photo by shygantic

After Easter dinner, chances are you’ll have extra ham. Macaroni and cheese with ham is tasty, but you don’t have to resort to that every time. Once it’s cooked, you can chop and freeze any extra ham, so you don’t have to find ways to use it up immediately. The following recipes are solutions for quick-and-easy or freeze-ahead dishes that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Ham-and-Cheese Bread Pockets

Dough
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour

Filling
1 to 2 cups leftover ham, chopped or sliced thin
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Swiss cheese
1 to 2 cups cooked broccoli

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar, and let set for a few minutes until foamy. Add oil, salt and flour. Mix and adjust by adding more flour if too sticky or more water if too dry. Knead 5 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes. Divide dough into six balls. Dust work surface with flour. Roll each piece into a 6-inch circle approximately 1/4-inch thick. Don’t roll too thin. Fill the top half of the circle with a couple of tablespoons filling, leaving room at the edges. Don’t overstuff. Fold over unfilled part and crimp edges with a fork, and fold up the crimped edges to seal. Poke holes in the dough to vent. Bake 20 minutes at 350 F. Can be doubled and frozen. Can substitute refrigerated pizza or crescent-roll dough. — Shawn, e-mail

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

3 cups sliced potatoes
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 cups diced ham
1 can cream-of-mushroom or celery soup
2/3 soup can of milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Place potatoes, onion and ham in baking dish. Mix soup, milk, salt and pepper. Pour evenly over potato mixture. Bake 1 hour at 375 F, covered. Remove from oven, sprinkle with cheese, and bake 10 minutes longer. — Tisha, Canada

Amy’s Ham-and-Cheese Spread

2 cups cooked ham, chopped
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
bread or crackers for serving

Combine all ingredients in a food processor, and pulse until blended. You may need to stir a little more by hand to make sure that the mayonnaise and mustard are blended thoroughly. Chill in refrigerator. Serve on bread or crackers.
Optional: Add diced onion, dill-pickle relish, chopped hard-boiled egg or chopped celery. — Amy, Ohio

Ham-and-Potato Skillet

4 teaspoons butter
3 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
pepper, to taste
green onions, chopped, to taste
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 cups leftover ham, diced
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a large skillet, melt butter. Add potatoes, pepper, onions, green pepper and ham. Cover and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Pour eggs over the top. Do not scramble. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Sprinkle cheese on top of eggs. Cover and cook until cheese is melted and eggs are solid and set. Cut into wedges. — Marcia, Missouri

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