# Help me get rid of this ham!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 28, 2004, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-get-rid-of-this-ham/282021 "2004-12-28T23:24:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-get-rid-of-this-ham/282021/1 "2004-12-28T23:24:04Z")
Hey Dope Folks, knowing you guys are always good for delicious recipes, and me having a approximately 6lbs of leftover ham, need recipe advice. I was thinking a caserole, but any creative ideas will be considered. What you got? As always thanks in advance. Stuffy ---
**Author:** ![quiltguy154](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ad7895/32.png) [@quiltguy154](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy154)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-get-rid-of-this-ham/282021/2 "2004-12-28T23:29:04Z")
Ham and eggs, man, invite your friends over for breakfast. OR, make a big pot of bean or split pea or lentil soup, ham goes great with them. OR, make ham salad and have lunch for a week or two. If all else fails, ham freezes very well. Package it in small portions, so you won’t have to defrost the whole thing. ---
**Author:** ![davmilasav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@davmilasav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davmilasav)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-get-rid-of-this-ham/282021/3 "2004-12-28T23:33:27Z")
Red beans and rice! Make sure you have the burner on low. This is an all-day recipe that makes the whole house smell good. Cube the ham if you feel like it, otherwise leave it in small slices Get dried red beans. You can soak them overnight but you really don’t need to, according to **The Joy of Cooking**. Cook the beans down all day, adding water as the soup thickens. Let it get to the consistency of gravy. Add the ham so the flavor is cooked into the broth. Add bay leaves, oregano, garlic, and cayenne (red pepper) to taste. I use lots of oregano and only a little cayenne. Serve over rice. Our family likes to add cider vinegar for a final kick. I have 5 qts of this in my freezer right now. Think I’ll defrost some for tomorrow… ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-get-rid-of-this-ham/282021/4 "2004-12-28T23:33:51Z")
Scalloped Ham Cassarole: Chop ham into small(er) pieces, slices or cubes (whatever you prefer). Slice some potatoes into thin pieces. Mix a can of cream of mushroom soup, a little bit of milk, and some shredded cheese. Butter a cassarole dish. Layer the potatoes, then the ham, then some of the soup/cheese mixture, then do the same again (sort of lke layering a lasagna). Throw it in the oven at about 325 or 350 and let it bake until is is sort of bubbling on the sides. Slice into squares when done. Freezes well for leftovers too. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-get-rid-of-this-ham/282021/5 "2004-12-28T23:42:03Z")
Another casserole: Steam some broccoli and chop it. Combine with cooked rice, diced ham and cream of mushroom or celery soup. Top with cheddar cheese and/or buttered crumbs. This is especially nice if you use one of those wild-rice mixtures. ---
**Author:** ![davmilasav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@davmilasav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davmilasav)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-get-rid-of-this-ham/282021/6 "2004-12-29T00:02:13Z")
I’m glad somebody started this thread b/c I have about half of a 5 lb ham sitting in my fridge right now and I’ve already made all the red beans and rice stock that I can stand. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-get-rid-of-this-ham/282021/7 "2004-12-29T02:14:54Z")
There’s a simple and easy 15 bean soup mix printed on the back of the package-HamBeens is the brand-look for them with the dried beans in the supermarket. Toss a couple of pounds of cubed cooked ham in the pot for a good rib-stickin winter meal. They also have a cajun variety if you like spicier fare. ---
**Author:** ![IrreverentTone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@IrreverentTone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IrreverentTone)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-get-rid-of-this-ham/282021/8 "2004-12-29T02:28:55Z")
Hawai’ian Ham’n’ Beans A couple of cans (sixteen ounce-ish) of baked beans (add ketchup, brown sugar, dry mustard to taste) A couple of cups of diced ham A drained can (sixteen ounce-ish) of pineapple chunks (reserve juice) Mix doctored beans, diced ham and pineapple chunks with an eighth cup or so of the reserved pineapple juice in a casserole. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes at 350 (moderate oven). As you may have guessed this is a really precise recipe. I toss in what I happen to have. I like pineapple a lot so I use more than my mom would. ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-get-rid-of-this-ham/282021/9 "2004-12-29T03:38:29Z")
**cher3** M wife decided to try your recipe as we already had some cooked rice in the fridge. I’ll try the red beans recipe provided by **davmilasav** myself next. We barely made a dent in the remaining ham. I guess I’ll be printing this out. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-get-rid-of-this-ham/282021/10 "2004-12-29T08:34:11Z")
And here I was thinking it was a thread about Vincent D’onofrio. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-get-rid-of-this-ham/282021/11 "2004-12-29T12:50:06Z")
**Split pea & ham soup!** 2 lbs split peas 2 lbs ham, cubed 2 quarts chicken stock 4 oz olive oil 1 large onion, diced small 1 carrot sliced 3 stalks celery, sliced 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped 1 lb mushrooms, sliced water, to cover vegetables 1 teaspoon ground thyme 1 teaspoon rosemary 2 bay leaves salt & pepper to taste 4 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons flour In a large stockpot, saute onion, celery, and carrots in olive oil over high heat. Add ham, chicken stock, mushrooms and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Add split peas, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, salt & pepper; simmer for one hour, stirring frequently. When peas are soft, use whisk to mash them against the bottom of the pot. Melt butter in a separate saucepan and add flour to make a roux; stir for 2 minutes over medium heat. Add roux to soup and stir in completely. Serve with chopped parsely garnish. ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-get-rid-of-this-ham/282021/12 "2004-12-29T12:55:36Z")
Does anyone have any recipes for ham soup that does not containg legumes or beans or greens? Hubby can’t have those. ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-get-rid-of-this-ham/282021/13 "2004-12-29T12:56:25Z")
Party Tettrizini (made some the other night) simple and delicious Sautee some onion in olive oil, when soft, throw in some cubed ham and slightly brown. Then add cream of mushroom soup and shredded cheddar cheese. Bring to simmer. Boil water and cook elbow macaroni, when cooked, add to mixture. Stir and serve. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-get-rid-of-this-ham/282021/14 "2004-12-29T13:06:21Z")
Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes 5 large sweet potatoes, baked until nice and soft, then cooled 1 lb. ham, finely diced 2 Tbsp. butter, melted 2 Tbsp. milk 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 C. maple syrup (yes, you can use “maple style” syrup, but don’t blame me if it’s not delightful). Split baked sweet potatoes, and scoop out flesh. Put flesh in bowl, add melted butter and milk, ham, cinnamon. Mix well. Scoop mixture back into potatoe skins and drizzle with syrup. bake at 400 for about 10 to 15 minutes until tops are browned. 😉 ;j (These smilies added at the request of my little girl). ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-get-rid-of-this-ham/282021/15 "2004-12-29T13:09:06Z")
> [@lee](#): > > Does anyone have any recipes for ham soup that does not containg legumes or beans or greens? Hubby can’t have those. [Chunky Ham & Potato Soup](http://southernfood.about.com/od/potatosoups/r/bl30214s.htm) > [@](#): > > 3 medium red potatoes, peeled, cut in small cubes > 2 cups water > 1/4 teaspoon salt > 1/4 cup finely chopped onion > 3 tablespoons butter > 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour > ground black pepper > 3 cups milk > 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese > 1 cup cubed cooked ham > pepper to taste ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-get-rid-of-this-ham/282021/16 "2004-12-29T13:40:39Z")
Don’t rush with the ham. If you store it in an airtight container you can freeze it for 3 months or so. Make sure to defrost in the fridge. Rice Pilaf 2 cups uncooked rice olive oil one finely chopped onion minced chili to taste 4 cups water 3 cups chopped cooked ham 1 can tomatoes 1 cup small cubed frozen vegetables 2 cloves garlic, minced herbs to taste - thyme, marjoram In a heavy 6-quart pot cook and stir rice in hot oil until golden brown. Add onion and chili, cook until onion softens. Add remaining ingredients to the pot, mash up the tomatoes a bit. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Easy to make this recipe your own with substitutions. A friend adds honey when it is done before serving and it is pretty good - she only uses beans as her vegetables though. Mexican Ham and Eggs Quantities dictated by size of cookware chosen Spray a casserole dish with Olive Oil. Cover the bottom with bread chunks (whatever you like - big cubes) Sprinkle over lots of diced ham. Sprinkle over somewhat less diced mild peppers/onions and corn kernels if you like Sprinkle over layer of grated cheese (pick your favourite - hard is best though) Beat eggs and add until you have a uniform surface (when I do this in a 12" cast iron frypan I use 10 to 12 eggs). Bake in 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes. 10 minutes before serving when the top is looking set make pretty pictures on it with a jar of salsa (concentric circles, radii, alternating wedges) If you like it hot dot with hot sauce of choice I have made this with leftovers which included not-so-fresh-bread. I soaked the bread in some salsa first and it worked pretty well. ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-get-rid-of-this-ham/282021/17 "2004-12-29T15:42:07Z")
I made two dishes with my leftover Christmas ham – the 15 bean soup made with dried beans has already been mentioned. I made homemade mac & cheese with the other half. I make my homemade mac & cheese with medium sized pasta shells and sharp cheddar. I mix up a medium-thick white sauce, melt in a couple of cups of grated sharp cheddar, salt and papper to taste. Mix the cooked pasta and the chunked up ham in a buttered casserole dish with the cheese sauce and crunch some potato chips on top. Bake at 350, 'til it’s hot and brown on the top. Serve with a green salad. Good eating. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-get-rid-of-this-ham/282021/18 "2004-12-29T18:09:44Z")
My favorite use for leftover ham is pretty easy; Cooked white rice - how much depends on how much ham you have Butter, cubed Brown sugar Pineapple chunks Ham I mix half of the butter and all brown sugar together to make a brown sugar crumbly thing (technical term) and sprinkle just a little in the bottom of a pyrex bowl. I put rice over that, then some of the pineapple and ham, topped with more of the brown sugar mixture, and keep layering in that way so that it’s basically like a rice trifle. Bake in the oven until heated through, and it’s a slightly sweet and buttery dish that always goes over well. It tastes better than it probably sounds. At least, to me it does. And every time I read the thread title, I see the word “ham” as “man.” ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-get-rid-of-this-ham/282021/19 "2004-12-29T19:34:33Z")
Don’t forget [New England Boiled Dinner](http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1826,152161-228195,00.html) > [@](#): > > 1 meaty ham bone or 1 (2 lb.) diced ham > 1 head cabbage > 8 med. peeled potatoes > 8 med. peeled carrots > 1/2 med. onion, diced > > 1. Boil ham bone in 4 quart pan until meat is soft. > > 2. Add potatoes, carrots and onion. Boil until soft. > > 3. Cut cabbage into wedges and boil until done. For added flavor simmer for 1-1 1/2 hours. ---
**Author:** ![look\_hergo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85e7bf/32.png) [@look\_hergo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/look_hergo)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-get-rid-of-this-ham/282021/20 "2004-12-29T23:22:58Z")
Feed it to your llama, Tina! :smack: _Gosh!_ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-get-rid-of-this-ham/282021.md?page=2)