Hamming up leftovers

"THE DEFINITION OF eternity is two people and a ham," says the old witticism. For many cooks, eternity is now, as they contemplate the leftover holiday ham that has taken up residence in their refrigerators.

But leftover ham can be a reason to rejoice, not something to dread. For one thing, it will keep for months in the freezer. And ham adds flavor to any dish, serving as the basis for numerous soups and casseroles, a stuffing for omelets and sandwiches, and a flavorful extra in salads and appetizers.

In their new book, "Ham: An Obsession With the Hindquarter" (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2010), authors Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough dedicate a chapter to "glorious leftovers." When they cook a ham for dinner, they "conceptualize a set of recipes for the inevitable leftovers."

One recipe worth thinking about is their Mac and Ham and Cheese, which the authors describe as a "crazy, over-the-top rendition of the classic."

Over-the-top for sure.

The recipe calls for 12 ounces of Gruyere cheese, which is delicious, but hardly budget-friendly. It also calls for mango chutney, which sells for about $5 or $6 per jar. Because the recipe only called for one tablespoon, you can leave it out and the dish will still be as rich and creamy as your fave version - but with extra flavor thanks to the ham and Gruyere.

The addition of frozen artichoke hearts also makes this comfort food casserole fancy enough for company.

For a more economical version, opt for white Cheddar cheese or a combination of sharp Swiss and aged Cheddar instead of the Gruyere.

Kristin Clemmer, marketing director for Sugardale Foods, an Ohio-based smoked- and processed-meat supplier, said many cooks purposely purchase larger hams than they need because they want leftovers. She noted ham's versatility - from its use in the classic bean soup to its substitute for chicken in dishes like fried rice or quesadillas.

Sugardale's most popular ham in Northeast Ohio is the whole, semiboneless variety, a wet-cured ham with one of its bones still intact and one removed. The remaining bone adds flavor, but the removal of the other makes for easier slicing, Clemmer said.

The leftover bone is great for soups, but Clemmer said Sugardale has developed a slow cooker bean soup recipe that requires only ham, so cooks who purchased a boneless ham can still make it with their leftover meat.

If despite all this you still want to avoid ham leftovers, make sure you aren't buying too much. The standard recommendation is six ounces per guest, but Clemmer said that at the holidays, "people typically eat more than that." She said a good rule of thumb is one pound of bone-in ham for every two guests, or roughly eight ounces per person. Boneless hams will provide a few more servings.

Leftover ham will keep in the freezer for three to four months. It is safe to eat if it has been frozen longer than four months, but the flavor and texture will begin to show signs of age, Clemmer said.

Try out these recipes for using up leftover ham and you may be surprised by how quickly your eternity passes.