Directions
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until just smoking. Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Stir in broth, water, hocks, and beans. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until beans are completely tender and soup is slightly thickened, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.
Remove the ham bone from the pot to cool, then shred meat and add to soup.
Stir in thyme, pepper, and vinegar. Serve for lunch or dinner.
This is not your gourmet recipe for Eggs Benedict. It is my simplified version with an easy-to-make sauce. Store-Bought muffins are perfectly fine but occasionally I like to make the homemade version because they are sturdier for recipes like this than the stores.
Eggs Benedict
2 servings
Ingredients
4 slices of baked ham cut to fit the bottom of the muffins and warmed
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
2 English muffins, toasted {store bought or homemade}
Cheese Sauce
1/2 cup cubed Velveeta cheese
¼ cup milk
Directions
Fill a large skillet halfway with water and bring to a boil on medium heat. Add the vinegar and salt. Turn the heat down until simmering.
Break each egg into a small bowl and gently add to the simmering water. Cover the pan and turn off the heat. Let the eggs poach for 3 minutes.
For the sauce
Place the cheese and milk in a microwave bowl and heat in the microwave for 2’3 minutes until smooth.
Remove the eggs, one at a time with a slotted spoon, and hold the spoon over a clean kitchen towel to drain for a few seconds. Place the egg on top of the ham for each of the 4 muffin halves.
Place two muffin halves on each serving plate. Top each egg with 2 tablespoons of sauce and serve immediately.
Homemade Baked English Muffins
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 cup + 2 tablespoons lukewarm milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons vinegar, white or cider
Directions
Stir together all the ingredients in the large bowl of an electric mixer. Beat for 1 minute at the high speed of an electric mixer; the dough will become somewhat smooth.
Scrape the dough into the center of the bowl, cover, and allow it to rise for about 60 minutes until it’s quite puffy.
Cover two large baking sheets; or line with parchment. Grease twelve 3 ¾” English muffin rings, and place them on the baking sheets.
Turn the dough onto a lightly greased or floured work surface. Cut it into 12 equal pieces; each will weigh a scant 2 ounces..
Shape the dough into balls. Place each ball into a ring, pressing it down to flatten somewhat, and top with a greased baking sheet (or a sheet of parchment, then the baking sheet). The baking sheet should be resting atop the rings.
Let the muffins rise for about 60 to 90 minutes until they’ve puffed up noticeably. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 400°F.
Bake the risen muffins for 10 minutes. Flip the pans over, and bake for 5 minutes more. Remove the top pan, and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until they’re a light golden brown, and the interior of one registers about 200°F on an instant-read thermometer.
Remove the muffins from the oven, and transfer them to a rack to cool. Remove their rings as soon as you’re able. When completely cool, store muffins in a plastic bag.
Yield: 12 muffins.
Adapted from King Arthur recipes
Chicken Cordon Bleu Rolls
2 servings
Ingredients
2 chicken breast cutlets
1/2 teaspoon onion powder, divided
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan
Salt/pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 thin slices deli ham
2 slices Gruyere/Swiss/Fontina cheese
Directions:
Combine the panko crumbs, Parmesan, and 1/2 teaspoon onion powder. Set aside.
Melt butter in a bowl and mix with the oil. Set aside.
Pound each breast lightly to even out the slices.
Season each chicken piece with salt/pepper and the remaining onion powder.
Place a slice of ham and a slice of cheese on each breast.
Roll chicken making sure you tuck the sides in as much as possible.
Take the chicken rolls and dip them into the melted butter/oil…make sure all the sides are well coated and then roll them in the breadcrumbs/Parmesan mixture.
Place in a small greased baking dish.
Place in the refrigerator for at least an hour to ensure that the breadcrumbs stay put on the chicken).
Reheat any butter/oil mixture. Pour over the chicken rolls.
Bake in a preheated 375F oven for 30 minutes. Turn the broiler on and lightly brown the tops of the chicken rolls.
Baked Potato Kale Mash
I like to use baked potatoes instead of boiled ones because the baked potato flesh is drier and doesn’t disintegrate when recooked.
Ingredients
3 baking potatoes, about 2 ¼ lbs
2 bunches Tuscan kale (Lacinato)
1/4 cup Olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
Directions
Bake the potatoes in a 400 degree F oven until soft about 90 minutes. Cool.
Cut the potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh. Place in a serving bowl, add salt to taste, and mash. Set aside.
Save the potato skins for a Game Day appetizer.
Remove the kale leaves from their stems and wash well. Drain.
Place in a large pot with the oil, garlic, salt to taste and cook until tender.
Add the mashed potatoes, stir well, and heat for a few minutes until hot.
Adjust seasoning to taste.
