NORTHWOODS COOKS: Tasty recipes using leftover Easter ham

The traditional Easter meal is ham, which usually means some leftovers. Here are some tasty recipes from allrecipes.com that will soon make those leftovers disappear.

Ham Casserole

2 cups cubed or shredded ham

3 cups cooked macaroni

3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

10.75-oz. can condensed cream of mushroom soup

10.75-oz. can filled with milk

1/4 cup dried bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a casserole dish, combine ham, macaroni, cheese, soup and milk. Mix together well. Bake covered, at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover, top with bread crumbs, and bake uncovered for 10 more minutes

Hawaiian Pizza

(This recipe is from Women’s World magazine)

15- to 16-oz. package of refrigerated pizza dough at room temperature

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 cup pizza sauce

1-1/2 cups shredded pizza cheese blend (6 ounces)

4 oz. baked ham or deli ham thinly sliced and torn into pieces

8-oz. can of pineapple slices in juice, drained and quartered

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Grease a baking sheet. Roll out or stretch dough into a 14-by-10-inch oval. Transfer to a baking sheet and brush with oil. Bake for 8-10 minutes until starting to brown.

Spread crust with pizza sauce to within 1/2 inch of edge. Sprinkle with 3/4 inch cup cheese, ham and pineapple, then sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 12-15 minutes longer, until cheese is melted and crust is baked through.

Ham and Bean Soup

1 lb. dry great northern beans

8 cups water

1/2 tsp. salt

1 ham hock bone

1 cup chopped carrots

1/2 stalk celery, chopped

1 cup chopped onion

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. mustard powder

2 bay leaves

2 cups chopped ham

1/2 tsp. ground white or black pepper

Rinse beans, sorting out any broken or discolored ones. In a large pot over high heat, bring water to a boil. Add salt and beans and remove from heat. Let beans sit in the hot water for at least 60 minutes.

After the 60 minutes of soaking, return the pot to high heat and place the ham bone, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, mustard and bay leaves in the pot. Stir well, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 60 more minutes.

Remove ham bone and discard. Stir in the chopped ham and simmer for 30 more minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves. Season with ground white or black pepper to taste.

Ham Cakettes

1 cup finely chopped cooked ham

1-1/2 cups cold mashed potatoes

3 green onions, finely chopped

1 egg

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp. dried dill weed

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1-1/2 cups panko bread crumbs, divided

1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying, or as needed

Mix ham, mashed potatoes, green onions, egg, Dijon mustard, dill weed, salt, black pepper, and 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs together in a bowl until thoroughly combined. If mixture is too moist to hold together, mix in an additional 1/4 cup of crumbs.

Place remaining panko crumbs into a shallow bowl. Scoop about 1/3 cup of the mixture and form into a ball; slightly flatten into a patty. Press both sides of patty into the panko crumbs and tap off any loose crumbs. Repeat with remaining mixture.

Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat until very hot; pan-fry 2 or 3 patties at a time in the hot oil until golden brown on each side, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Ham and Egg Bake

cooking spray

12 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp. salt

1-3/4 cups chopped cooked ham

3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

3/4 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

3/4 cup sliced green onion

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Beat eggs, milk, sour cream, and salt together in a large bowl with wire whisk until well blended. Mix ham, bell peppers, mushrooms, and green onion into the egg mixture and pour it into the prepared baking dish.

Bake in preheated oven until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Add cheddar cheese and continue baking until cheese is melted, about 3 minutes.

Readers are invited to submit four to five of their favorite recipes to enjoy, along with a note about what makes them special. Send recipes to lskarpness@parkrapidsenterprise.com or by mail to the Park Rapids Enterprise, 203 Henrietta Ave. North, Park Rapids, MN 56470 and they may appear in a future issue.