Easter will soon be over, but great eating need not be — and the best part is, you’ve already done half the work. Whether you’re after a quick way to spice up a main dish or ready to invite the guests back for something special, we’ve got just the thing.
Let your ham and lamb leftovers shine in the 20+ preparations below.
Ham and Buttermilk-Chive Biscuits opens in a new tabHam
Make quiche or a frittata opens in a new tab. Add a salty, savory twist to your favorite brunch recipe by folding in ham.
Dress up pasta. Toss ham with whole wheat pasta, butter, fresh peas, pecorino cheese and freshly grated nutmeg.
Make spring rolls. Layer slices of ham into rice paper wrappers with lettuce or pea shoots, fresh mint and cilantro and a drizzling of plum sauce for Vietnamese-style salad rolls.
Soup time. Use the ham bone to make a flavorful soup base for bean soup. Also, shave ham (or thinly slice in shreds) over a bowl of white bean or pea soup.
Bake potatoes. Top baked potatoes with ham, sharp cheddar and lots of chives.
Make your greens a meal. Sauté fresh spinach or arugula with garlic, olive oil and ham.
Add to chicken. Make a filling of finely chopped ham, breadcrumbs and parmesan or gruyère. Stuff into a chicken breast, bake and serve with a mustard sauce.
Bake biscuits. Bring out ham flavor with chives in buttermilk biscuits opens in a new tab for brunch, lunch, or a snack.
Make meatballs or a ham loaf opens in a new tab. Grind leftover ham and mix with bread crumbs, veggies and some egg to shape. Bake meatballs until golden brown then coat with a quick creamy sauce and serve with cooked greens. Save extras for outrageously good sandwiches.
Sandwich heaven! Use leftover ham to dress up a simple grilled cheese opens in a new tab.
Bake eggs. Place ham in individual ramekins with gruyère, salt, ground black pepper and freshly grated nutmeg. Crack an egg on top and bake until egg is set.
Add to salad. Ham pairs beautifully with barley and other whole grains for an entrée-sized salad.
Gyro-Style Lamb with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce Over Quinoa opens in a new tabLamb
Lamb sandwiches. Stuff pita pockets with sliced lamb, fresh oregano and a dollop of yogurt. Or make sliders using ground lamb opens in a new tab.
Spicy tacos. Add chopped chipotles in adobo sauce (canned) to lamb along with cooked potatoes (mashed or in small chunks), fresh cilantro and mint and wrap in flour tortillas.
Make dolmas. Shred lamb and combine with potatoes, currants, oregano and chard to make delicious modern dolmas opens in a new tab.
Phyllo triangles. Chop lamb and toss with beaten egg, caramelized onions and a pinch of cinnamon, then wrap in phyllo dough and bake.
Make a stir fry. Thinly slice lamb and cook with fresh herbs, lemon juice, honey and crushed red chile flakes. Serve over couscous mixed with chopped dried apricots.
Lamb hash. Make a simple main dish by shredding lamb into a potato hash, tossing with fresh mint and adding a poached egg.
Add to sauce. Add shredded cooked lamb to a simple red pepper pasta sauce opens in a new tab.
Either or Both
Add to potato gratin. Layer chunks of ham or lamb into a potato gratin.
Make pizza. Ham pairs well with gruyère on pizza opens in a new tab, but also try it with pineapple for a classic Hawaiian pie or with spinach and mushrooms. For a delicious lamb pizza, sauté onions then add garlic, tomato paste or sundried tomatoes, crushed red pepper flakes, cumin, and cooked lamb. Spread over pizza dough. Bake, then garnish with parsley.
What did we miss? Search our database of 3,000+ recipes opens in a new tab to stir up more creativity, and share your own ideas by leaving a comment below.
