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Ham & Pineapple Casserole

February 24, 2011 By Kate 6 Comments

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I have fond memories of a pineapple & Ritz cracker casserole that my mom made a few times when I was growing up. I’m not sure what it was about that dish that has stuck in my mind because it wasn’t a frequently made item nor was it a special occasion item. But yet there was something about it. It’s been a taste I’ve remembered for years.

Finally, I decided to track down that recipe and see if I could recreate that taste. It was a hit and I absolutely felt like a kid again while eating it. After getting my fill of that recipe just the way it was, I decided it was finally time to start playing around with it. Since we all like the combination of ham and pineapple in our house, it seemed like a pretty obvious choice to add some ham to the basic recipe and create a main dish. I made a few little changes to the core recipe to adjust for the ham addition and it turned out great.

Ham & Pineapple Casserole

  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • 1/4 c. flour
  • 1 1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 20 oz. can pineapple tidbits, drained
  • 1 1/2 t. Dijon mustard
  • 2 c. cubed ham or 1 lb. sliced ham
  • 1 c. cracker crumbs (I’ve successfully used all kinds. Club crackers were used in the picture above)
  • 1/3 c. butter, melted

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cheese, pineapple tidbits and Dijon mustard.

2. Grease an 8×8 or 9×9 casserole dish. Spoon half the pineapple mixture into the dish. Add the ham and cover with remaining pineapple. Stir together cracker crumbs and butter and sprinkle on top of casserole dish.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.

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Ham & Potato Frittata

December 29, 2010 By Kate 2 Comments

We buy a big ham twice a year without fail – for Christmas and for Easter. My husband could honestly eat a platter of ham and nothing else as a meal. For that matter, the kids probably could too. So needless to say, I always buy a ham that is a lot bigger than what I think we will actually need. And every time I end up with fewer leftovers than I had thought we’d have.

So far I’ve made two meals with our leftover ham. I have enough left for probably one more meal. Then I’ll use the remaining meat and the bone to make a big pot of soup. It would be nice if I had more ham to bag up and freeze for future meals, but I guess I should be happy with the leftovers I do have.

Tonight’s dinner was this Ham & Potato Frittata. It was a huge hit with everyone. Part of that might have been because it worked perfectly with ketchup and my family is ketchup lovers! (Seriously, I caught my son licking the ketchup cap and one of the girls eating her ketchup straight up.) Although I ate mine without any ketchup and I still thought it was very tasty. The crispy, cheesy texture was great too.

Ham & Potato Frittata

  • 1 onion
  • 1 green pepper
  • 3 T. oil
  • 3 potatoes
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 – 3 c. cubed ham (from leftovers or packaged cubed ham)
  • 2 c. shredded cheese
  • 5 eggs
  • 1 1/2 c. milk
  • 1/2 t. garlic powder
  • 1/2 t. salt
  • 1/2 t. pepper
  • 1/4 t. cumin

Dice onion and green pepper. Refrigerate until using.

Heat oil in a large, oven-proof skillet. While oil heats, peel and dice the potatoes. Add the potatoes, onion and green pepper to the skillet. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently until the potatoes are tender and starting to brown. Refrigerate until using.

+ 25-30 minutes bake time  Layer ham and cheese on top of the potatoes. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and remaining seasonings. Pour into the skillet. Place in the oven at 350 degrees and bake for 25-30 minutes, until set. Cut into wedges to serve.

If you do not have an ovenproof skillet, you can prepare this in a casserole dish instead, although you’ll lose some of that crispy texture. Also, if you’re in a big hurry, you can use a bag of O’Brien potatoes in place of the potatoes, onion and green pepper.

If you are in need of some other leftover ham recipes, I compiled a post of my favorite ways to use those leftovers earlier this year. Here is some leftover ham inspiration.

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Summer Spaghetti with Ham

July 28, 2010 By Kate 1 Comment

Have you picked up your copy of Better Breakfast – 110 Breakfast Recipes yet? Don’t forget, the sales price of $3.97 ends Thursday. Order yours today!

Yesterday, one of our new neighbors invited the kids to forage through his garden. So my husband took them over and while the adults chatted, four little kiddos filled their plastic grocery bags with some wonderfully good garden bounty. What a treat for them, and for me! We are now even more excited for starting the prep work on our own garden for next summer when we head into fall.

Needless to say, my refrigerator and countertops were overflowing with fresh veggies just begging to be eaten. I figured an easy pasta skillet dinner would be a great way to enjoy the vegetables quickly and without heating up the kitchen too much. Toss in some ham and a light, summery sauce and dinner was all set. Delicious!

Summer Spaghetti with Ham

  • 1 T. olive oil
  • 1 T. butter
  • 1 green pepper, diced
  • 2 small zucchini, quartered and sliced
  • 2 ears corn, shucked and corn removed (or about 1 1/2 c. frozen corn)
  • 1 c. frozen peas
  • 1 8 oz. package diced ham
  • 1/2 c. chicken stock or white wine
  • 1/4 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 t. thyme
  • 1/2 t. black pepper
  • 1/2 t. salt
  • 1/8 t. nutmeg
  • 1 c. milk
  • 12 grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 1/2 c. Italian blend shredded cheese, plus more for garnish, if desired
  • 1/2 lb. thin spaghetti, vermicelli or angel hair, cooked and drained

1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet.Add green peppers and cook for 2 minutes. Add remaining veggies, except tomatoes, and ham. Cook for about 5 minutes, until veggies are crisp tender.

2. Stir in chicken stock or wine, lemon juice and seasonings. Combine well.

3. Add milk and bring to a slow boil for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, just until the sauce begins to thicken up a bit. (It should just cover the back of a spoon without running off.)

4. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in tomatoes and cheese. Add pasta and toss to coat well. Garnish with additional shredded cheese, if desired.

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