Hamming it Up

I always serve ham at Easter and this year is no exception.  However, I'm not preparing a shank portion like I normally do.  I'm only cooking for five people so I don't need that much ham.  Due to a time constraint of one of the guests, I need to have supper on the table at 5:30.  This is going to be challenging since I won't start cooking the ham until we get home from church.  I could cook the ham the day before and reheat it when we're ready to eat, but I don't like that idea.  Buying an already cooked spiral ham isn't an option because my family doesn't like them.  Fortunately, there's another choice.  This year, I'll be serving a canned ham for Easter.

Canned ham is exactly what it sounds like:  ham that is sold in a can.

The ham is either from a boneless piece of meat, or pieces that have been combined and are held together with a gelatin mixture.  The brand I buy comes in three and five pound sizes, but the larger size is sometimes hard for me to find.  Canned hams are fully cooked and, as such, don't require additional cooking.  However, the flavor is greatly improved by heating. 

There are two varieties of canned hams:  shelf stable and refrigerated. Shelf stable canned hams have been processed at high temperatures which allow them to be stored at room temperature.  This processing, which gives the ham a long shelf life, also makes the product less flavorful than its counterpart.  I avoid shelf stable canned hams and only purchase those that are refrigerated.  The taste and texture of a refrigerated canned ham are a little different from traditional ham, but that's a small price to pay for the convenience.  Unlike a shank or butt portion that can take hours to cook, a canned ham is ready in an hour.  It can also be cooked in a crock-pot which frees up the oven for side dishes and rolls.

Just because it's a canned ham doesn't mean it has to be served plain.  I serve it that way because that's how my family likes ham.  Canned hams -- like regular hams -- can be dressed up with the addition of fruit, liquid smoke or glazes.  A search on the Internet will yield lots of recipes and ideas for using canned hams.

Although I may take a shortcut with the ham this year, the rest of our Easter dinner will be the same as every year:  macaroni and cheese, green bean bundles, deviled eggs, cranberry orange relish, homemade rolls, an Easter bunny cake and, to wash it all down, a refreshing pitcher of fruit tea.

Canned ham might not be the first thing you think of serving for Easter, but it is an easy and tasty alternative when time is short, you don't need to feed a large crowd and you still want to ham it up!

Baked Canned Ham
6 to 8 Servings

1 (3 lb.) canned ham

1/2 cup water

To Bake in the Oven:  Remove ham from can and place in baking pan. Add 1/2 cup water to pan.  Cover pan with foil and bake at 325° for 1 hour, or until meat thermometer inserted in center reads 135°.

To Cook in a Crock-Pot:  Pour 1/2 cup water in bottom of crock-pot.  Wrap ham in foil; place in crock-pot.  Cover and cook on high 1 hour.  Reduce heat to low and cook 6 to 7 hours, or until ham is heated through.

© Margaret's Morsels

Ways to Use Leftover Ham

Not sure what to do with leftover Easter ham?  Here's two recipes that will make you forget you're eating leftovers!

Broccoli Ham Ring

This entree may look complicated, but it's actually very easy to assemble. Refrigerated crescent rolls are wrapped around a filling made with ham and four other ingredients.  Step by step directions can be found here. 

Ham and Potato Casserole

Any form of cooked ham -- including canned, deli or packaged luncheon ham -- can be used in this layered casserole.  You can make a little or a lot, but be sure to adjust the baking time accordingly.  The recipe can be found here.  

© Margaret's Morsels

Easter Ham Redux

I heard a disc jockey describe the day after Easter as egg salad Monday. If you've got leftover Easter ham, today doesn't have to be ham sandwich Wednesday.

I always cook a ham for Easter and freeze what isn't eaten, keeping out just enough to make a broccoli ham ring.  This year, I'm using some of the leftover ham to make a ham and potato casserole.

Three family members shared this recipe with me, but each one had their own version.  Since the process and ingredients are similar to scalloped potatoes, I used that recipe as a guide to create my own version of this layered casserole.  One layer consists of three ingredients:  potatoes, ham and cheese.

The first layer

You can use any form of cooked ham including canned, thinly sliced deli ham or even packaged luncheon ham.  You can also make as little or as much as you want by increasing or decreasing the ingredients.  I use a 2-quart dish to make a three layer casserole.  A couple of family members use a large roasting pan and bake several layers.

All three recipes started out the same.  Grease a baking dish and alternate layers of thinly sliced potatoes, diced ham and shredded cheese, sprinkling each layer with a little salt and pepper.  When you've got all the layers you want, pour a mixture of eggs, milk and flour over the top.  This mixture binds the ingredients together.  It's also where the recipes differed.

The eggs, half and half, milk and flour

The recipes called for four, six and even 12 eggs!  Of course, the number you need depends on what size casserole you're making.  A good rule of thumb is to use one egg for each layer.  Since I had three layers, I used three eggs.

One recipe called for milk, another used half and half and the last used a combination of the two.  We only drink 1% milk so I knew half and half would be too rich.  However, half and half would make the casserole creamier than milk.  I ended up using equal parts milk and half and half.

The recipes differed again when it came to flour.  Two versions used it while the third did not.  I added two tablespoons of flour since it helps thicken the casserole. 

The egg mixture poured on three layers

The casserole took 1 hour 15 minutes to bake, but the total baking time depends on two things:  the number of layers and the thickness of the potatoes.  If the top gets too brown before the potatoes are done, cover the pan with foil.  If you're baking a lot of layers, cover the pan with foil, removing it the last 30 minutes to brown the top.

I bet the casserole would be delicious substituting cooked bacon for the ham.  The next time I make it, I'm going to perform the experiment.  In the meantime, I've got leftover ham I need to use and I don't want ham sandwiches.

Ham and Potato Casserole

4 to 6 Servings

3 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

ham, cooked and diced

1 (8 oz.) pkg. Cheddar cheese, grated

salt and pepper to taste

3 eggs

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup half and half

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

In a greased 2-quart casserole dish, alternate layers of potatoes, ham and cheese three times.  Sprinkle salt and pepper over the cheese.  Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the top.  Bake at 350° for 1 hour 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.  If the top gets too brown, cover the pan with foil.

© Margaret's Morsels

New Life for Leftover Ham

The presents have been opened, the out of town company has gone home, the hustle and bustle of Christmas is over.  If you're like me, two things remain:  bills and leftovers!  I can't help with the bills, but I can share a recipe for leftover ham.


I always cook a ham for Christmas and freeze the leftovers.  Before I freeze the ham, I use some of it to make a quick and easy Broccoli Ham Ring.


The recipe consists of a filling made with ham and four other ingredients. One of the ingredients -- frozen chopped broccoli -- needs to be thawed so I combine the filling ingredients early in the day.  By the time I'm ready to cook supper, the broccoli is thawed.  The only thing left to do is arrange the filling atop refrigerated crescent rolls.


As the name implies, the finished dish is in a ring shape, but it's actually quite easy to make.  I prepare the ring on a large baking stone, but you could use a pizza pan or cookie sheet.  Just make sure whatever pan you use is big enough to accommodate the crescent rolls when they're spread out in a sunburst pattern.  If you don't have a pan big enough, you could make two rings using half of the ingredients for each ring.


A picture's worth a thousand words so I'll let these pictures be your guide in how to assemble the ring.

Put the dough in a circle with the points to the outside.

Put the filling on the wide ends of the dough.

Pull the points of the dough over the filling and tuck

them under the wide ends of the dough.

Some of the filling will show, but that only adds to the beauty of the dish.

I usually serve a salad -- green or congealed -- with the Broccoli Ham Ring.  Since I've got leftover Green Bean Bundles and Cranberry Orange Relish, I'll be serving those with the ham ring this time.  Those two sides were great Christmas day with the ham so they'll be good with the ham ring too.  After all, I don't want Christmas leftovers to go to waste!

Broccoli Ham Ring

8 Servings

1 cup chopped ham

1 cup frozen chopped broccoli, thawed

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 tsp. lemon juice

2 (8 oz.) pkg. refrigerated crescent rolls

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; mix well.

To assemble the ring, unroll crescent dough; separate into 16 triangles. Arrange triangles in a circle on a 15-inch round baking stone with wide ends of triangles overlapping in the center and points toward the outside (there should be a 5-inch diameter opening in center of stone).  Scoop ham mixture evenly onto widest end of each triangle.  Bring points of triangle up over filling and tuck under wide ends of dough at center of ring. Filling will not be completely covered.

Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until deep golden brown.  Cut into 8 servings.

© Margaret's Morsels