I didn’t cook a big Easter ham this year, because our dinner guests were all vegetarians, but normally at this time of year I’d be scraping for quick-and-easy recipes to use up those ham leftovers. Ham sandwiches are dandy, of course, but one can only eat ham sandwiches for a couple days in a row before the thrill begins to wear off.

Here are 15 of my favourite ways to change up the dinner routine and make good use of those ham leftovers. And we’d love to hear your family’s favourite ham-using-up suggestions, too!

1. Fake Antipasto — very thin slices of ham (instead of prosciutto, which is why this is called “fake” antipasto), artfully arranged on a platter with tomatoes, olives, melon, bell peppers, maybe some nice marinated mushrooms, with some fluffy bits of exotic salad greens to fill in the corners.
2. Quiche — this self-crust quiche recipe is especially easy because you toss in a bit of biscuit mix and the quiche makes its own crust.
3. Omelet — beat a few eggs, grate some cheese, and you’re good to go!
4. Frittata — somewhere between an omelet and a quiche: basically, a frittata what you get if you mix all your omelet ingredients together, add a splash of milk and a few extra veggies, and bake it in a pie plate.
5. Ham Wraps — stuff a pita or roll a tortilla with pieces of ham, lettuce, shredded cheese, bell peppers, mild sweet onion, and a drizzle of honey-mustard salad dressing
6. Stromboli (skip the other kinds of meat and dial up the amount of cheese, if you’d like a nice variation).
7. Scalloped Potatoes — add a generous amount of leftover ham, and you’ve turned a side dish into an casserole
8. Ham and Corn Chowder — there are all sorts of fancy variations but, basically, all you need is onions, potatoes, ham, corn, a bit of butter, and some milk — and a big soup pot to cook it all in.
9. or another kind of Soup — in fact, if you’ve cooked a real ham with a bone in it, save the bone to make old-fashioned pea soup (or a broth for minestrone, if you don’t happen to like pea soup).
10. Croque Monsieur — put sliced ham and cheese between two slices of French toast and heat it until the cheese melts, for a quick version of my all-time favourite handheld food.
11. Curried Ham on Toast
12. Ham Salad — try cubes of ham, cold cooked pasta, broccoli florets, cherry tomaties and strips of red bell peppers, with a light mayo dressing to which you can add a bit of mustard and honey.
13. Paupiettes de jambon (quick version) — simmer some bits of ham, thin-sliced shallots, and fresh mushrooms in a bit of white sauce or Mornay sauce, roll up spoonfuls in thin slices of ham, arrange in a baking dish topped with lots of Gruyère and more sauce, then heat it through.
14. Stuffed Veg — stuff the hollowed-out vegetable of your choice (zucchini, tomatoes, green pepper) with a mixture of ham, cheese, rice and mayonnaise, and bake or broil it.
15. Ham Casserole — frankly, you can throw ham into almost any one-dish recipe that’s based on a white sauce or cream-of-mushroom soup: try my aunt Dorothy’s ham casserole recipe if you like a rice-based casserole for a change from pasta and potatoes.

Okay, so that’s my list…

What are your favourite ways to use up those post-holiday ham leftovers?

When I’ve had a busy day, it’s good to have a quick and easy recipe for a dish that everyone in the family likes. This quick quiche makes its own crust, so there’s no need to take the time to make pastry when we’re all in a hurry to eat. And it is even more satisfying because the quiche uses up those bits and pieces of leftover food that try to hide in the back of the fridge!

In summer I like to serve this tasty quiche with a fresh green salad on the side. In fall and winter, when lettuce gets quite pricey around here, we go with gently-steamed young carrots or a variety of crisp raw veggies with a splash of Ranch dressing for dip.

Self-Crust Quiche

Pre-heat the oven to 350 °F.

Whisk together:
      1 1/2 cups milk
      3 eggs
      2 Tbsp melted butter
      1/2 cup dry biscuit mix
      salt and pepper to taste

Add:
      3/4 cups grated cheese (the sharper the better)
      1/2 cup leftover cooked vegetables (we like broccoli)

Add whatever amounts you like of any or all of these:
      grated onion
      minced green or sweet red pepper
      diced cooked ham
      crumbled bacon
      diced tofu
      finely diced tomato, very well-drained
      grated Parmesan cheese

Pour this mixture into a large, lightly greased pie plate. Sprinkle a little paprika on top, if desired. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until it’s set in the middle. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.