If you had a large Easter dinner this weekend, chances are great you’ve still got a lot ham! We did not, actually, but I’ll be taking advantage of the ham sales still going on to buy one anyway. We’ll have a ham dinner one night, then enjoy a variety of leftovers for every meal. Investment cooking is one of the greatest ways to save money on your groceries. A whole ham, turkey or chicken is more cost effective than smaller cuts, and you can cook several different recipes from a single purchase.

Ham for Breakfast:

The girls enjoyed breakfast this morning. I joked that it was time for our annual day-after-Easter ham & cheese omelets. Chop up a bit of ham (this will go further than you think—it doesn’t take much!) to cook in eggs (uh, green eggs, anyone?). You can add peppers or cheese too. We’ve even made several of these for the freezer—wrap in wax paper before storing. This will act as a steamer when you microwave them later! A breakfast casserole is another good option—play with your favorite combination of potatoes, egg, chopped ham, peppers & cheese.

Ham for Lunch:

I’m partial to ham salad, but I also love fried ham—both on its own or as a sandwich. Your sandwich can go beyond the traditional ham & cheese, though we’ll have those too! Try a tasty grilled ham & cheese sandwich. Mix minced garlic with a little butter and spread on the outside of 2 slices of bread. Layer your sandwich with ham and cheese (cheddar, American, pepperjack—the possibilities are endless!), then cook over medium heat until toasted on both sides. Yum!lunch

Ham for Dinner:

I’ve turned my dad’s famous cheesy potatoes into a whole meal. He boils cubed potatoes for 10 minutes, then adds a cheese sauce made by 1 pound of Velveeta (I know, I know—but it’s so good!) with a cup of milk before baking at 350 for 45 minutes. For our post-Easter version, I add chopped ham & veggies. We’ve tried broccoli, corn, cauliflower & peppers so far. Stacia prefers just the potatoes & ham, but doesn’t seem to notice that she’s eating a vegetable when I add cauliflower. Experiment a little to see what you like! (This also freezes really well.)

How are you planning to use your leftover ham?