Holiday Leftovers!

This is one of my favorite topics after a holiday.  The Leftovers!  I will often buy a ham or turkey that is much to large for our family (even with extended family over) to eat in a meal.  But I do it on purpose.  I like to have lots of leftover ham and turkey.  I can make things like turkey tettrazini or turkey pot pie or ham and potato soup or ham and bean soup!  I can even freeze chopped up pieces so that I can use it in omelets!

This year I am going to be making some ham and bean soup with some navy beans and the ham bone left over from Saturday's dinner.  I will then take some of the leftover ham and make up some ham and potato soup.  I will be able to get one night's dinner out of it as well as one to freeze so I will have 2 more meals in my freezer stash for when Baby D is born.  :)  YAY!

Here are the recipes that I am going to be using for my soups today.  :)

Ham & Bean Soup

1 1/4 c small dried white beans (I did an overnight soak with mine, check the package for other instructions)

7 c cold water (I am using 5 c chicken broth and 2 c water)

1 ham bone

1/2 c diced ham (optional)

1 large onion, diced

3 celery stalks, diced

1 large potato, peeled & diced small

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 t dried thyme (I would have preferred fresh but mine had gone bad.)

salt & pepper

Place the beans, water & ham bone into a large soup pot & bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer until the beans are tender about 1 1/2 hours.

Remove the ham bone. Cut any meat remaining on it off & dice it. Return the meat to the pot.

Add the diced ham, onion, celery, potato, & thyme to the pot. Salt & pepper to taste.

Simmer until the potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes.

Use a potato masher to gentle mash the soup until it is a little creamy.

Serve with crusty bread.

Creamy Potato and Ham Soup

Ingredients

* Nonstick cooking spray * 1 small onion, chopped * 1 clove garlic, cut in half * 3.5 cups chicken broth * 2 lbs potatoes, peeled and chopped

* 1 cup ham, chopped* 1 cup skim milk * 1/2 tsp salt * 1/4 cup shredded fat free cheddar cheese

Directions

* Coat a large pot with cooking spray and set it over medium heat. When the pot is hot, add the onion and the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft but not brown, 5-6 minutes. (Be careful not to burn the garlic!)
* Add the broth, ham, and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, 20-25 minutes.
* Carefully use a potatoe masher to get soup to desired consistency.  You can also use a blender.  Add milk and salt; mash/puree until smooth. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with cheese.
*We will also serve with croutons for an extra crunch.  It also stretches the soup a bit.  This is a very filling soup.  :)

Number of Servings: 8

Hope you enjoy these recipes!

<3 Alison