The best leftover ham recipes after Christmas turn the extra slices in your refrigerator into a meal you actually look forward to. These eight JenniferCooks recipes give you warm sliders, creamy soups, a savory brunch option, and fresh salads for the days after a big holiday dinner. Some include ham in the original recipe; others offer a ham variation in the source post, and I've pointed those out below. Start with thin slices for sandwiches or diced ham for soups and salads. Open each recipe for its full ingredient list and directions, then choose the one that fits what you have on hand. This post contains affiliate links; I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Leftover Ham Recipes for Lunch, Dinner, and Brunch
Start with the sandwiches when you have thin slices, or choose a soup or salad for smaller pieces. The quiche offers a brunch option. Each card explains whether ham belongs to the original recipe or is a variation described in that post.
Ham and Cheese Hawaiian Sliders
Warm Hawaiian-roll sandwiches with ham, cheese, and a buttery topping. The source specifically allows thinly sliced leftover ham.
Easy Baked Monte Cristo Sliders with Hawaiian Rolls
Baked sliders with ham, turkey, Gruyere, powdered sugar, and raspberry preserves. Thinly sliced leftover ham is a supported variation.
Muffuletta Sandwich
A New Orleans-style sandwich with thinly sliced cooked ham, salami, mortadella, cheeses, and homemade olive salad. Marinate the olive salad ahead.
Crockpot Creamy Hash Brown Potato Soup
Creamy slow cooker potato soup made with frozen hash browns. The original post suggests stirring leftover ham in near the end.
Macaroni and Cheese Soup
A creamy macaroni and cheese soup with vegetables. Cubed ham is an optional addition described in the original post; cook the pasta separately.
Classic Quiche Lorraine Recipe
A blind-baked crust filled with rich cream custard, onion, and cheese. The original uses bacon; diced ham is a variation listed in the source.
Italian Grinder Chopped Salad
A chopped lettuce salad with smoked ham, salami, pepperoni, provolone, vegetables, and a creamy dressing.
Green Bean Salad with Citrus Dressing
Chilled green bean salad with oranges, cheese, walnuts, and citrus dressing. Leftover holiday ham is an optional protein suggested in the original post.
Choose a Recipe That Fits Your Leftover Ham
- Thin slices: Choose sliders or a muffuletta when the ham slices neatly. Cut thick pieces thinner rather than piling tall chunks into soft rolls.
- Small pieces: The soups and salads give diced ham a useful home. Keep the ham addition distinct from each soup's original ingredients; follow the linked post instead of guessing a new ratio.
- More than ham: Monte Cristo sliders also use turkey; muffulettas call for salami and mortadella, too. Check those ingredient lists before committing your leftovers.
- Sweet-glazed ham: Keep its sweetness in mind when choosing a recipe. Mustard, olive salad, or a citrus dressing gives you a different direction from another plate of glazed ham.
Make a Simple Plan for the Days After Christmas
Choose one recipe for the ham you'll use soon, then portion the rest before it gets lost behind the dessert containers. Keep slices together for sandwiches and smaller pieces together for the recipes that use diced meat. Label what you freeze so you can find the right portion without thawing everything.
For a warm lunch, choose a soup and serve it with homemade yeast rolls. For a fresh plate after several rich meals, choose one of the salads. If you are planning the Christmas meal itself, my Copycat Honey Baked Ham is the place to start.
Store, Freeze, and Reheat Holiday Ham Safely
Refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow, covered containers and keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below. As a practical, conservative plan, use cooked leftovers within 3-4 days or freeze the portions you won't use. Specific ham types have different storage guidance; consult the USDA ham storage chart and follow a shorter package or recipe limit when it applies.
Thaw frozen portions in the refrigerator. When reheating leftovers, use a food thermometer to check that they reach 165°F throughout. For more detail, see USDA guidance for handling leftovers. Freeze ham promptly if you want to save it for a New Year's meal rather than leaving Christmas leftovers refrigerated until January.
Questions About Leftover Ham Recipes
Do all eight recipes include ham in the original ingredient list?
No. The sliders, muffuletta, and Italian grinder salad include ham. The potato soup, macaroni and cheese soup, quiche, and green bean salad have ham additions or variations described in their source posts. The cards identify those differences so you can choose knowingly.
Can I use a ham bone in these recipes?
These selections focus on sliced or diced cooked ham. A ham bone or smoked ham hock serves a different purpose in a recipe, so don't substitute one for the other without directions designed for it.
Which leftover ham recipe should I choose for a cold lunch?
Choose the muffuletta or a salad. The muffuletta uses thinly sliced cooked ham and needs an advance start for the olive salad; the Italian grinder salad uses chopped meats. The citrus green bean salad offers ham as an optional addition and needs time to chill.
Keep a Few Favorites for the Next Holiday
Save the recipes that fit your family, and join my email list for more practical meals from my kitchen. Which direction does your leftover Christmas ham usually take: sliders, soup, or something fresh? Tell me in the comments.
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