Tasty Ways to Use Leftover Christmas Ham 35 Recipes - the Imperfectly Happy home (2024)

Leftover Christmas ham can be used a ton of delicious recipes! I have been hosting Christmas dinner for 23 years. I love cooking up a huge ham with my family’s secret sauce. But I also make so many side dishes and goodies that there is always a good amount of leftover Christmas ham to be used up.

But I don’t worry about that anymore because I have collected and used so many amazing recipes now that I am able to use up all the leftover Christmas ham without making the whole family sick of it!

Leftover Christmas Ham 35 Recipes

I’ve listed 35 amazing ways to use your left ham from Christmas. The hardest part just might be picking which one to use!!! I typically can get 2 or 3 leftover meals out of my leftover ham; which is great because I don’t want to shop or cook much after the holidays.

FAQ About Leftover Christmas Ham

How long is leftover ham good in the refrigerator?

According to FoodSafety.gov most consumer-cooked hams (like pre-cooked spirals or sliced) can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 – 5 days after being removed from packaging and cooked at home.

Can I freeze leftover Christmas Ham?

Again, according to FoodSafety.gov a packaged, pre-cooked ham, that has been consumer cooked at home can be frozen for up to 2 months. Some uncured hams can go as long as 4 months.

Be sure to check the entire list for Ham Storage to make sure the exact time you can store or freeze your ham.

My Favorite Recipe for Leftover Christmas Ham

My favorite way to use our leftover ham is my grandmother’s ham and beans! It is a great, and yummy, way to use a lot of ham at once. And if you have your family staying with you after Christmas, this will still feed a large crowd. Serve it with leftover Christmas rolls, make some drop biscuits or whip up some cornbread.

5 from 1 vote

My Grandma’s Best Southern Ham and Beans Recipe

This is a delicious budget-friendly meal. And if you have a big crowd, this recipe is easily doubled so everyone can enjoy it!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

1lbsof dry pinto beansor whatever bean you prefer
4or 5 smoked ham hocksor use dicedleftover ham, about 1/2 – 3/4 lbs should do it
1large yellow onionchopped
2– 3 teaspoons of black pepper
1bay leafoptional
Salt to taste

Instructions

Wash the beans (you don’t have to soak them overnight with this method)
Put the beans, ham hocks, chopped onion, pepper and bay leaf in a large stock pot and cover with water.
Bring to boil and then turn down to a low simmer.
Cover and let simmer low for several hours.
Stir and check often – you may need to add a bit more water, but only enough to keep everything covered
Beans will be tender and the sauce will thicken up.
Break up the meat into the beans and serve in a bowl with warm corn bread.