When you're left with a pile of food after a big meal, these leftover ham recipes will feel like a godsend.

They're easy, they're delicious, and they won't make you feel like you're eating icky leftovers. On this page, you'll find four great recipes for leftover ham, including:

• Grilled Ham & Cheese with Fresh Pineapple
• Rich Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
• Cheddar, Ham, and Potato Soup
• Creamy Ham and Pea Orzo

Looking for more great ways to put together some leftover ham recipes? Try your leftover ham in:

• Sandwiches
• Salads
• Ham & Pea Soup
• With vegetables (sauteed with peas, collard greens, etc.)
• As a pizza topping
• Scrambled with eggs (or in a quiche)
• Stirred into macaroni and cheese
• In noodle or rice casseroles

Everybody loves ham and pineapple on pizza... so why isn't it common on grilled cheese? Well, after you try this wonderful leftover ham recipe, I promise you'll think it should be. Rich, gooey, and flavorful, this may well be the best grilled ham and cheese you'll ever try.

Recipe makes 1 sandwich.

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Ingredients:
2 slices bread of your choice
2 slices swiss cheese
2 oz. ham, sliced thin
2 thin slices of fresh, cored pineapple
4 leaves of fresh basil
1 tbsp. salted butter

Instructions: 1. In a hot, dry skillet, quickly fry the pineapple slices on both sides. This will heat them through and dry them out a bit for your sandwich.

2. Now assemble the sandwich. Start with cheese, then add the ham, then the heated pineapple, then the basil, and top it with the remaining slice of swiss.

3. Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat. Cook sandwich in butter until golden brown on both sides, about 5-6 minutes. Serve hot.

This rich and delicious leftover ham recipe makes a wonderful side dish, or, when served with a salad and some bread, a great main dish. It uses up plenty of ham, and makes enough to feed 4 as a main dish, or 8 as a side. And no, you won't find any "cream of" soups in this recipe-- it's all homemade, it's all delicious... and it's all easy, too.

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Ingredients:
1/2 C. butter
1/2 C. flour
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 C. milk (whole or low-fat are fine)
3 C. cooked ham, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 lg. yellow onion, chopped
3/4 C. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
5 C. of peeled, sliced potatoes

Ingredients: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Prepare the white sauce: In a large pot (you'll mix everything together here before baking), melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and seasonings.

3. Cook butter/flour mixture (roux) for about one minute, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in milk, whisking away any lumps that may form.

4. Cook milk mixture until thickened. Remove from heat

5. Stir in ham, onion, green pepper, and grated cheese. Stir in the sliced potatoes.

6. Pour mixture into a buttered baking dish.

7. Cover with foil and bake about 45 minutes.

8. Uncover and bake about 45 minutes more, until potatoes are tender and top is brown and bubbly.

9. Remove from oven and let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.

This soup is one of the tastiest, most comforting leftover ham recipes you can make. After a big holiday meal, this thick but not-too-rich soup (there's no heavy cream in it) is just what what your tummy needs. When served with salad and lots of crispy French bread, it's just too good to be believed.

Serves 6-8.

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Ingredients:
3 1/2 C. peeled, diced potatoes
1/3 C. chopped celery
1/2 C. onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 C. chopped cooked ham
3 1/2 C. chicken broth
salt, to taste
1 tsp. pepper
5 tbsp. butter
5 tbsp. all purpose flour
2 C. milk (whole is best, but whatever you have works)
2 1/2 C. sharp cheddar cheese, grated, separated
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Instructions: 1. In a large soup pot, bring chicken broth, onion, potatoes, and ham to a boil. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

2. Stir in pepper and salt to taste.

3. In another, smaller saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute.

4. Slowly whisk in milk, whisking away any lumps that may form. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until thick and bubby, about 5 minutes.

5. Remove white sauce from heat and stir in 2 C. cheese until melted.

6. Stir cheese sauce mixture into your potato/veggie mixture. Heat through.

7. Garnish each bowl with a sprinkle of cheese and parsley, if desired.

This leftover ham recipe makes a cheesy, gooey dish that will please everyone around the table. I like to toss some extra peas in mine for a little extra color and crispness. Serve this as a side dish, or as a main dish along with salad, garlic bread, and (for the grown-ups) white wine. So delicious.

This leftover ham recipe serves about 6.

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Ingredients:
1 lb. dry orzo pasta
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 lg. shallot, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced (or to taste)
1/2 lb chopped cooked ham
1 1/4 C. half-and-half or light cream
1 C. frozen peas, thawed
3/4 C. finely grated parmesan
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
salt, to taste

Instructions: 1. In a large saucepan, boil orzo in salted water until tender (according to package directions). Remove one cup of cooking liquid and set aside. Drain orzo.

2. In a large skillet, saute shallot and garlic in olive oil over medium heat, until tender.

3. Add ham and cook about 5 minutes more.

4. Stir in cream or half & half and peas. Heat through.

5. Stir in cooked orzo. Remove skillet from heat and stir in parmesan, salt, and pepper.

6. Bit by bit, stir in some of your reserved cooking liquid until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.

7. Serve hot, garnished with extra parmesan.

If you want to make these great leftover ham recipes, first you've gotta have a ham! We have some awesome baked ham recipes here.