When I was a teenager I worked for a large supermarket called Woodys Supermarket. It was a wonderful place to work especially at holiday time. This was the popular place to be. Not only did everyone in the area shop here, but sometimes people drove from 100 miles away to do so.
Woody was a man way beyond his time. There was the best food people had ever seen in this area at his first stand, which was very small. Soon he built a building to house his produce and from this he started adding more items. Locals began doing their weekly shopping at his store. In the end, Woody’s Supermarket had a pharmacy, a meat department, a bakery, and a delicatessen (where the best canned ham recipe was kept). He then began adding on to make an upstairs. In the end, the store had about every kind of food you can think of, as well as a meat department like no other, a great bakery, deli, pharmacy, and total drug store.
Woody made things even better by adding a restaurant and a book store on the second floor. You could watch the cake decorators at work. From the second floor, you could walk across the highway and take an elevator down to a parking lot and a huge party supply store called Little Farm. There, you could buy soda, alcohol, chips, and snacks for parties. The store was open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. On top of all this Woody designed beautiful fountains throughout the store. Oh, I forgot to say that we didn’t have doors. The air kept the heat and cold out in the summer and winter. What a place!.
As I said, Woody was a man way beyond his years. No one had ever seen a business like this before, and I haven’t seen anything like it anywhere else until today. I worked the checkout like many others (I remember about 12 to 14 checkouts). While we sold many things, the honey baked ham recipe is the one that stands out in my mind the most. A lot of people, including my family, bought these canned hams, which is why I learned how to make a recipe for canned ham. Who would think?.
This canned ham recipe was sold in the delicatessen in either 5 pounds or 10 pounds. They smelled so good coming through the checkouts. If you walked by the delicatessen, you could see them coming down the food elevator all the time to sell. They were beautiful decorated with sliced pineapple and red maraschino cherries on the top. Believe me the taste was even more delicious than the aroma and appearance.
Canned ham can be an affordable and convenient staple to keep your pantry stocked. But you may get stuck in a rut using it the same old ways. From soups and salads to casseroles and appetizers, there are so many delicious ways to cook with canned ham! Here are 25 creative recipes to inspire you to use this versatile ingredient in meals any day of the week.
Classic Simple Recipes Featuring Canned Ham
Canned ham shines in these easy everyday favorites
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Ham sandwiches – Stack sliced canned ham between bread or buns with cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo.
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Ham and cheese omelet – Dice some canned ham and add it to an omelet along with cheddar or Swiss cheese.
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Ham salad – Chop canned ham and mix with mayonnaise, mustard, diced celery, onions and herbs for a hearty sandwich filling.
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Ham fried rice – Stir bites of canned ham into leftover rice sautéed with soy sauce, veggies and eggs.
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Pasta with ham – Toss cubes of canned ham into macaroni and cheese or alfredo, marinara and pesto pasta.
Elevated Canned Ham Appetizers and Snacks
Use canned ham in these easy yet elegant starters:
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Ham rolls – Spread a mix of cream cheese and herbs on tortillas, top with canned ham and pickled vegetables and roll up.
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Deviled ham – Spice up canned ham spreads by mixing in mustard, hot sauce, onions and spices. Serve with crackers or veggies.
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Ham pinwheels – Spread canned ham with a cream cheese mixture, then tightly roll up deli ham slices. Chill before slicing into pinwheels.
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Ham crostini – Top toasted baguette slices with diced canned ham, fig jam, bleu cheese crumbles and fresh rosemary.
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Ham and cheese balls – Mix canned ham with cream cheese, onions and spices then roll into balls. Coat in chopped pecans or nuts for crunch.
Savory Soups and Stews Featuring Canned Ham
Add canned ham to these warming one-pot meals:
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Split pea and ham soup – Simmer split peas with canned ham, carrots, onions and seasonings. Finish with a splash of vinegar.
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Navy bean and ham soup – Sauté canned ham with aromatics then add navy beans and stock. Simmer until creamy.
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Ham and potato soup – Make a creamy base with potatoes and milk then stir in canned ham, onions, celery and thyme.
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Ham and lentil stew – Brown canned ham with vegetables then add lentils and chicken broth. Simmer until lentils are tender.
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Ham and cabbage soup – Sauté cabbage and onion, add diced canned ham, chicken stock, tomatoes and beans. Season with caraway.
Tasty Casserole Recipes with Canned Ham
Bake canned ham into these comfort food casseroles:
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Ham and rice casserole – Combine canned ham, cooked rice, cream of mushroom soup, cheese and vegetables in a casserole dish and bake.
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Ham and noodle bake – Toss canned ham with egg noodles, cheddar cheese, milk, mustard and breadcrumbs then bake until hot and bubbly.
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Ham and broccoli mac and cheese – Fold canned ham and steamed broccoli into cheesy homemade macaroni and cheese. Top with panko crumbs.
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Ham and potato gratin – Layer canned ham, sliced potatoes, onion and white cheese sauce in a baking dish. Bake covered then uncovered until browned.
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Green bean ham casserole – The classic! Mix canned green beans, cream of mushroom soup, canned fried onions and canned ham and bake.
Easy Canned Ham Skillet Dinners
Whip up quick stovetop meals featuring canned ham:
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Ham fried rice – Fry rice with peas, carrots, eggs and cubes of canned ham for an easy skillet dinner.
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Ham and veggie stir-fry – Sauté canned ham with fresh vegetables like snap peas, bell peppers and water chestnuts in a teriyaki or oyster sauce.
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Ham skillet with potatoes – Cook canned ham with cubed potatoes, bell pepper, onion and spinach for a hearty one-pan meal.
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Ham pineapple stir-fry – Simmer canned pineapple chunks in soy sauce then add to stir-fry with canned ham and vegetables.
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Ham tomato skillet – Sauté canned ham, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach in olive oil and finish with Parmesan cheese.
Elegant Canned Ham Dinner Entrees
Make canned ham the star in these dinner masterpieces:
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Ham Wellington – Wrap canned ham in puff pastry with mushroom duxelle and bake for an impressive entrée.
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Brown sugar baked ham – Cover canned ham in an easy brown sugar glaze with cloves, mustard and pineapple juice and bake until caramelized.
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Ham stuffed peppers – Stuff bell peppers with canned ham, rice, tomatoes, onions and cheese then bake until peppers are tender.
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Creamy ham pasta – Toss canned ham with linguine or fettuccine in a rich Parmesan cream sauce for a restaurant-worthy dinner.
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Ham stuffed chicken – Pound chicken breasts flat, fill with a mix of canned ham, cream cheese, herbs and roll up. Bake until chicken is cooked through.
With these creative ideas, you’ll never get bored with canned ham again! It’s endlessly versatile in sandwiches, rolls, bakes, skewers, skillets and more. Keep your pantry stocked so you always have canned ham on hand for quick, budget-friendly meals any night of the week.
HAM FRIED RICE RECIPE
- 1 1/3 Cups long grain rice
- 2 Cups water
- 1 Teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 2 Beaten eggs
- ¼ Cup vegetable oil
- 4 Ounces fresh green beans cut in 1 inch pieces
- 12 Ounces canned ham diced
- ½ Teaspoon black pepper
- 4 Scallions
- 6 Average mushrooms
Soak rice in cold water 30 minutes; drain.
Put rice in a saucepan; add the 2 cups water and salt.
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and let it cook until the rice is soft and the water is gone.
Remove rice from heat; melt butter in a large skillet.
Add the eggs and cook until the bottom is set. Stir the eggs and cook for another two to three minutes.
Remove eggs from heat and transfer to a bowl breaking them up with a fork; set aside.
Add oil to skillet and heat over moderate high; add cooked rice, ham, beans and pepper.
Cook mixture 2 minutes stirring constantly; reduce heat to low and add scallions, eggs and mushrooms.
Cook 2 minutes stirring constantly or until mixture is very hot; serve immediately.
BAKED CANNED HAM RECIPE with cherry sauce
- 5 to 7 Pound canned ham
- Cherry sauce
Preheat oven to 325F degrees.
Remove ham from can and place on rack in an open roasting pan.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes per pound or about 1 ½ hours.
Shortly before ham is done, prepare cherry sauce.
Spoon some of the sauce over the ham on a serving platter.
Serve remaining sauce in a small dish with the ham.
Cherry Sauce:
- 1 Can (20 ounces) sour cherries
- ¾ Cup orange juice
- ¼ cup of ham drippings
- 3 Tablespoons flour
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 2 Teaspoons grated orange peel
- 5 Cloves if desired
- ¼ Teaspoon red food coloring if desired
Drain cherries reserving juice; add cherry juice and orange juice to ham drippings.
Sprinkle flour over liquid; stir in.
Add sugar, orange peel and cloves; mix well.
Bring mixture to a boil stirring constantly; simmer 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in cherries and food coloring.
- 1 Canned ham
- 2 Cups water
- ½ Cup honey
- 1 Can (6 ounces) frozen orange juice concentrate
Preheat oven to 325F degrees.
Place ham in roasting pan; combine remaining ingredients and coat ham.
Bake in oven until inserted meat thermometer reaches 150F degrees basting every 15 minutes.
About 1 ½ to 2 hours baking.
Lay a piece of foil over ham if edges start to burn.
This is a very tasty canned ham recipe.
- 1 Canned ham
- ½ Cup ginger ale
- ½ Cup orange juice
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon salad oil
- 1 ½ Teaspoons wine vinegar
- 1 Teaspoon dry mustard
- ¼ Teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 Teaspoon ground cloves
Slice ham in 1 inch thick slices; place slices in shallow dish.
Combine and blend remaining ingredients and pour over slices.
Refrigerate several hours (or overnight) spooning marinade over the top several times.
Cook slices over low coals about 15 minutes on each side brushing frequently.
This canned ham recipe can be used as an appetizer recipe.
- 3 Pounds ground canned ham
- 2 Pounds lean ground pork
- 4 to 5 Eggs
- 2 Cups cornflakes crushed
- 2 Cups milk
RAISIN SAUCE FOR HAM LOAVES
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ Cup cold water
- 1 Can (6 ounces) frozen orange juice thawed
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon dry mustard
- 2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 ½ Cups golden raisins
Mix ham, pork, eggs, cornflakes and milk; shape into small loaves using about ½ cup of mixture.
Bake uncovered on greased baking sheet for 30 minutes.
To make sauce dissolve cornstarch in cold water in a saucepan; add remaining ingredients to saucepan.
Bring mixture to a boil and cook for several minutes.
Baste ham loaves with raisin sauce; REDUCE HEAT to 300F degrees; bake 30 additional minutes.
NOTE: You can make a loaf for the whole family. Bake it at 300 degrees for 1˽ to 2 hours, basting it every now and then.
Canned Ham Review – How To Use Canned Ham Long Term Food Storage
What can you do with canned ham?
Here are some creative ideas to make the most out of your canned ham: Canned Ham and Cheese Omelet: Add diced canned ham and shredded cheese to beaten eggs before cooking for a protein-packed breakfast. Canned Ham Fried Rice: Stir fry cooked rice, canned ham, peas, carrots, onions, garlic, soy sauce, and scrambled eggs for a quick and easy meal.
Is honey baked ham as good as regular ham?
The addition of honey will affect the calorie content of the food. One tablespoon of honey contributes to approximately 64 calories. In addition, the use of heat when making baked ham will reduce the quality of the honey.
Is canned ham a good option?
For instance, Principe and Fontanini offer high-quality canned ham options that are popular in Europe but may be harder to find in the US. Some people prefer to make their own canned ham at home using fresh ingredients. In conclusion, canned ham is a convenient ingredient for quick and easy recipes.
What is a canned ham?
Canned ham is boneless cured ham that has been cut or formed to fit into a can. It is then placed in the can and vacuum sealed. Before sealing, a small amount of unflavored gelatin may also be placed in the can. This will absorb the natural juices of the ham. After being sealed inside the can, the ham is fully cooked. Is Canned Ham Healthy?