We’re professionals at expecting the unexpected here at Delish, particularly when it comes to big dinner-centric holidays (ahem, Christmas and Easter). It’s become one of our main party tricks! We’ve gotten used to extra guests and forgetting some ingredients, but there is something we never quite expect—just how much leftover food (namely, ham!) we end up with. We’ve gotten creative with giving them a serious glow-up into plenty of casseroles, sandwiches, soups, and more. If you can relate and are feeling overwhelmed with extra ham this year, check out our 60 favorite recipes that’ll give your leftovers new life.

Many of these recipes call for deli sliced ham, which you can easily swap for whatever leftovers you have. Slice it as thinly as you can, then enjoy the added texture and flavor you’ll never get from the deli. Have overnight guests after the big holiday meal? Combine leftover ham with eggs or potatoes and turn it into our crowd-pleasing ham & cheese quiche, Monte Cristo rolls, or Croque Monsieur breakfast casserole that are sure to make everyone happy. For lunch, you can make all the variations on classic ham sandwiches, of course—top it with a fried egg and you’ve got a delicious Croque Madame that can be enjoyed for any meal.

Having another get-together soon after a holiday? Make things easy on yourself by throwing together some Hawaiian roll sliders, ham & cheese pinwheels, or fried ham & cheese mozzarella sticks for easy, tasty party appetizers. For dinner, our chicken cordon bleu is impressive and surprisingly simple (we skip the frying and oven bake instead). Want even easier? It’s all about the cordon bleu sauce, and we make the most of it in our chicken cordon bleu skillet, our chicken cordon bleu casserole, and our chicken cordon bleu quesadillas.

Whatever you do, don’t forget to save that ham bone! It’s the secret to an out-of-this-world split pea soup (that, and bacon).

Want more leftover inspiration? Check out our are our top go-to ways to make leftovers more exciting. And since you’re using leftovers for your main meal, why not go “ham” on dessert?!

Delish!