Must Try Holiday Ham Recipes

This holiday ham recipes post is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Smithfield.Regardless of the amount of guests we plan on having over for the holidays, my family always prepares way too much food.  Too much food means lots of leftovers, which can be both a good thing and a bad thing.  It’s good if it all gets eaten, but bad if it goes to waste.  I’m not a huge fan of leftovers when it means eating the same meal back to back, so instead I try to get creative with what we have.

Ham and turkey are always our biggest leftovers.  The turkey is easy because down here in the south you just throw it into a pot of gumbo.  But ham?  That one gets a bit more challenging, but these must try holiday ham recipes won’t disappoint and definitely don’t lack in the creativity department!  If you have lots of leftovers after the holidays, you should give these recipes a try!
HAM & CHEESE SOUP

What You Need:
-1/4 cup milk
-2 tbs butter
-1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
-2 tbs all-purpose flour
– Leftover Smithfield Spiral Sliced Ham
-Dried parsley, to garnish
-1/2 cup chopped onion
-1 garlic clove, minced
-3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

What You Do:

In a Dutch oven or large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and carrot. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the flour until everything is coated and a roux is formed. Slowly whisk in the broth then bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the ham. Cook until heated through, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the milk and cheese until melted. Garnish with parsley before serving. *recipe sourceGNOCCHI WITH HICKORY HAM

What You Need:
-2 quarts water
-2 tbs butter
-2 tbs flour
-1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese
-1 1/2 fresh thyme, minced
-1 (16-oz) package frozen gnocchi
-2 tbsp shallots
-2 cups milk
-1/2 tsp black pepper
-2 cups leftover Smithfield Spiral Sliced Ham, diced

What You Do:

Bring water to a boil. Add gnocchi and cook for 5–8 minutes or until gnocchi floats to the top. Cook for an additional 3 minutes then drain. In a sauce pan over medium heat melt butter;, then slowly add flour and whisk until smooth. Slowly add milk, then whisk until smooth. Cook and stir over medium heat for 3–5 minutes or until thickened. Add gorgonzola cheese, black pepper, thyme and ham. Add drained gnocchi and mix to coat with sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve. *recipe source
All of these recipes featured are created with delicious Smithfield Signature Spiral Sliced Hams.  A lot of people don’t realize how easy ham is to prepare, but really all you need to do is pop it in the oven at 275 degrees for about 10 – 12 minutes per pound, then brush on the glaze and you’re done!

Not only is Smithfield Signature Spiral Sliced Ham easy to make, but it’s versatile and convenient!  A fun way to put holiday leftovers to use is to throw another get together!  You can get very creative with holiday leftovers by making appetizers.  The possibilities are endless.  These ham and brie crostini bites look like they would melt in your mouth.  You could also create an easy DIY bacon bar for a more hands on approach.  This site has everything you need to get your bacon bar started!  When in doubt, I don’t think you could go wrong with either!

Looking for more holiday ham recipes?  Give one of these a try!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Smithfield.