8 Easy Leftover Ham Recipes for This Week

So you carved that beautiful ham, fed a crowd, and now you’re staring at a big chunk of leftovers sitting in your fridge. The sandwiches were great the first day. Maybe the second. But somewhere around day three, you need a better plan — and that’s exactly where these recipes come in.

Leftover ham is honestly one of the most versatile proteins you can work with. It’s already cooked, already seasoned, and packed with a smoky depth that immediately improves whatever you add it to. Drop it into a creamy pasta sauce, fold it into eggs, stir it into a soup, and it transforms from “oh, it’s ham again” into a dinner your family actually gets excited about.

The eight recipes below are practical, satisfying, and designed around ingredients most people already have on hand. Some come together in under 30 minutes. Others are slow, cozy bakes that fill your kitchen with the kind of smell that makes everyone wander in from the other room. Each one gives leftover ham a new identity — no one needs to know it started as a Sunday centerpiece.

1. Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole

Save It

This is the recipe that turns a half-pound of leftover ham into something your family will specifically request in the future. Diced ham and tender potatoes get folded together in a rich, from-scratch cheddar sauce, topped with golden breadcrumbs, and baked until bubbling.

What You’ll Need

• 6 small potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
• ⅔ pound cooked leftover ham, cubed to match
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 7 tablespoons butter (divided — 3 tablespoons for the ham, 4 for the sauce)
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1½ cups whole milk
• 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs
• Salt and black pepper to taste

How to Make It

Start by boiling the potato cubes in salted water until just tender — about 10 to 15 minutes. You want them cooked through but not falling apart, because they’ll continue to soften in the oven.

While the potatoes cook, melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the ham and onion, cooking until the onion turns translucent and the ham picks up a little color on the edges. That caramelization matters — it deepens the flavor of the whole dish.

Drain the potatoes and fold them into the ham-and-onion mixture. Transfer everything into a greased 1½-quart baking dish. Then make your cheese sauce: melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan, whisk in the flour and cook for about 5 minutes until the mixture turns a light golden brown. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens — roughly 2 minutes. Pull the heat down to medium-low, stir in the cheddar until fully melted, and season with salt and pepper.

Pour the cheese sauce over the ham and potatoes. Scatter the breadcrumbs over the top. Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling up around the edges and the breadcrumb topping has turned a deep golden brown.

Why This One Works Every Time

The from-scratch cheese sauce is the reason this beats any box mix version. A simple butter-and-flour roux creates a sauce that’s thick and glossy without breaking in the oven. Home cooks who’ve made this dozens of times suggest adding a pinch of garlic powder and a little smoked paprika to the ham while it sautées — it adds another flavor dimension that makes the whole casserole sing.

Quick Facts

• Total time: about 1 hour 5 minutes
• Serves: 6
• Storage: refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days; reheat at 325°F

Pro tip: Cut the potato cubes as uniformly as possible so everything finishes cooking at the same time. Uneven cuts mean some pieces turn mushy while others are still firm.

2. One-Pot Ham and Penne Skillet

Save It

This is the weeknight dinner equivalent of a no-fuss miracle. Everything — pasta, sauce, vegetables, protein — cooks together in one pan. The pasta absorbs the liquid as it simmers, becoming almost risotto-like in texture while the sauce clings to every tube.

What You’ll Need

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ cup chopped yellow onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups cubed leftover ham
• ½ teaspoon dried parsley
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• ¼ teaspoon each: dried oregano, black pepper, red pepper flakes
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups 2% milk
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 16 ounces penne noodles, uncooked
• 2 cups frozen peas, thawed
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

How to Make It

Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the ham and onion, cooking until the onion softens and the ham gets a little golden on the outside. Add the garlic and dried herbs, then stir for another 1 to 2 minutes — just long enough for the garlic to become fragrant without burning.

Whisk together the broth, milk, and flour until smooth, then pour the whole mixture directly into the skillet along with the dry penne. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often. The pasta cooks right in the sauce, and the flour thickens everything as it goes.

Add the thawed peas and simmer for another 5 minutes, until the pasta is fully cooked through and the sauce has a creamy, coating consistency. Finish with Parmesan scattered over the top.

Why This One Works Every Time

The flour-thickened broth-and-milk combo creates a lighter cream sauce than heavy cream would — rich enough to feel indulgent but not so heavy that it weighs the whole dish down. If the sauce tightens up too much during cooking, a splash of broth or water loosens it back up immediately.

Quick Facts

• Total time: 30 minutes
• Serves: 6
• The peas add color and a mild sweetness that balances the saltiness of the ham

Pro tip: Stir the skillet every few minutes while the pasta cooks. Because the noodles are cooking directly in the sauce rather than in a pot of boiling water, they can stick to the bottom if left unattended.

3. Ham Fried Rice

Save It

This is what happens when you stop thinking about leftover ham as “just ham” and start treating it like an ingredient. Day-old rice, a few eggs, sesame oil, soy sauce, and whatever vegetables you have in the crisper come together in about 20 minutes and produce something that tastes completely different from the original meal.

What You’ll Need

• 3 tablespoons sesame oil (divided)
• 2 cups diced cooked ham
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup chopped white onion
• 3 large garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 cup chopped vegetables of your choice (frozen works perfectly)
• 5 cups cooked white rice, at least a day old
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce (optional, but it adds a savory depth)
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onion for serving

How to Make It

Heat one tablespoon of sesame oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ham and cook for 2 minutes until warmed through and lightly browned. Remove and set aside. Add another tablespoon of oil and scramble the eggs until fully cooked — then remove those too.

Pour in the final tablespoon of oil and add the onion, garlic, and vegetables. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the onion is translucent and the vegetables have softened. Add the rice, soy sauce, fish sauce, ginger, and garlic powder. Stir well to coat everything evenly, then cook over medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes, pressing the rice against the hot pan occasionally to get some crispy, golden bits.

Fold the ham and eggs back in, toss to combine, and serve topped with chopped green onion.

Why Day-Old Rice Is Non-Negotiable

Freshly cooked rice has too much moisture. It steams in the pan instead of frying, which gives you a clumped, soggy result. Rice that’s been refrigerated overnight loses that excess moisture and develops a firmer texture that crisps beautifully against a hot pan. If you only have fresh rice, spread it on a sheet pan and refrigerate for at least an hour before using.

Quick Facts

• Total time: 20 minutes
• Serves: 5
• Works with cauliflower rice for a lower-carb version

Pro tip: Cook each component — ham, eggs, vegetables — separately before combining. It keeps the textures distinct and prevents the eggs from overcooking while the rice finishes.

4. Ham and Split Pea Soup

Save It

Few things beat a bowl of split pea soup on a cool evening, and leftover ham makes this one of the easiest soups to pull off without any special stock or broth preparation. The peas cook down into a thick, silky base, and the ham brings a smokiness that makes every spoonful feel deeply satisfying.

What You’ll Need

• 1 pound dried split peas, rinsed
• 2 cups diced leftover ham (plus a ham bone if you have one)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 medium carrots, diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups chicken or ham broth
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Fresh thyme or parsley for serving

How to Make It

If you’re using a ham bone, place it in a large pot with the broth and bring it to a simmer while you prep your vegetables. The bone releases gelatin and flavor into the liquid over the first 20 minutes of cooking — skip this step if you’re only working with diced ham.

Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic to the pot and bring everything to a gentle boil. Pour in the rinsed split peas and add the bay leaves. Reduce the heat, cover partially, and let it simmer for 60 to 90 minutes. Stir every 15 minutes or so and check the consistency.

The peas will naturally break down and thicken the soup. Once they’ve dissolved into a creamy texture, remove the bay leaves, pull out the ham bone, shred any meat from it, and stir the diced ham into the pot. Season with salt and pepper — go easy on the salt at first, since the ham brings plenty on its own.

Slow Cooker Option

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours. No stirring required. The result is a soup with an incredibly smooth, almost velvety consistency.

Quick Facts

• Total time: about 90 minutes on the stovetop, 8 hours in the slow cooker
• Serves: 8
• Freezes beautifully — store in portions for up to 3 months

Pro tip: If the soup thickens too much as it sits, stir in a cup of warm broth or water to loosen it before serving. It always tightens up as it cools.

5. Ham and Cheese Sliders

Save It

These sliders are the answer to “what do I bring?” for any gathering, but they’re equally at home as a weeknight dinner when you need something quick and crowd-pleasing. Sweet Hawaiian rolls, thin-sliced ham, melty Swiss cheese, and a buttery Dijon glaze bake together into something that’s genuinely hard to stop eating.

What You’ll Need

• 12 Hawaiian slider rolls
• 12 ounces leftover ham, thinly sliced
• 8 ounces Swiss cheese, sliced
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds (optional but classic)
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

How to Make It

Without separating the rolls, slice the entire connected sheet in half horizontally so you have a top slab and a bottom slab. Place the bottom slab in a greased 9×13 baking dish.

Layer the ham evenly across the bottom rolls, then lay the Swiss cheese over the ham. Place the top slab of rolls over the cheese and press down gently.

Whisk the melted butter, Dijon, honey, Worcestershire, garlic powder, and poppy seeds together in a small bowl. Brush this mixture generously over the top of the rolls, letting it run down the sides and into the cracks between the rolls.

Cover loosely with foil and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 5 to 8 minutes until the tops are golden and the cheese has fully melted.

The Glaze Is Everything

The butter-Dijon glaze does two things: it flavors the top of the rolls as they bake, and it seeps down between them, essentially basting the ham and cheese from the outside in. Don’t skip it. Some home cooks add a finely minced shallot to the glaze, which softens as the sliders bake and adds a mild sweetness that works brilliantly with the salty ham.

Quick Facts

• Total time: 25 to 30 minutes
• Makes: 12 sliders
• Can be assembled several hours ahead and refrigerated before baking

Pro tip: Use a serrated knife to cut the baked sliders apart cleanly. A straight knife compresses the rolls rather than cutting through them.

6. Ham and Broccoli Pasta

Save It

This is a one-pan dinner that takes under 30 minutes and relies on a single secret ingredient: chive and onion cream cheese. It melts into the pasta water to create an impossibly creamy sauce with built-in flavor, and it pairs with ham and broccoli in a way that feels cohesive rather than thrown together.

What You’ll Need

• 12 ounces pasta (rotini, penne, or farfalle work well)
• 2 cups leftover ham, diced
• 2 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 4 ounces chive and onion cream cheese
• ½ cup reserved pasta cooking water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Grated Parmesan for serving

How to Make It

Cook the pasta in heavily salted water according to the package directions. Add the broccoli florets to the boiling pasta water during the last 3 minutes of cooking — this cooks the broccoli and saves you a second pot. Before draining, scoop out at least ½ cup of the starchy pasta water and set it aside.

While the pasta cooks, warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 60 seconds, then add the diced ham and let it warm through.

Drain the pasta and broccoli, then add everything to the skillet. Drop in the cream cheese and toss the pasta with the hot ham and the reserved pasta water. The cream cheese melts into a silky, clingy sauce that coats every piece. Season generously with black pepper and serve with Parmesan on top.

Quick Facts

• Total time: 25 minutes
• Serves: 4 to 6
• Swap broccoli for asparagus, peas, or spinach if that’s what you have

Pro tip: Don’t rinse the pasta after draining. The starch coating the noodles helps the cream cheese sauce adhere. Rinsed pasta turns the sauce slippery.

7. Ham and Egg Quiche

Save It

Quiche gets a slightly undeserved reputation for being complicated. It’s not. Especially when you have leftover ham that does most of the flavor work for you. A custard of eggs, cream, and cheese baked in a pie crust with generous amounts of diced ham makes a dish that’s equally good for breakfast, lunch, or a light dinner.

What You’ll Need

For the custard:

• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ cup whole milk
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• Pinch of nutmeg

For the filling:

• 1½ cups diced leftover ham
• 1½ cups shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese (divided)
• ¼ cup finely chopped scallions or shallots
• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust (store-bought or homemade)

How to Make It

Preheat your oven to 375°F. Press the pie crust into a 9-inch pie dish and crimp the edges. Scatter 1 cup of the shredded cheese across the bottom of the crust — this creates a barrier that keeps the crust from getting soggy.

Spread the diced ham and scallions evenly over the cheese. Whisk the eggs, cream, milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg together until smooth. Pour the custard mixture slowly over the filling, then scatter the remaining ½ cup of cheese on top.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the edges are set and the center has just a slight jiggle. Pull it from the oven when it still wobbles a little — residual heat finishes the job as it rests. Let it cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

The No-Crust Option

Skipping the crust makes this gluten-free and cuts the prep time significantly. Butter your pie dish, add the cheese layer, filling, and custard as described, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. The texture is slightly softer without the crust, but the flavor is identical.

Quick Facts

• Total time: about 55 minutes with crust
• Serves: 6 to 8 slices
• Keeps refrigerated for up to 3 days; reheat individual slices at 325°F for 10 minutes

Pro tip: Shred your own cheese rather than buying pre-shredded. The anti-caking agents on pre-shredded cheese prevent it from melting smoothly into the custard.

8. Ham Fried Rice with Pineapple (Hawaiian-Style)

Save It

Ham and pineapple is one of those flavor combinations that divides opinion at the dinner table — until people try it in fried rice form, at which point the debate tends to end. The sweet, slightly acidic pineapple cuts right through the saltiness of the ham, and the two together work brilliantly with savory rice and egg.

What You’ll Need

• 2 tablespoons sesame oil or vegetable oil
• 2 cups diced leftover ham
• 1 cup pineapple chunks (fresh or canned in juice, drained)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• ½ red bell pepper, diced
• ½ cup frozen peas
• 3 green onions, sliced (whites and greens separated)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated (or ½ teaspoon ground)
• 4 cups day-old cooked rice
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil (for finishing)

How to Make It

Heat the oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add the ham and let it cook undisturbed for 60 seconds before stirring — you want some caramelization on those edges.

Push the ham to the side of the pan and add the beaten eggs to the cleared space. Scramble them quickly and then fold them into the ham before they fully set.

Add the white parts of the green onion, the garlic, and the ginger. Stir constantly for 30 seconds. Add the bell pepper and peas and cook for 2 minutes. Break in the rice, pressing it flat against the hot pan surface. Let it sit untouched for 90 seconds to develop a slight crust, then stir and repeat.

Add the pineapple, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Toss everything together and cook for another 2 minutes. Finish with the remaining sesame oil and the green parts of the scallions.

Why This Version Stands Apart

The pineapple goes in late — just 2 minutes before serving — so it warms through without breaking down completely. Pineapple cooked for too long turns mushy and loses its textural contrast. Keep it in large enough chunks that it holds its shape in the finished dish. Fresh pineapple delivers a brighter, cleaner flavor than canned, but drained canned pineapple works perfectly well.

Quick Facts

• Total time: 25 minutes
• Serves: 4 to 5
• Add a drizzle of sriracha at the table for a sweet-heat version

Pro tip: High heat is non-negotiable in fried rice. A pan that’s not hot enough steams the rice instead of frying it, and you lose all the texture and toasty flavor you’re working toward.

How to Store Leftover Ham Before Cooking

Save It

Before anything else, good storage makes all these recipes possible. Cooked ham keeps in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days when wrapped tightly or stored in an airtight container. If you know you won’t use it within that window, the freezer is your best option.

The most practical approach is to dice the ham into cubes and freeze it in 1 to 2 cup portions inside freezer bags. That way, you can pull out exactly as much as a recipe calls for without defrosting a large block. Cubed ham thaws quickly in the refrigerator overnight or under cold running water in about 20 minutes.

A ham bone — if you have one — deserves its own freezer bag. Keep it frozen and add it directly to soups and broths from frozen. It releases an enormous amount of flavor as it slowly heats up in liquid, more than any store-bought broth can replicate.

Final Thoughts

Save It

Leftover ham doesn’t have to follow a predictable path of sandwiches until it runs out. These eight recipes treat it as a real ingredient rather than a leftover to manage, and the difference in the results shows.

The casseroles are worth making even when you don’t have leftovers — they’re that good. The fried rice and one-pot pasta get dinner on the table faster than most takeout options. And the quiche? Make it once and you’ll understand why people keep ham in their freezer specifically to make it again.

Start with whatever recipe matches what you already have in the pantry, then bookmark the rest. Ham has a way of showing up more often than you expect.