The highlight of Thanksgiving for me might just be the leftovers. I mean, of course the gathering together and time with family is the highlight. Yes. But after that, it might be the leftovers. I am a bit obsessed with the leftovers. One of my absolute favorite ways to use leftover turkey is this Thanksgiving leftovers breakfast hash. I honestly get as excited for that breakfast the day after Thanksgiving as I do the big meal. It’s really that good! And I wanted to recreate another version of it to use with leftover ham. We always have honey baked ham for Thanksgiving. And funny enough, it’s one of my daughter’s favorite parts of the meal. The part we didn’t spend hours and hours making. But I get it, you can’t beat some really good ham. Especially when it’s not something we have very often. Pretty much Thanksgiving and Easter. Occasionally other holidays or times of year, too. But after both holidays, we’re always left with tons of extra ham. We of course make sandwiches and sometimes soup, and today we’re taking our ham to breakfast. This leftover ham breakfast hash has chopped ham, leftover dressing or stuffing, leftover veggies and is all warmed up in a skillet together and then topped with a fried egg and some cheddar cheese. It’s quite the delicious combination, let me tell you! Plus, this only takes about 5 minutes to prep and only about another 5 minutes to cook. That’s my kind of hot, but easy breakfast after a holiday. (Meaning, when I don’t want to be in the kitchen but still want to eat well!) This hash is savory and a little bit sweet and when you break that egg yolk and it oozes over everything, oh my goodness… I also love serving mine with some hot sauce to add a bit of heat and balance some of that sweetness. I have some other topping ideas, as well as some substitutions and tips, coming up so that you can make this work for you and what you have on hand. Or if you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Notes on making leftover ham breakfast hash:
Ham: Make sure to chop your ham into fairly small pieces so you can get a bit in every bite.Dressing: You’ll need a half-cup of leftover dressing or stuffing. I think a bread-based one works best here (even a cornbread-based dressing, like you can see in these photos).Potatoes: You could probably even use leftover mashed potatoes or roasted regular or sweet potatoes if you want as the starch in this hash. And if all else fails, you could use some store-bought shredded hash browns.Veggies: I love getting in some veggies at breakfast when possible and this hash is a great way to throw some in. Shredded Brussels sprouts are my favorite, but you could use leftover green beans or another cooked vegetable if you like. Or skip the veggies if you’d rather.Fried egg: This really brings the dish together for me. You can leave it runny or let it set up a little more, depending on your preference.Cheese: Shredded cheddar cheese is my go-to, but you could try this with mozzarella, Monterey Jack or a Mexican blend cheese if you’d like.
Oh, and the recipe below is written for just 1 serving. It’s a big, hearty breakfast! But of course you can double, triple, quadruple the recipe as needed for however many people you are serving. Also, I mentioned toppings. These are optional - this hash is plenty flavorful on its own - but they can add some extra oomph.
Topping ideas for ham breakfast hash:
Sliced green onionsChopped fresh parsley or cilantroHot sauce (my personal fave here)Extra cheeseDiced avocado
Mix and match and choose your favorites. Oh, and if you’re looking for more recipes to use leftover ham, check out this ham, cheddar and broccoli quiche. It’s easy to make and bakes up beautifully! I hope you give this ham hash a try for a new way to use up your leftover holiday ham. Enjoy and happy holidays! XO, Kathryn Ham: Make sure to chop your ham into fairly small pieces so you can get a bit in every bite. Dressing: You’ll need a half-cup of leftover dressing or stuffing. I think a bread-based one works best here (even a cornbread-based dressing, like you can see in these photos). Potatoes: You could probably even use leftover mashed potatoes or roasted regular or sweet potatoes if you want as the starch in this hash. And if all else fails, you could use some store-bought shredded hash browns. Veggies: I love getting in some veggies at breakfast when possible and this hash is a great way to throw some in. Shredded Brussels sprouts are my favorite, but you could use leftover green beans or another cooked vegetable if you like. Or skip the veggies if you’d rather. Fried egg: This really brings the dish together for me. You can leave it runny or let it set up a little more, depending on your preference. Cheese: Shredded cheddar cheese is my go-to, but you could try this with mozzarella, Monterey Jack or a Mexican blend cheese if you’d like.
