Food and Recipes Meat Bacon 31 Leftover Ham Recipes to Feed the Whole Family By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on August 4, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Iain Bagwell That glistening glazed ham makes a lovely centerpiece at any dinner party or holiday soirée. When it comes to Thanksgiving, we like to offer multiple options for our guests, so we're serving Pineapple-Glazed Ham right alongside our stunning roasted turkey. No Christmas dinner is complete without a baked ham dripping in our best glaze. From the cold winter months to warm Easter afternoons, ham is a staple on our holiday tables—but more often than not, we're left with lots to spare. In true Southern fashion, it's essential to ensure that there's enough to go around and then some, so we typically end up with half a ham leftover from our holiday meals. But part of the fun of the holidays is finding new ways to repurpose those leftovers to feed the whole family for the days after. From sandwiches to soups, there are so many ways to plan makeovers for that leftover meat. We've rounded up our favorite recipes—from spectacular sides to catch-all casseroles—that will bring new life to your leftover ham. 01 of 31 Mac and Cheese with Ham Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine Recipe: Mac and Cheese with Ham Ham adds a substantial, meaty component to this oh-so-classic gooey mac and cheese recipe. The kids will love it. 02 of 31 Classic Macaroni Salad with Ham Jen Causey Recipe: Classic Macaroni Salad with Ham On warm days, pack up a picnic basket with this Macaroni Salad and head to the park. We can't think of a better way to spend an afternoon. 03 of 31 Ham and Noodle Casserole Jen Causey Recipe: Ham and Noodle Casserole When we have leftovers, our first trick is to throw them into a casserole. This dish tastes like the comforting post-holiday meals of our childhood. 04 of 31 Crustless Ham and Collard Greens Quiche Antonis Achilleos Recipe: Crustless Ham and Collard Greens Quiche Make a light, healthy family breakfast while using up your leftovers. 05 of 31 Southwest Black-Eyed Pea Dip Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christina Lane; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos Recipe: Southwest Black-Eyed Pea Dip Make every night a party with this fun dip. Served with tortilla chips, it's our go-to entertaining appetizer. 06 of 31 Country Ham Hash Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Country Ham Hash Dice that leftover ham up and toss it in with your skillet potatoes to make a lovely campfire hash. 07 of 31 Southern-Style Collard Greens Photo: Jim Franco Recipe: Southern-Style Collard Greens All Southerners know that the stewed collards are not complete without a healthy dose of ham hocks. 08 of 31 Gnocchi Gratin with Ham and Peas Photo: Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Gnocchi Gratin with Ham and Peas This baked gnocchi dish looks just as impressive as it sounds. Ham, peas, and melty gruyere cheese add serious finesse to this French meal. 09 of 31 Croissant Breakfast Casserole Victor Protasio Recipe: Croissant Breakfast Casserole Bring new life to those day-old croissants with this dreamy breakfast casserole. From eggs to ham, it's got all of your breakfast staples in one dish. 10 of 31 Warm Spinach-Sweet Onion Dip with Country Ham Warm Spinach-Sweet Onion Dip with Country Ham Recipe: Warm Spinach-Sweet Onion Dip with Country Ham This ultra-creamy twist on spinach and artichoke dip trades the artichoke for sautéed sweet onions and ham. It's built for game days and tailgate season. 11 of 31 Ham Biscuits Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas Recipe: Ham Biscuits No Southern potluck spread is complete without a plate of Ham Biscuits. They're plain and simple—and absolutely irresistible. 12 of 31 Ham-and-Bean Soup Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Ham-and-Bean Soup Stew up that leftover ham into a hearty Ham-and-Bean Soup. The broth is light enough to enjoy all year round. 13 of 31 Cheese Puffs with Ham Salad Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Cheese Puffs with Ham Salad Make these pretty pink puffs for your afternoon luncheon. This vintage recipe isn't going out of style any time soon. 14 of 31 Jambalaya de Covington Jambalaya de Covington Recipe: Jambalaya de Covington You may not expect to find ham in your jambalaya, but this dish welcomes it with open arms. Jambalaya de Covington has a little bit of everything. 15 of 31 Capitol Hill Bean Soup Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Capitol Hill Bean Soup This dish has been on the Senate menu every day since 1903. If that doesn't convince you to try it, we don't know what will. 16 of 31 Cheesy Ham, Corn, and Grits Bake Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Cheesy Ham, Corn, and Grits Bake Whether you serve it as a picture-perfect side or as a breakfast bowl (topped with a sunny-side-up egg, of course), this cheesy dish can rise to any occasion. 17 of 31 Pumpkin-Buttermilk Biscuits with Crispy Ham and Honey Butter Photo: Victor Protasio; Propr Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Pumpkin-Buttermilk Biscuits with Crispy Ham and Honey Butter We like our ham extra crispy, and this recipe makes all of our day-after-the-holiday dreams come true. 18 of 31 Slow-Cooker Collard Greens with Ham Hocks Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Slow-Cooker Collard Greens with Ham Hocks What would Mama's collard greens taste like without ham hocks? We don't want to know. 19 of 31 Creamy Potato-and-Ham Hock Slow-Cooker Soup Photo: Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Creamy Potato-and-Ham Hock Slow-Cooker Soup Toss all those leftover ingredients in the slow cooker and let it go low and slow all day long. By dinnertime, you'll have a hearty effort-free meal. 20 of 31 Ham-Stuffed Biscuits With Mustard Butter Photo: Tina Cornett Recipe: Funeral Sandwiches These big-batch sandwiches, also known as Funeral Sandwiches, certainly aren't just for sad occasions. You can find these popular finger foods at tailgates and potlucks across the South. 21 of 31 Ham-and-Cheese Sliders Photography and Styling: Karen Rankin Recipe: Ham-and-Cheese Sliders These croque monsieur-inspired sliders are fit for a weekend brunch, a spring picnic, a beach day, or the kids' lunchboxes. 22 of 31 Ham and Cheese Cake Salé Quick Bread Sheri Castle Recipe: Ham and Cheese Cake Salé Quick Bread Enjoy the savory side of cake with this creative recipe that will pair beautifully with your morning coffee. 23 of 31 Scalloped Potatoes With Ham Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Scalloped Potatoes With Ham You need just a few ingredients to put this decadent dish on the table for a holiday or weeknight dinner. 24 of 31 Ham Delights Photographer: Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Ham Delights A Southern potluck wouldn't be complete without a tray of ham biscuits, and we love this recipe that's served on sweet Hawaiian rolls. 25 of 31 Paola Velez's Ham-and-Cheese Empanadas Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Paola Velez's Ham-and-Cheese Empanadas Repurpose holiday leftovers with this inventive recipe from Washington D.C. pastry chef Paola Velez. 26 of 31 Collard Greens with Smoked Ham Hocks and Pickled Collard Green Stems Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Collard Greens with Smoked Ham Hocks and Pickled Collard Green Stems Is there anything more comforting than some collard greens cooked with savory ham? We think not. 27 of 31 Savory Ham-and-Swiss Breakfast Pie Recipe: Savory Ham-and-Swiss Breakfast Pie Don't forget that pies can be savory! This comforting recipe may even become your go-to dish when company calls. 28 of 31 Ham-and-Vegetable Cobbler Iain Bagwell Recipe: Ham-and-Vegetable Cobbler Move over chicken pot pie! There's a new savory bake in town and ham plays a starring role. 29 of 31 Buttermilk Grits with Country Ham and Shrimp Antonis Achilleos Recipe: Buttermilk Grits with Country Ham and Shrimp Upgrade your classic shrimp and grits with the addition of a Southern favorite, country ham. 30 of 31 Oven-Baked Risotto with Ham, Leeks, and Peas Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Oven-Baked Risotto with Ham, Leeks, and Peas Grab your Dutch oven and dice up some leftover ham. This hearty risotto is anything but time consuming. 31 of 31 Classic Fresh Field Peas Photo: Iain Bagwell Recipe: Classic Fresh Field Peas Fresh peas and ham are a match made in heaven, and this simple side just about proves it. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit