If you have leftover ham after Easter, I have your back this week with recipes to help you use it up.
This first one sounds very interesting to me. I have had ham biscuits but not like this where the ham is chopped up in the dough. Cayenne pepper is often added to dishes with cheese. Add more if you like a kick in your food.
Ham and Cheddar Biscuits
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 2 tbsp baking powder 1-1/2 tsp granulated sugar 1 tsp table salt 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 2 sticks very cold, unsalted butter, grated on the large holes of a grater 8 oz smoked ham, chopped into 1/4 inch cubes (about 1-1/2 cups) 4 scallions (white and green parts), finely chopped 2 cups grated cheddar cheese, grated on the large holes of a grater 1 cup buttermilk, plus more as needed 3 tbsp butter, melted Crank the oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick Silpat pad.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cayenne.
Using a fork, stir the grated butter into the flour mixture.
Stir in the ham, scallions, and cheese.
Pour in the buttermilk and gently fold it in the flour mixture until evenly moistened. If the dough has dry spots, drizzle in a little additional buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough is moist but not wet. Don’t overwork the dough.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gingerly pat the dough into an 8-by-10-inch rectangle about 3/4 inch thick.
Dip a 3-inch biscuit cutter into flour and cut as many biscuits as you can from the dough, pressing straight down with the cutter each time. (Don’t twist while cutting or the biscuits won’t rise evenly.)
Gently press together the scraps and cut more biscuits, repeating until all the dough is used.
Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet and bake, turning the pan halfway through, until light golden brown, 15 to 25 minutes.
Transfer the biscuits to a wire rack and immediately brush the tops with the melted butter.
—kwc— This recipe combines the leftover ham with fresh spring asparagus.
Ham and Asparagus
Strata
1 loaf rustic Italian or French bread, cut into 1-1/2inch cubes, about 8 cups total of bread cubes 4 large eggs 1-3/4 cups milk 1-1/4 cups cream 1 tsp dried tarragon or thyme 1 tsp kosher salt 1/4 tsp freshly-ground black pepper Kosher salt (for blanching water) 1 pound asparagus spears, woody ends removed, spears cut into 3/4-inch pieces 1 medium bowl ice water 2 tbsp softened butter (for buttering the dish) 2 cups ham, cut into 1/4inch cubes 1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated Preheat oven to 350. Spread the cubed bread over a baking dish or sheet pan in a single layer. Place in oven and bake until lightly toasted, about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove and set aside. Lower the oven temperature to 350.
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, cream, tarragon, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil (1-1/2 teaspoons of salt). Add the cut asparagus to the boiling water. Return to a boil and blanch the asparagus for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the asparagus to a bowl of ice water to shock the asparagus and stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.
Spread butter over the inside of a 9x13 casserole dish. Spread half of the bread cubes over the bottom of the casserole dish. Sprinkle half of the ham cubes over the bread. Sprinkle half of the asparagus over the ham. Sprinkle everything with half of the Gruyere cheese. Pour half of the milk and egg mixture over everything.
Add another layer of cubed bread, ham, asparagus, Gruyere, and milk egg mixture. Press down on the mixture with your (clean) hands to help the bread soak up more of the milk mixture. At this point you can make up to a day ahead, cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.
Cover with aluminum foil and place in the 350°F oven for 40 minutes. Remove the foil. Bake uncovered for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, until the egg mixture is set. Test by inserting a sharp knife into the center of the casserole. If the inside is still runny, it's not cooked through yet and needs more time in the oven. If the top starts to get too browned, you can cover again with aluminum foil. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
—kwc— Here's an easy way to use ham up for breakfast.
Easy Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole Nonstick cooking spray 2 cups milk 8 large eggs 1/2 teaspoon salt 8 cups cubed bread 4 ounces diced country ham 1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with nonstick spray.
Whisk eggs, milk and salt together in a bowl.
Place about 3/4 of the bread cubes into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with ham and 1 cup Cheddar cheese. Carefully pour egg mixture over top. Add remaining bread cubes and gently press all over to submerge into the liquid. Once all of the bread is coated by the egg mixture, sprinkle remaining Cheddar cheese over the top.
Bake in the preheated oven until light golden brown and set in the middle, about 40 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
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