25 Non-Traditional Easter Ham Recipes

April 01, 2020
Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez
Sure, Easter's going to look a little different this year—but you don't have to forgo ham just because your family won't gather for a holiday feast. This collection of Easter ham breakfasts (everyone loves a classic Ham Biscuit), sides (this Ham Pasta Salad is a winner on any table), and entrées (may we recommend this Pasta Primavera with Ham and Mushrooms?) is deliciously non-traditional. 
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 Ham Pasta Salad

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Kay Clark; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners
 Ham Pasta Salad Recipe
Our Ham Pasta Salad is a great way to use leftover glazed ham—the lemon dressing brightens it up for Easter and offsets the ham’s sweetness, while the fresh parsley adds sprigs of color. The secret to the sauce is using the pasta water, so remember to keep it—if you do dump it out on accident, you can just use chicken stock.
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2 of 25

Ham and Cheese Sliders

Photo: Alison Miksch; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Christina Daley
Ham and Cheese Sliders Recipe
These Ham and Cheese Sliders were such a hit in our test kitchen they were gone in 10 minutes. They’re a crowd-pleaser for a reason: Sweet, savory, tangy, and cheesy flavors combine to make a modern dish that still feels nostalgic. Kings Hawaiian rolls now come in a 24-ct. Party Pack, so you’ll only have to grab one bag.

3 of 25

Sheet Pan Scalloped Potatoes with Ham and Peas 

Jen Causey; Prop Styling: Kay Clark; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners 
Sheet Pan Scalloped Potatoes with Ham and Peas  Recipe
This dish is all the best of potatoes au gratin packed into the convenience of a sheet pan supper. There’s plenty of crispy, cheese topping that’s got a nice element of fresh thyme flavor, the corners and edges maintain a nice crisp, and the potatoes are perfectly cooked in the center.
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4 of 25

Ham Biscuits

Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas
Ham Biscuits Recipe
We used a small 2-inch biscuit cutter, so you may want to bake extra for Easter brunch—they tend to disappear very quickly. These biscuits can be cut and frozen up to two weeks in advance. Freeze the dough solid on the baking sheet. Store in a ziplock plastic bag in the freezer. Bake frozen biscuits at 450°F for 12 to 14 minutes.

5 of 25

French Onion Soup With Ham

Gina DeSimone
French Onion Soup With Ham Recipe

Classic French onion soup gets a tasty upgrade with leftover ham. Though you might be tempted to add a little sugar to speed up the caramelization of the onions, resist; there are few culinary delights that equal the rich savory-sweet balance of slowly caramelized onions. A dash of sherry cuts through the rich soup with just the right amount of tang.

6 of 25

Field Peas, Corn, and Okra in Country-Ham Cream

Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer
Field Peas, Corn, and Okra in Country-Ham Cream Recipe

This comforting skillet supper makes a great summertime meal, when field peas, corn, and okra are in season. While fresh veggies are the star of the dish, the country-ham cream, a light yet luxurious sauce, will have you licking your plate. Serve alongside some skillet cornbread and you’ll have a meal to remember.

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7 of 25

Gnocchi Gratin with Ham and Peas

Photo: Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Gnocchi Gratin with Ham and Peas Recipe
You'll love the flavor of this simple gratin. Gruyère is an aged Swiss cheese with a firm texture and sweet, slightly nutty flavor. If you can’t find Gruyère, Comté, Appenzeller, and Emmenthaler are in the same cheese family and good substitutes.

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Warm Spinach-Sweet Onion Dip with Country Ham

Warm Spinach-Sweet Onion Dip with Country Ham
Warm Spinach-Sweet Onion Dip with Country Ham Recipe

Great for outdoor tailgates, this creamy dip can be prepared in advance and reheated on the grill in a skillet. Place the skillet over indirect heat to avoid burning the edges.

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Ham, Kale, and White Bean Soup

Photo: Jennifer Causey
Ham, Kale, and White Bean Soup Recipe
The water used to cook a pot of beans is really liquid gold, infused with aromatics and thickened with starch from the beans. It makes perfect sense to give the cooking liquid a second life as the broth for the soup (and save the trouble of rinsing and draining).
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Ham Croquettes

Jennifer Causey
Ham Croquettes Recipe
Nobody complains about eating leftovers when these are on the menu. Addictively crunchy, these crispy, cheesy croquettes make a great dinner or an afternoon snack. To make them gluten-free, substitute gluten-free baking mix for the all-purpose flour and use gluten-free breadcrumbs.

11 of 25

Ham And Potato Soup

Photo: Alison Miksch; Food Styling: Mary Clair Britton and Kady Wohlfarth; Prop Styling: Prissy Lee
Ham And Potato Soup Recipe

This Instant Pot ham soup recipe is about as perfect as a cool weather soup can get; think "loaded baked potato in a bowl." For a fun party meal, serve it with an assortment of toppings so guests can make the soup their own. 

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Ham Cured Pineapple with Prosciutto and Pomegranate 

Photo: Kalsey Hansen
Ham Cured Pineapple with Prosciutto and Pomegranate  Recipe
Most people adorn their holiday ham with pineapple. This year, flip the script and "hamify" a whole pineapple. The result is a "wow" worthy holiday centerpiece that resembles a modern version of the classic ham, pineapple, and maraschino cherry combination.
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13 of 25

Easy Vegetable-Ham Frittata

Caitlin Bensel
Easy Vegetable-Ham Frittata Recipe

When it’s too hot outside to turn on your oven, your slow cooker is a lifesaver. Microwave leftovers about a minute, checking after 30 seconds.

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Hearty Ham and Cheddar Cornbread Muffins

Gina DeSimone
Hearty Ham and Cheddar Cornbread Muffins Recipe

Outmaneuver your morning fast-food cravings with these savory grab-and-go breakfast muffins. Leftover ham comes to the rescue with day-sustaining protein; equal parts cornmeal and flour yield a not-so-bready muffin with a perfect tender crumb. Make a batch of these on the weekend and save the leftovers for breakfast all week long.

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Ham and Dijon Grilled Cheese

Photo: Stephen DeVries, Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Ham and Dijon Grilled Cheese Recipe
This grilled cheese takes some major inspiration from the French favorite, croque monsieur with its sliced ham and melty Gruyère cheese. In lieu of a béchamel sauce, we lather some Dijon mustard on this sandwich for added flavor.
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Ham and Cheese Waffle Sandwiches

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Ham and Cheese Waffle Sandwiches Recipe
These incredibly easy sandwiches are fun to eat and fun to make. With only five ingredients, they come together in under 10 minutes.

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Slow-Cooker Collard Greens with Ham Hocks

Victor Protasio
Slow-Cooker Collard Greens with Ham Hocks Recipe

When cooked low and slow, the tender ham hocks completely fall apart and infuse the collard greens with a savory, smoky flavor. Carefully remove the hocks before serving to make sure no bones remain.

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Ham and Cheese Dutch Baby

Photo by Kat Kinsman
Ham and Cheese Dutch Baby Recipe
This gloriously puffed-up Parmesan, Fontina, and country ham-studded Dutch baby has an aromatic kiss of lemon juice and fresh horseradish. It might be wise to do a dress rehearsal before inviting the whole dang family over to meet the baby, but it's a pretty simple technique once you've got the hang of it.
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Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

Photo by Jiselle Basille
Ham and Cheese Pinwheels Recipe
Waffles and syrup. Peanut butter and jelly. Cereal and milk. Ham and cheese. These iconic combinations are fused together in our minds (and mouths), making it nearly impossible to have one without the other. The next time you need to make a quick, easy breakfast, call upon your favorite ham and cheese duo.

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Savory Ham, Cheese, and Chive Scones

Photo: Daniel Agee, Food Styling: Julia Levy, Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
Savory Ham, Cheese, and Chive Scones Recipe
These savory scones are flakey, cheesy, rich, and uber-delicious. Similar to biscuits in texture, method, and ingredients, you’ll want to make sure you’re ingredients are good and cold to ensure the tenderest, flakiest scones possible. The scones can be made into whatever shape you like, they’ll bake just the same.

21 of 25

Ham and Lima Bean Fried Rice

Photo: Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Ham and Lima Bean Fried Rice Recipe

This delicious Southern twist on fried rice is made with pantry and freezer staples, so you probably already have most of the ingredients on hand.

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Pasta Primavera with Ham and Mushrooms 

Pasta Primavera with Ham and Mushrooms  Recipe

It's hard to beat pasta primavera. But it's even harder to beat a 20-minute pasta primavera that only requires one skillet. Use a frozen broccoli, cauliflower, and carrot mix to save time and add color, texture, and nutrition. This recipe is one to keep in your back pocket for busy afternoons when there's no time for prep. 

23 of 25

The "Ham" Burger

Photo: Annabelle Breakey
The "Ham" Burger Recipe

This burger is inspired by one on the menu at San Francisco's Cockscomb restaurant. The chef there, Chris Cosentino, came up with it after his son asked him, "Why doesn't a hamburger have ham in it?"

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Crispy Chicken, Ham, and Swiss Roll-Ups

Photo: Greg DuPree; Styling: Lindsey Lower
Crispy Chicken, Ham, and Swiss Roll-Ups Recipe
Preheating the pan gets the breading crisp within 20 minutes. If you only have regular breadcrumbs, just add 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder. The timing and ingredient amounts work for small, 2-ounce cutlets. Split larger ones in half: Place each on a cutting board, and place your hand flat on top.
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25 of 25

Ham and Cheese Pizza

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez
Ham and Cheese Pizza Recipe
When a classic sandwich gets reincarnated as a cheesy pizza, rave reviews are bound to follow. Sweet, crisp Fuji apple provides a great balance to the rich, gooey cheese and savory ham, and everyone knows there's no better place to slip in some extra leafy greens than on a pizza.
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