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Alanna Kellogg is the second-generation author of Kitchen Parade, a food and recipe column that features seasonal recipes for every-day healthful eat...
 
 
 
 

Five Ways to Use a Leftover Ham Bone

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[Editor's Note: If you have a Christmas ham bone (or a Boxing Day ham bone, for that matter!), you have a fantastic secret ingredient in your pantry. Here are some great ways to make use of it in the wake of a fantastic holiday dinner. We wanted to bring this post back from our archives because it's such a gem! --Genie]

So you're going to save that Christmas ham bone, right? (Wait, you did get a bone-in ham, right? Right?? If not, next time, okay?) Whatever you do with the meat, once you're down to the bone, it's time to get out your biggest pot. We're gonnna cook and a ham bone, well, it's 100% flavor and it's 100% free.

ham bone

Image: Clemson via Flickr

80 Breakfasts ~ Ham Stock "If I could have just one stock in my freezer it would be ham stock. In the face of storm, famine, emergency in-law dinners, or a surprise horde of hungry soccer-buddies, this is the stuff I would like to call on to make magic with plain pantry staples."

Andrea's Recipes ~ Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup with Five Peppers & Ham "Everything is damp and the chill in the air makes for perfect soup weather, especially if it’s a little spicy like this one I warmed up for lunch. It tastes great with a slice of cornbread on the side or crumbled in the bowl, and makes me feel all warm inside. "

Farmgirl Fare ~ Garlic Lovers' White Bean Soup "But winter is when dried beans truly come into their own, and there are two reasons for this: temperature and time. If you are stuck indoors during a blizzard, the obvious thing to do is cook, and the obvious thing to cook is something that will simmer on its own for hours, fill the house with warmth and a heavenly aroma while it is simmering, and ultimately taste delicious. This thing is white bean soup."

From Whence the Sweet Bird Sang ~ Ham & Greens "As I was tasting them right before serving I think I had a little mouth orgasm. Oh yeah, that's right. They're that friggin' good. If you have a ham bone, make these."

Nola Cuisine ~ Monday Red Beans & Rice Recipe with Pickle Meat and Fried Pork Chops

And you? And you, what's your favorite thing to do with a ham bone? Leave a recipe or a link to a recipe in the comments! BlogHer food editor Alanna Kellogg bought a Christmas ham just for the bone. She plans to make Scandinavian Pea Soup.

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Shannon LC Cate 14 pts

Split pea soup, split pea soup, split pea soup, soup with split peas and split pea soup.

YUM.

texasebeth 39 pts

I don't like bean soups of any kind but I am going to make ham stock from our ham bone. I hadn't thought of that before! Silly me. It is just a regular old ham bone but still ham stock sounds yummy.

Genie Gratto 21 pts

texasebeth I've never made ham stock either, believe it or not, but may actually buy a bone-in ham just for the purposes of making one! It does sound delicious and versatile.

Marianne at MealMixer 5 pts

My son would never forgive me if a huge pot of split pea soup did not closely follow a ham dinner.  A boneless ham to me is a wasted opportunity!

Genie Gratto 21 pts

Marianne at MealMixer I like your philosophy! And oh wow...my mouth is watering at the thought of homemade split pea soup right now.

MrsWsKitchen 5 pts

Oh, yeah.  No question about it.

I'll make stock, too.  There's lots of bone to go around.  There's nothing like good chicken-escarole soup with some ham stock added--yummmmm!

Amanda
Mrs.W's Kitchen ( http://mrswskitchen.blogspot.com )

Genie Gratto 21 pts

MrsWsKitchen Ooh -- that sounds amazing!

Conversation from Facebook

Melba Ellis
Melba Ellis

I make ham bone vegetable soup. Any vegetables in the house, tomatoes and tomato or V8 juice for the stock and add vegetables when ham bone has seasoned juice enough. Can thicken with instant potatoes.

Carolyn Stephens
Carolyn Stephens

I will put the bone in a large slow cooker with 8 cups of water and let it cook all day. Then I'll have delicious ham stock for making red beans and rice. Yum!

Max Anton Franks
Max Anton Franks

Make pinto beans!!!

Michelle Tinsley
Michelle Tinsley

I will be adding mine to a pot of cabbage, like any good Irish girl would ;-)

Rebecca Snyder
Rebecca Snyder

Can't stand peas so I'll boil the bone down & make green beans & ham.

Karen Bove
Karen Bove

My ham bone is destined for a pot of Navy Bean Soup.

Marty Coleman
Marty Coleman

I know one thing I am NOT doing with the bone - giving it to my dog. Did that last year and after $350.00 worth of vet bills decided it was a bad idea. Dogs can't deal with ham bones turns out.

Pam Mather Kocke
Pam Mather Kocke

Black or red beans!

Georgeanne Hatch Stafford
Georgeanne Hatch Stafford

Yes! Bean soup is in our future.

Grace Hwang Lynch
Grace Hwang Lynch

You bet! I'm freezing mine for red beans and rice after the holidays.

Christina Castellon
Christina Castellon

Yes we are! Will add it to the beans!

Paulette Blanding-Freeman
Paulette Blanding-Freeman

Usually we make pea soup, but this year our ham didn't have a bone.

Tamara Burleigh
Tamara Burleigh

Split pea soup.

Alison McKee
Alison McKee

We *are* having ham, and my husband makes THE best pea soup, bar none, once we get to that point. LOVE it.