My kids and I walked over to a local park yesterday, and my son decided to gather up all of the first-of-the-season dandelions. I forgot the wonder of dandelions as a kid– the joy of every stage of them from a bright yellow flower to the wish-blowing-seed stage. Part of the joy of parenting is getting to experience the wonder again through your kid’s eyes. Confronted with a pile of lopped-off flower heads, we decided to make something of them:
I use this anecdote to introduce the daunting world of ham leftovers. There’s a truism: Eternity is two people and a ham. Not surprisingly, adding two additional smaller mouths doesn’t seem to diminish our ham surplus by much and so I’m trying to get creative with our Easter ham leftover meals. Yes, by the end of a week of ham dinners they can be as ominous as a yellow-head in your lawn, but I swear you can make something good from the situation.
My top three favorite ham meals with quick recipes:
Scalloped Potatoes with Ham
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 to 3 lbs potatoes, peeled and sliced thin (I like to use a mandolin– it’s worth the investment!)
- 1 cup of diced ham
- 4 tbsp salted butter
- 3 cups milk
- 1 cup grated sharp cheddar, with additional cheese for topping if desired.
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1/2 tsp of garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp of pepper (white if you have it!)
- Preheat oven to 375 and spray the bottom of a large casserole dish or 9X13 pan with cooking spray.
- Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Lower temperature, and add flour, mixing until mixture turns golden (don’t burn!). Then, add milk slowly, mixing constantly.
- Once mixture is smooth, add cheese, garlic powder, and pepper and keep at a low temperature.
- Line the bottom of the casserole dish with a third of the sliced potatoes, topping with a third of the ham. Finish the layer with a third of the cheese sauce.
- Alternate potatoes, ham, and sauce until all three layers have been put down, and top with additional cheese.
- Bake, covered with foil, for 45 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for an additional 15 minutes, or until potatoes break apart easily with a fork and the casserole is bubbly.
Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
Ingredients:
- 1 lb of dried green split peas
- 1 ham bone with meat, additional ham as desired
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 stalks of celery, diced
- 1/2 tsp of dried thyme leaves
- 1/4 tsp of pepper
- 4 cups of veggie broth
- fresh lemon (if desired)
- Combine ingredients in a crock pot and cook for 8 (if pre-soaked the split peas) -10 (if didn’t presoak) hours on low.
- Before serving, remove the hambone to a cutting board and cut remaining useful meat, stirring it back into the soup. If desired, squeeze fresh lemon over soup and stir in (adds a nice, citrusy freshness).
Savory Waffles, adapted from America’s Test Kitchen
Ingredients:
- 2 cups flour (I use a 50/50 split of whole wheat and all-purpose)
- 1 tbsp white sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp dry mustard powder
- 1 3/4 cups of buttermilk (or make your own)
- 4 tbsp melted, cooled unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup finely diced ham
- 3/4 cup of shredded cheese (cheddar, fontina– any mild cheese is a good choice for this)
- Preheat waffle iron and preheat oven to 200 degrees.
- Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, butter, and egg.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients gently– just like most recipes involving baking powder, you don’t want to overmix. You might see a few lumps remaining, but that’s normal. Fold in the ham and cheese until incorporated.
- Spray the waffle iron with cooking spray, the add the correct amount of batter for your particular waffle iron. Cook until golden brown, and place on a baking sheet in oven until all waffles are prepared.
I can vouch for each one of these recipes, and the savory waffles are an special favorite in our household!
Happy ham season– sometimes eternity can be just the right amount of time to enjoy something good.
madeiniowa 