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4 Ways To Enjoy Your Holiday Heat n’ Serve Leftovers

Thanks for letting us be a part of your Holiday celebration. We hope you enjoyed your Heat n’ Serve meal as much as we loved preparing it for you.

Chances are you’ve got leftovers and that’s exciting!

Don’t just reheat them. Let’s turn tonight’s leftovers into tomorrow’s meals.

Here are 4 easy recipes to transform your Holiday Ham Heat n’ Serve Feast or Family Dinner into delicious and savory new dishes. Perfect for a Christmas morning breakfast, or quick lunch or dinner the whole family can enjoy.

Holiday Ham Cobb Salad

This fresh, new spin on Cobb salad uses your leftover Heat n’ Serve Ham for a lighter and satisfying alternative for lunch or dinner.

Holiday Ham Cobb Salad

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

6 cups chopped romaine lettuce

2 cups Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® Spiral Sliced Ham, chopped, trimmed of fat

16 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled, and diced

4 hard-boiled eggs, diced

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

1/2 cup of your favorite store-bought dressing such as Ranch, Dill, or Caesar

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Sea salt

How to Make:


1. Place chopped romaine in a shallow platter or bowl. Top with other ingredients arranged in rows— chopped Spiral Sliced Ham, cherry tomato halves, diced avocado, diced eggs, and crumbled goat cheese.

2.Season with sea salt and a generous grinding of black pepper to taste.

3. Serve immediately or cover and chill until ready to serve. Serve with your choice of store-bought dressing on the side.

Ham & Cheese Mashed Potato Cakes

For all the potato connoisseurs in your household, these Ham and Cheese Mashed Potato Cakes are going to knock their socks off. They’re perfect for a Christmas day surprise snack or savory side for dinner.

Ham and Cheese Mashed Potato Cakes

Makes 12-15 3-Inch Cakes

Ingredients:

4 cups Cracker Barrel® Mashed Potatoes

1 cup Cracker Barrel® Spiral Sliced Ham, finely diced

2 cups mozzarella, shredded

1 large egg

1 jalapeño, seeded and minced, optional

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Up to 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 – 1 1/2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs

1 cup sour cream

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons minced fresh dill plus extra for garnish

Canola or vegetable oil for frying

How to Make:

1. In a large mixing bowl, add the Mashed Potatoes, diced Spiral Sliced Sugar Cured Ham, shredded mozzarella, egg, minced jalapeño (optional), minced garlic, salt, and black pepper, and stir together to blend well.

2. Add flour, one tablespoon at a time, stirring well to blend into potato mixture. Continue adding flour up to 3/4 cup until the mixture is thick and holds its shape when scooped. Use flour sparingly to keep the texture of the mixture moist.

3. Place breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl.

4. Using an ice cream scoop, place one scoop of potato mixture into the bowl of breadcrumbs. Gently sprinkle the potato scoop with breadcrumbs and slightly flatten it into a round patty, about 1/3 inch thick, flipping carefully to coat evenly on both sides. Set aside on a sheet pan and repeat with the remaining potato mixture.

5. Heat approximately 6 tablespoons of oil in a large, heavy, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat just until the oil shimmers. Turn to medium.

6. Fry the potato cakes in a single layer on each side for 3-4 minutes until crisp and a dark golden brown. Remove the potato cakes from the skillet and transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels.

7. Repeat until all of the potato cakes are cooked. While the potato cakes are cooking, stir together the sour cream, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and fresh dill. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

8. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

9. Serve hot potato cakes immediately.

Note: Adjust the size of your ham and cheese potato cakes by using a smaller or larger scoop. (For example, use a small scoop for bite-size appetizer potato cakes.)

Holiday Breakfast Casserole

Serve up a hearty Christmas morning casserole guaranteed to wake up anybody’s taste buds with just a handful of ingredients, your Heat n’ Serve leftovers and some sourdough bread.

Holiday Ham Heat n' Serve Breakfast Casserole

Makes 8 Servings

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. butter

8 slices sourdough bread, cubed

3 cups Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® Spiral Sliced Ham, diced

1/2 cup green onion, thinly sliced

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

12 eggs

2 cups half & half

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. dry mustard

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

How to Make:

1. Grease the bottom of a 9″ x 13″ oven-safe baking dish with butter.

2. Spread the bread cubes evenly along the bottom of the pan.

3. Top the bread cubes with diced Spiral Sliced Ham, sliced green onions, and then the shredded cheddar cheese.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half & half, garlic powder, dry mustard, salt, and pepper until evenly combined.

5. Gently pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread and toppings.

6. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate overnight.

7. When you’re ready to eat, preheat the oven to 350°F and then bake the casserole, covered with foil, for 45 minutes.

8. Remove the foil and continue baking for 15 more minutes, or until cheese is golden brown and the center is set (when a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and you’ve reached a minimum temperature of 165°F).

Note: You can substitute white bread for sourdough if desired.

Holiday Ham & Cheese Turnovers

Take your Country Ham and give it a new burst of flavor. This recipe makes 8 turnovers, perfect for getting some extra mileage out of your Holiday Heat n’ Serve meal for one last delicious run.

Ham and Cheese Turnovers

Makes 8 Large Turnovers

Ingredients:

2 cups Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® Spiral Sliced Ham, diced

4 ounces softened cream cheese

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; taste and add

1/2 teaspoon of salt (if needed)

3 cups Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® Biscuit Mix

3/4 cup cold 2% milk

All-purpose flour for keeping work surface well-floured

1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon water

1/2 stick butter, melted

1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning

1 cup cranberry relish

How to Make:

1. In a food processor, process 1 cup of the diced Spiral Sliced Ham, softened cream cheese, crumbled feta cheese, red pepper flakes (optional), salt, and black pepper until spreadable. Stop processor and scrape down the sides as needed to blend thoroughly. Scrape the mixture out into a mixing bowl. Add the remaining 1 cup of diced ham pieces and fold until well blended. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 375°F.

3. Put Biscuit Mix into a mixing bowl. Make a “well” in the center of the mix. Using a table fork to stir, slowly add the milk until a dough has formed. Scrape dough out onto a well-floured work surface and gather into a ball, kneading a few times. Flatten the dough ball out into a circle and cut into 8 wedges. Form each wedge into a dough ball.

4. Working with one dough ball at a time, roll out each ball into a 6-inch circle. Brush all around the edges of the dough with the egg-water mix.

5. Add 2 generous tablespoons of the ham mixture to the middle of the dough. Spread out the mixture evenly with a knife—top ham mixture with one or two teaspoons of cranberry relish.

6. Fold dough over filling to create a half-circle. Press edges of dough together. Fold the edges over and use a fork dipped in flour to crimp edges to seal. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush each turnover with the egg-water mixture. Repeat with remaining dough and fillings to make 8 turnovers.

7. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until turnovers are golden brown and puffy. Remove from the oven and brush each turnover with melted butter and sprinkle with seasoning. Serve with an additional dollop of the remaining cranberry relish, if desired.

Note: Make these ahead of time and freeze them for baking later.

Thanks again for letting us be a part of your holiday celebration! Make sure you’ve signed up for our newsletter so you can stay updated on brand new menu items, tasty recipes, plus fun gift ideas from our Country Store.

Cracker Barrel Lifestyle

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