ham and leek pasta

ham and leek pasta - this was awesome...i added chopped spinach to the cooking pancetta to add just a little more veggies.


- 12 ounces pasta (I used bowtie)
- 3 ounces chopped pancetta (I used half a pack of thick sliced bacon because that's what Walmart had)
- 3 whole leeks (mine were huge, as I was cutting them, it looked like a lot, but they cook down a lot and I wouldn't have used less - also, make sure you rinse them well; I put the sliced leeks in a bowl of cold water and swished them around for a bit, then scooped them out of the water with a slotted spoon)
- 1-2 tablespoons of butter
- 1/2 cup chicken broth (substituted for dry white wine, though... I may try it again)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- salt and pepper, to taste (didn't even realize this was in the recipe, so I didn't use any)
- Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta and set aside. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.

Saute chopped pancetta until fat is rendered and it starts to brown. Add thinly sliced leeks and cook for 8 minutes (add butter somewhere in these 8 minutes, after bacon is browned). Pour in chicken broth, then cook an additional 1-2 minutes, until reduced. Reduce heat to low, then pour in cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in Parmesan shavings. Toss in pasta, adding a little pasta water to thin as needed. Serve with Parmesan shavings over the top—delicious!

Ham and Penne Milano

Ham and Penne Milano
TOH simple & delicious

Ingredients

• 1 package (16 ounces) penne pasta
• 2-2/3 cups frozen broccoli florets
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup 2% milk
• 1-1/2 pounds boneless fully cooked ham, julienned
• 1 jar (7-1/2 ounces) roasted sweet red peppers, drained and julienned
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Directions

• In a Dutch oven, cook pasta according to package directions, adding the broccoli during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute garlic in butter for 1 minute. Stir in flour until blended; gradually add chicken broth and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the ham, red peppers, cheese, walnuts and pepper.
• Drain pasta and broccoli. Add ham mixture; toss to coat. Yield: 8 servings.

Ham & Cheese Bowties

Ham & Cheese Bowties (allrecipes.com)
Ingredients

8 ounces farfalle (bow tie) pasta
1/4 cup butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
2 1/2 cups shredded Colby cheese
4 ounces cooked ham, julienned
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Saute garlic 30 seconds. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until smooth. Pour in milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil for 1 minute. Stir in mustard and Colby. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and stir in pasta and ham.
Pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbly and golden.

Slow Cooker Ham & Split Pea Soup

Slow Cooker Ham & Split Pea Soup

from Food.com

1 (16 ounce) package dried split peas, rinsed
2 cups ham, diced or 1 ham bone (meaty) or 2 ham hocks
1 cup carrot, diced
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
salt, to taste (may not need any)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 quarts hot water

1.  Layer ingredients in slow cooker in the order listed.  Pour in water. Do not stir!

2.  Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours or until peas are very soft and ham falls off bone.  Remove bones and bay leaf.  Serve!

From here.  

Ham and Cheese in Puff Pastry

Ham and Cheese in Puff Pastry

Ingredients:

1 package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted (recommended: Pepperidge Farm) 
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 
1/4 pound black forest ham, sliced 
1/2 pound Swiss Gruyere cheese, sliced 
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
 
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan.

Lay 1 sheet of puff pastry on a floured board and carefully roll it out to 10 by 12 inches. Place it on a sheet pan and brush the center with the mustard, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge. Place a layer first of ham and then cheese, also leaving a 1-inch border. Brush the border with the egg wash.

Place the second sheet of puff pastry on the floured board and roll it out to 10 by 12inches. Place the second sheet on top of the filled pastry, lining up the edges. Cut the edges straight with a small, sharp knife and press together lightly. Brush the top with egg wash and cut a few slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes and serve hot or warm.

From here.

Honey Dijon Pasta & Ham

Honey Dijon Pasta & Ham
Rachel~ burns-toast

Ingredients
8 ounces uncooked bow tie pasta (4 cups)
2 cups light sour cream
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
2 cups cooked ham, cubed
2 tablespoons green onions, finely chopped
1 (16 ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables, thawed (broccoli, carrots and cauliflower)

Directions
Cook the pasta as directed on package; drain.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine sour cream, mustard and honey; mix well. Set aside. In 12-inch nonstick skillet cook ham and green onion over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until ham is lightly browned (3-4 minutes). Add vegetables. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until veggies are crisp-tender (3-5 minutes).
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add cooked pasta and sour cream mixture; stir gently to coat. Cook until heated through (1-2 minutes).

Country Ham and Macaroni Casserole

Country Ham and Macaroni Casserole
Sandy~Bettyinthekitchen

1 lb country ham slices or regular smoked ham in one piece
1 large onion, diced
1 lb elbow macaroni
2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese (8 oz)
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) margarine, melted
1 cup dry plain bread crumbs

1. Heat oven to 400º.
2. Bring 4 quarts water and ham to boiling in large pot. Once water begins to boil, remove ham to a plate. Add onion and macaroni to pot. Return water to boiling; cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Coarsely chop ham, discarding any fat and bones.
4. Drain macaroni and onion and return to pot. Add ham, cheese, sour cream and soup. Scrape into a 13x9x2 baking dish. Pour melted margarine over top. Sprinkle with bread crumbs.
5. Bake in heated 400º oven 30 minutes or until heated through and top is golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Note: Prepare in two 8x8 casserole dishes, bake one and freeze one (unbaked) for another day.


Tommy's Ham Casserole

2 cups cubed or shredded ham
3 cups cooked macaroni
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream
of mushroom soup
1/2 (10.75 ounce) can milk
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2. In a casserole dish, combine the ham, macaroni, cheese, soup and milk. Mix together well.

3. Bake, covered, at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 20 minutes. Uncover, top with the bread crumbs, and bake, uncovered for 10 more minutes.

This was really good, but I did alter the recipe slightly. I sauteed a medium sized onion along with 1 clove of garlic and added that to the cheese sauce. The only change I made to the cheese sauce was to add 1 tsp of dry mustard powder. I cooked 4 cups of macaroni as suggested by other reviewers and I also added about 1-1.5 cups of diced leftover ham. Lastly, instead of breadcrumbs for the topping, I crushed up some Ritz crackers, mixed with some shredded cheddar cheese and dumped a few tablespoons of melted butter of the top; this is a fabulous topping that my mother uses when she makes mac & cheese. The dish turned out really, really good...but I think next time I make it, I will add 3 cups of macaroni only, DH and I would like the cheese sauce a little more moist, but this is only a personal preference. 


This was a pretty good way to help get rid of all our ham leftovers. I followed some previous suggestions and included a bag of frozen broccoli - this was a very good suggestion to round out the meal. We also included more milk as some previous posters suggested but when we make it again, I think I'll stick with the 1 cup like the recipe recommends (just too milky for our tastes). We did include more cheese, but we're cheese-lovers so we do that most of the time. I can see where the 1/4 cup of dijonaise mustard would add some extra kick. We might try that next time. Definitely a tasty way to re-do the ham, overall! I think this one is a keeper.