Eggs Benedict Casserole

6-oz Canadian Bacon or Ham, cut into cubes
3 English Muffins, cut into cubes
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
Hollandaise Sauce, if desired

Butter a 9x9-inch casserole dish.

Combine the ham and English Muffin cubes and put them in the casserole.  Whisk the eggs, milk, onion powder, salt, pepper and paprika until well mixed and pour over the ham mixture.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375^F.  Remove the plastic wrap and cover the dish with foil.  Bake for 45 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for 15-20 minutes more or until set.

Serve with Hollandaise Sauce, if desired.  Being the lazy cook that I am, I used a package mix for the Hollandaise.

Adapted from a couple of recipes found on Pinterest.

Orange-Glazed Ham

Orange-Glazed Ham

Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa’s Recipe

4 lb Boar’s Head Sweet Slice Boneless Ham

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

4 tablespoons orange marmalade

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

¼ cup light brown sugar, packed

1 ½ teaspoons orange zest

1 tablespoon orange juice

Preheat the oven to 325° F.  Place the ham (“skin” side up) in a heavy roasting pan.

Combine the remaining ingredients and stir until well combined.  Pour about half of the mixture all over the ham and then seal the pan with aluminum foil.  Bake for 40 minutes or until the ham is completely heated throughout. 

Remove the foil and pour the rest of the glaze over the ham.  Increase the oven to 425° F and return the pan to the oven for 15 minutes more. 

Serve hot or at room temperature.

This is the ham I made for Easter Dinner 2016 for John and I.  It was good, but I still prefer an unglazed ham to one with any glaze I’ve ever tried.  John liked it though.  If I ever do this one again, I will follow Ina Garten's instructions to put the glaze in a blender until the orange peel in the marmalade isn't so chunky.  I was lazy and didn't want to wash the blender, so I chose not to use it. Live and learn.  

Ham and Cheese Quiche

Ham and Cheese Quiche

1 (9-inch) frozen pie shell, thawed
1 cup (4-oz) shredded Swiss cheese
1 1/2 cups cooked ham chunks
1 cup (4-oz) shredded Cheddar cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 pint heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350^F.

Place the Swiss cheese in the pie shell; top it with ham, then the shredded Cheddar.  In a small bowl, beat the eggs and cream until well mixed and then pour it evenly over the ham and cheese.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until center is set.  Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe from Mr. Food.  The flavor was good, but it took closer to 1 hour for the thing to "set" and even then it was "softer" than I would have liked.

Spicy Slow Cooked Honey Ham and Sweet Potatoes

Spicy Slow Cooked Honey Ham and Sweet Potatoes

3 1/2 lb cooked boneless ham portion

4 med sweet potatoes, peeled and halved lengthwise

1 large onion, cut into thin wedges

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup pineapple juice

2 Tbsp butter, melted

1 tsp crushed red pepper

Place ham in 5-6 qt slow cooker.  Arrange potatoes and onions around it.  Combine remaining ingredients and pour over ham and veggies.  Cover and cook for 7-8 hours.  

I didn't like the way the outside of the ham tasted with the sweet potatoes cooked this way.   The inside of the ham (the part that didn't have the sweet potato flavor) was good and juicy though.  I would be willing to try this again WITHOUT the potatoes!  There was way too much liquid in the crockpot...not sure if it came from the ham or the sweet potatoes.  I don't remember where I found this recipe, but I've had it in my "to try" file for several years.

Ham & Egg Salad

Ham & Egg Salad

5-oz can Hormel Premium Smoked Ham
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped fine
2 tsp yellow mustard
2 tsp honey
2-3 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 Tbsp minced celery

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir until well mixed.  Use to make sandwiches or as a spread for Ritz Crackers.  Yum!

Aunt Peggy's Orange Glazed Ham Steak

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons boiling water

• 1/4 cup orange juice

• 2 oranges, zest finely grated and juiced

• 2 (1-pound, 1/2-inch thick) ham steaks

In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and boiling water until the granules dissolve. Whisk in the orange zest and juice.

Put the ham steaks in a large baking dish. Pour half of the glaze over the meat, turning once to coat them evenly. Bake for 1 hour, flipping the steaks occasionally and basting them with the remaining glaze. The glaze will thicken and the finished ham will be golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and transfer the steaks to a serving platter. Serve hot.

From Food Network/Paula Deen.  This smelled wonderful, but didn't taste as good as it smelled.  The sauce was gloppy and gross looking and the ham was really dried out after a whole hour in the oven.   

Grilled Ham and Marmalade Sandwich

Grilled Ham and Marmalade Sandwich

2 thin slices honey wheat bread
Cream Cheese with Chives
Orange Marmalade
2 thin slices Boar's Head Low Sodium Ham
2 thin slices Swiss cheese
Butter

Spread one slice of bread with a thin layer of cream cheese and chives.  Add 1 slice of Swiss cheese, the ham and then the remaining slice of Swiss.  Spread orange marmalade on the remaining slice of bread and lay it (marmalade side down) on the sandwich.

Melt a bit of butter on a hot griddle (or skillet) and cook the sandwich until browned on the bottom.  Flip it and brown the other side.  Remove from the pan and cut into triangles.

Yummy!

Maple Peach Glazed Ham Steaks

Maple Peach Glazed Ham Steaks

1 cup peach marmalade
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 ham steaks, each 1-inch thick

Stir together the preserves, maple syrup, ancho powder and orange juice in a medium bowl.

Heat grill to high. Grill the steaks for 4 to 5 minutes on both sides, keeping the grill covered to heat through. Baste with the glaze every few minutes. Slice and serve.

This is a Bobby Flay recipe. I used 2 small ham steaks and cooked them on my grill pan in the kitchen (too hot aside for grilling!) I also halved the amount of the glaze ingredients which was still too much for the small steaks I used. Quite good!

Red Currant Glazed Ham

Red Currant Glazed Ham

8 lb spiral sliced ham
1/2 cup cran-apple juice
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 cup red currant jelly
1/4 cup whole-grain mustard
2 tsp cider vinegar

Place the ham cut side down in a large crockpot. Pour the cran-apple juice over it and cook on Low for 6 hours.

Meanwhile, using a heavy pan, crush the peppercorns; place them in a bowl. Add the jelly, mustard and cider vinegar to the bowl and mix well to make a glaze. Transfer 1⁄2 cup of the glaze to a second bowl and set aside for serving.

About an hour before the ham is done, brush with glaze, then brush it again about half and hour before serving.

This was good...not as good as a ham that's NOT already sliced would have been, but I did like the sauce. I can never figure out why John likes these spiral-sliced hams when they always turn out so much drier than just a plain old unsliced ham!

Adapted from Woman's Day recipe.

Ham & Swiss Bowtie Casserole

Ham & Swiss Bowtie Casserole

1 onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 tbsp butter
1 lb ham cubes
16-oz pkg frozen broccoli, carrot & cauliflower combo
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 soup can water
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp mustard
8-oz shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
16-oz pkg Bowties, cooked to al dente and drained
1 can French Fried Onions, crushed

Saute the onion and celery in butter in a large skillet until tender. Add the ham and continue cooking about 10 minutes. Stir in the vegetables and cook about 10 more minutes. Add mushroom soup, water, thyme, pepper, mustard, Swiss and Cheddar cheese and stir to combine. Cook about 15 minutes or until the cheese melts and mixture is thoroughly heated. Stir in cooked Bowties and pour into a large casserole dish or 9x13" pan. Bake at 350^F. for 20 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle with crushed Fried onions and return to oven for 10-15 minutes longer.

This is my recipe...I've made it for years and I don't remember where I got the inspiration for it. This is another one of those dishes you can change according to what you have on hand. It's easy and it tastes good!

Ham and Noodle Casserole

Ham and Noodle Casserole

4 tbsp butter
1 small onion, diced
16-oz pkg diced cooked ham
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup reduced fat sour cream
Pepper
1/2 cup half & half
1 1/4 cups shredded swiss cheese
3/4 cup shredded cheddar
16-oz pkg egg noodles, cooked and drained
1 can French Fried Onions

Preheat oven to 350^F. Grease a 13x9 casserole dish.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Stir in ham, chicken soup, sour cream, pepper to taste, and the half and half until combined. Simmer gently until mixture is hot. Stir in the swiss, cheddar and the noodles and pour all into the 13x9" dish.

Bake 35 minutes, covered with foil. Remove the foil and sprinkle with the crushed French Fried Onions. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until lightly browned and bubbly.

Quite tasty! Inspired by recipe of the same name at (where else?) allrecipes.com!

Slow Cooker Ham and Double Cheesy au Gratin Potatoes

SLOW COOKER HAM

2 cups packed brown sugar
1 (8 pound) cured, bone-in picnic ham

Spread about 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar on the bottom of the slow cooker crock. Place the ham flat side down into the slow cooker - you might have to trim it a little to make it fit. Use your hands to rub the remaining brown sugar onto the ham. Cover, and cook on Low for 8 hours. (From allrecipes.com) Very good and very easy!


DOUBLE CHEESY AU GRATIN POTATOES

4 large baking potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
1 quart heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 2 quart baking dish.
Layer potato slices in prepared baking dish. Pour cream over potatoes; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Season potatoes with salt and pepper.
Bake in preheated oven until potatoes are soft, about 1 hour. Remove from oven; gently stir potatoes. Sprinkle with the Cheddar cheese; cover and let rest until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. (also from allrecipes.com) This was delicious but too runny. I used 5 potatoes (about 4-5" long) but I think one more would have made the difference. Either that or only use half the cream!

Ham Alfredo with Pasta

Ham Alfredo with Pasta

1/2 cup butter
8 oz diced smoked ham
1 tbsp roasted minced garlic
4 oz grated parmesan
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup frozen green peas
3 tbsp crumbled crispy bacon
Hot, cooked fettuccine

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the ham and garlic and cook a couple of minutes over medium heat until ham is hot. Stir in the parmesan and cream and cook, stirring occasionally about 10 minutes. Add the peas and continue to cook until the peas are hot and the cheese is all melted. Add the cooked pasta and the bacon. Toss the pasta with the sauce and serve immediately. I don't remember where I found this recipe...I've been making it for years and I love it! It is really bad for you but tastes wonderful and you can have dinner on the table in 30 minutes!

Creamy Ham Chowder

Creamy Ham Chowder

1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
48 oz carton chicken broth
16 oz pkg frozen mixed vegetables
2 cans Hormel Chunk Ham, flaked
1/2 cup half & half

Melt the butter in a stockpot and saute the onion and celery with the poultry seasoning until tender. Stir in the chicken broth and mixed vegetables and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the veggies are cooked through. Stir in the ham and the half and half and cook another 5 minutes or until everything's hot. Serve with a sprinkle of shredded swiss cheese and some plain croutons on top.

This recipe was inspired by one of the same name in the 1988 Southern Living Annual Recipes Cookbook. It's super fast and easy and very tasty!

Ham & Cheese Frittata

Ham & Cheese Frittata

3 small potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2" cubes
1 small onion, minced
3 tbsp bacon grease or butter
8 oz ham, diced into 1/2" cubes
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 cup shredded Cheddar

Fry the potatoes and onion in the hot bacon grease over medium heat in an iron skillet until potatoes are almost done and starting to brown. Stir in the ham cubes and continue to cook about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, beat the eggs, milk, salt and pepper until well mixed. Pour the egg mixture over the potatoes and ham. Sprinkle cheese over the top and bake at 350^ about 25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Delicious! This is great for breakfast, lunch or dinner and you can substitute any meat or cheese you want.

Ham Loaf and Tangy Buttermilk Cheese Bread 6.7.09

Ham Loaf

1 lb ham, ground
3/4 lb. ground pork
2 eggs
1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup evaporated milk
Salt & Pepper
1 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp yellow mustard
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp ground cloves

Combine ham, pork, eggs, crumbs, milk and salt and pepper to taste. Shape into a loaf, place in a casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees F. for 1 1/2 hours.

Combine the brown sugar, mustard, vinegar and cloves. During the last half hour of baking, pour the mustard sauce over the Ham Loaf and continue baking until done.

Tangy Buttermilk Cheese Bread

1 1/8 cup buttermilk
3 cups bread flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar
3/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar (I used a 4-Cheese Mexican Blend)
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

Place ingredients in bread machine pan in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle. Once cycle is complete, shape the dough and place in a greased loaf pan. Allow to rise in a warm spot until doubled in size. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F. oven for about 30 to 35 minutes.

I served the Ham Loaf with a Salad and the Cheese Bread. I had a bit of a texture problem with the Ham Loaf (ground ham is just weird) and I got it a little too salty for our tastes, but I loved the Mustard Sauce and will use it again. I suspect the sauce would be great if used to glaze a real Ham and I may experiment with a ground pork based meatloaf (without the ham) using the sauce.

Red-Eye Gravy 4.9.09

We had breakfast for dinner tonight...a good, ole Southern, country-style breakfast in fact, consisting of Fried Ham, Scrambled Eggs, Grits with Red-Eye Gravy and hot, fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits.

I'm sure you already know how to scramble eggs (Jen, you're quite good at it!) so I'm going to tell you about the Ham and Red-Eye Gravy. Cut a nice ham steak (preferably one with a bit of fat) into serving size pieces. Melt a couple tablespoons of Crisco in an iron skillet -you cannot make Red-Eye Gravy in anything else and have it come out right- and fry the ham pieces until they've browned a bit and the ham has flavored the "drippings" (aka Grease. Yeah I know...it sounds really gross, but it tastes so good!). Remove the ham to a plate and keep it warm. Sprinkle 1/2 to 1 tsp sugar into the skillet and then pour in about 1 cup of strong coffee and stir to loosen the ham particles. Bring it to a boil and cook a few minutes to reduce it a bit, then add the ham back to the pan, turn the heat to low and just keep it warm till the rest of dinner is ready. Spoon the gravy over the grits to serve. It's also very tasty when you "sop" a biscuit in it. Yum!

For the grits, just follow the directions on the back of the package (add salt for God's sake!) or use Instant Grits, which taste just fine to me! I am one of those unfortunate people who's never gotten the hang of making biscuits from scratch but I highly recommend the FROZEN ones (NOT the ones in the dairy section that come in a can!) from Pillsbury - Buttermilk or Southern Style. They are a very good substitute for Granny's home-made biscuits. Just follow the instructions on the package to bake them for the minimum amount of time.