LEFTOVERS ! Some people hate them, my sons in-laws refuse to keep leftovers and several friends only want fresh made meals. Personally I think they are insane, I look at a refrigerator full of cooked food and think about all the possibilities they present for tantalizing my tastebuds quickly and easily. That doesn't even include the casseroles, chili's and stews I make huge batches of so I only have to cook once a week !

Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners are my favorites because we ALWAYS have left over ham, In this 2 for 1 "ible" I will show 2 of my favorite ways to use this delectable meat, one quick version of ham salad (there are many many versions) and my take on Deviled ham

Let me apologize in advance for the poor quality pics, they look good on the camera with my glasses but on the comp they look blurry... maybe I need new glasses ...

Step 1: Shop in Your Refrigerator

This "ible" is NOT a recipe, think of it as a guide, the ingredients I'm using are ones I had available, feel free to add or subtract as you want to fit your or your families taste.

couple lbs of left over ham
onions
green peppers
Jalapenos ( I buy large cans of pickled jalapenos at a local mexican store, they come with sliced carrots. After I open the can I store them in the large jar, would they be considered leftovers as well?)
mayonaise or salad dressing
horse radish sauce
mustard
Habanero hot sauce

You will also need a food processor, a knife and some bowels as well as a firm, clean, surface to cut on

Step 2: Ham Salad

chunk your ham into pieces that won't make your food processor release its magic blue smoke, put it in the processor and chop it up, I like mine pretty fine but that is another variable that is up to you. In a bowl combine the chopped ham, onions, green peppers and mayonnaise or salad dressing and make a sandwich, or stuff a tomato or serve with crackers or refrigerate and use it later !

Step 3: My Version of Deviled Ham

I absolutely LOVE deviled ham but buying those little cans can be EXPENSIVE and personally I think if it is going to be called deviled then it should be spicy!

Once again chop your ham into manageable chunks, place in the processor and chop it up fairly fine. Leave the meat in the processor and add in the green peppers, chopped onions, sliced jalapenos, pickled carrots, mayonnaise, horse radish sauce, mustard and if you want.. hot sauce and then process it all until its a paste with some small chunks or to a point that YOU like.

Step 4: Serve It Up

I could hardly wait to make myself a sandwich using multigrain bread but this is DEVILED ham! It's great as a dip for everything from veggies to toast, pita points to tortilla chips. Spread it on a flour tortilla and top with shredded veggies, roll up and cut into pinwheels. Put some in a pastry bag and squeeze into the pepper of your choice. Hey use your imagination, its a spicy tasty paste made of HAM!

Oh yea, I'm also eating the last of the thanksgiving macNcheese = (