Leftover Extravaganza

Is anyone else swimming in left over ham?  Just mounds of it?  I hope that was a nice mental picture for you.  Me, hopefully in a swimming suit, swimming through mounds of ham.  I am partial to turkey, myself.  Never been much of a ham person but of course, Tyler is all about ham.  If there is a holiday that specifies ham to be made, I can't pull a fast one on him.  He has them all marked on his calendar.
I am not sure why Easter is a ham holiday.  It should probably be rabbit.  There seem to be a lot of bunnies around.  Maybe everyone should start eating rabbit stew at Easter.  I actually have never had rabbit but it seems to go better with the commercialized holiday better don't you think?  Easter, bunnies, eggs, more bunnies!  I am not sure where the ham came from, left field?  Wherever it came from, we have to have it for Easter and now it has plagued me for the week as I have tried to find things to do with it.  I made a few meals and then wrapped the rest up and put it in the freezer.  I can only take so much and I think I will take it better in a week or two.  I am thinking soup if the weather holds.  Anyway, I thought I would share what we had this week so you'd know I was still here and maybe you have mounds of ham at your house and in your freezer and need a little inspiration.  Not that I think either of these dishes are inspiring...they are leftovers after all!

Ham and Cheese Potatoes

This is really just cheesy potatoes (or funeral potatoes) with ham.  And I didn't have any cream of whatever soup on hand so I threw some stuff together. I also didn't have corn flakes, but I did have barbecue chips. (oh dear) It really was a hit.  Tyler said he could eat this for dinner every night (that's a bit extreme) and Hadlee wouldn't stop talking about how delicious it was.  I thought it was pretty darn good myself.  Especially after I picked out the ham.  (Just kidding, I ate it.  If I don't clean my plate, I will be grounded.  Ask my parents)  If you are interested in the basic recipe here is goes. 

1 1/2 cups chopped ham
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup chopped onion, divided
1 cup sour cream
4 oz cream cheese, softened (cut into chunks)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup half and half
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
4 potatoes, finely diced or frozen hash browns (I used the former)
corn flakes or crumbled chips

Preheat oven to 375
Heat butter in a saucepan and cook 2 T of the onion in butter for 2-3 minutes.  Add chicken broth and half and half, cook until heated through add cream cheese and cook until cream cheese is melted and smooth.  In a bowl add remaining ingredients (except cereal or chips) and mix well, add chicken broth mixture and combine.  Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and spread evenly.  Bake for about 45-50 minutes until bubbly and potatoes are tender.  During the last 15 minutes, add chips or cornflakes.
Pioneer Woman posted something similar to this the other day (because we are BFFs).


Ham and Cheese Quiche

Hadlee said she wanted quiche.  Which is weird.  I am pretty sure last time I made quiche she didn't go over the moon for it, but whatevs.   You never know what my kids are going to eat on any given day.  I should quit trying to pretend I have them figured out.  She wanted quiche and we had this ham lurking in the fridge and this was born.  And we ate it and loved it.

1 single crust pie crust, pre baked (this post has info about pre-baking your crust if you'd like)

2 cups chopped ham

6 eggs 

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 cups cheese (we used cheddar)

2 green onions, chopped

2 T yellow onions, chopped

1/4 tsp salt and pepper

preheat oven to 350.  Combine eggs, buttermilk and milk and mix well, add remaining ingredients and mix until combined.  Dump into pre-baked and cooled pie crust and bake for 50-60 minutes until middle is almost set.  If sides are getting two browned, cover edges with foil.  Cool 10-15 minutes before cutting.

Have a great weekend!