Got ham? Here are fast and easy ideas
It’s always a good idea to be economical when it comes to food, whether there’s a recession on or not. If we need payday cash advance loans to help put food on the table, we know that adjustments are needed.
Mary Lawrence of The Saginaw News brings us some good advice for leftover ham recipes, which is timely considering that many American families share the tradition of a ham dinner for Easter. Thankfully, ham leftovers are a great resource for producing meals like ham casserole, ham soup, split pea or bean soup, ham salad, and more for some time after the original meal. It’s as versatile as you need to be when feeding a family during a recession.
Truly a miracle food, this ham
How long does ham last? Three or four days in the refrigerator, says the National Pork Board. They don’t advise freezing large pieces of ham, because it makes the texture unpalatable. If you must freeze, slices or cubes are the way to go. They work great in soups and casseroles at that size, anyway, so no worries.
Soups, croquettes, frittatas and pasta dishes are all great options. But how about a nice ham sandwich. Here, via the Associated Press, is a recipe Lawrence uncovered: a ham and cheese with sliced pears and mango chutney inside a gently toasted and pressed panini. Sounds good enough to me…
HAM PANINI WITH SMOKED GRUYERE AND PEAR
4 tablespoons mango chutney
4 focaccia or bulky rolls, split
2 large chard leaves, stems discarded
4 thick slices ham, cut to roughly the size of the rolls
1 pear, cored and thinly sliced
4 thick slices (about 1 ounce each) smoked gruyere cheese
Olive oil cooking spray
To assemble the sandwiches, slather 1 tablespoon of the chutney over the cut side of the bottom of each roll. Top each with 1 chard leaf, torn or folded as needed to fit well on the roll. Top each with a slice of ham, several slices of pear and 1 slice of cheese.
Top each panini with the second half of the roll, then spritz the bottom and top of the sandwich with olive oil cooking spray.
Heat a grill pan coated with cooking spray over medium. Heat a dry second, heavier pan (such as a cast-iron skillet) on high.
Add the panini, in batches if necessary, to the grill pan. Place the second pan over the panini and hold it in place, pressing gently on the sandwich. Grill for 5 minutes, or until the sandwich is lightly browned on the bottom.
Remove the weight, flip the sandwiches, weigh down again and grill for another 5 minutes. Makes 4 servings. Start to finish: 10 minutes.
Related Video:
Just like Christmas goose and Thanksgiving turkey – Easter ham leftovers are a tradition. Sandwiches the day after are the best! The interesting thing is that rabbit used to be the traditional meal for Easter, hence why we have the Easter bunny, except the it used to be that the easter bunny used to be dinner!