Mini Broccoli & Ham Cups

This recipe from Kraft (original here) replaces the typical crust of a biscuit or roll with a ham cup (see the photo). Mini Broccoli & Ham Cups is the twenty-fourth of my 25 Appetizers of Christmas.

Ingredients

  • 1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed, well drained
  • ¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
  • ½ cup (½ of 8 oz tub) PHILADELPHIA ⅓ Less Fat than Cream Cheese
  • 1 Tbsp KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • 24 slices OSCAR MAYER Deli Fresh Smoked Ham
  • ⅓ cup chopped PLANTERS Smoked Almonds

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 350°F.
  2. Combine broccoli, tomatoes, cream cheese, Parmesan and garlic powder.
  3. Flatten ham slices.
  4. Press 1 ham slice onto bottom and up side of each of 24 miniature muffin pan cups.
  5. Fill with broccoli mixture; sprinkle with nuts.
  6. Bake 15 min or until heated through.

Variations

  • To make ahead, assemble appetizers several hours in advance; cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Then, uncover and bake as directed.
  • Some recipe reviewers commented that they left out the tomatoes and still found the appetizer a hit with family or party-attendees.

Festive Ham and Cheese Wreath

Take a look at the picture of this fun appetizer from Pillsbury (original here), and you’ll immediately see why it is the perfect holiday treat. Festive Ham and Cheese Wreath is the eighteenth of my 25 Appetizers of Christmas.

Ingredients

  • 8 oz (2 cups) finely shredded Swiss cheese
  • 1½ cups (about 8 oz) chopped cooked ham
  • ¼ cup sliced green onions
  • 2 tablespoons honey mustard
  • 2 (12-oz) cans Pillsbury® Grands!® Jr. Golden Layers® refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seed or poppy seed
  • 2 tablespoons diced red and green bell pepper, if desired 1 green onion fan, if desired

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 375°F.
  2. Spray large cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
  3. In large bowl, combine cheese, ham, onions and mustard; mix well.
  4. Separate 1 can of dough into 10 biscuits; leave second can in refrigerator.
  5. Separate each biscuit into 2 layers.
  6. Press each biscuit layer to form 3 1/2-inch round.
  7. Place 1 rounded tablespoon cheese mixture on each dough round.
  8. Wrap dough around cheese mixture, pinching edges to seal.
  9. Repeat with remaining can of dough and cheese mixture.
  10. Arrange 8 balls, seam side down and sides almost touching, to form ring on sprayed cookie sheet, leaving 3-inch hole in center.
  11. Arrange 14 balls, sides almost touching, around outside of first ring.
  12. Arrange remaining 18 balls around outside of second ring.
  13. Brush wreath with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seed.
  14. Bake at 375°F. for 18 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
  15. Carefully slide wreath from cookie sheet onto 14-inch serving platter.
  16. Sprinkle with bell pepper. Place onion fan in center of wreath. Serve warm.

Variations

  • To make a green-onion brush, place the tip of a knife at the onion’s middle and slit through the green ends. Place the onion in ice water, which will cause the "leaves" to curl; keep the green-onion brush in water until ready to use.
  • To make ahead, assemble the wreath on a cookie sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to two hours. Bake as directed in the recipe.

Mini Ham & Cheese Calzones

These calzones from Kraft (original here) take advantage of refrigerated breadstick dough to make a simple and fast snack. Mini Ham and Cheese Calzones are the fourteenth of my 25 Appetizers of Christmas.

Ingredients

  • 1 can (11 oz.) refrigerated soft breadsticks
  • ½ cup KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
  • 12 slices OSCAR MAYER Deli Fresh Honey Ham, cut in half
  • 2 Tbsp KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 400°F.
  2. Unroll dough; separate into 12 breadsticks.
  3. Cut each breadstick crosswise in half; flatten dough to 2-inch width.
  4. Spoon 1 tsp cheese onto center of each ham piece.
  5. Fold ham over cheese to create a tight roll.
  6. Place ham roll near the end of each piece of breadstick dough, leaving a border.
  7. Fold dough over ham, pinching edges to seal. Make sure ham and cheese are completely enclosed to prevent cheese from leaking.
  8. Repeat process for all ham pieces.
  9. Place calzones on baking sheet.
  10. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
  11. Bake 12 to 15 min. or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Variations

  • You can substitute any deli meat if desired. Salami, turkey, and roast beef would all work well.

Ham Meatballs with Pineapple Sauce

This recipe is listed on the Cooks.com site (original here) as “Ham Balls,” which I found an unusual and not necessarily inviting name. Still I clicked through and found a recipe for ham meatballs that are served with pineapple sauce. Now I’m eager to try them out, though I’ve changed the name so that I’ll be more likely to convince the family to eat them. Ham Meatballs with Pineapple Sauce is the ninth of my 25 Appetizers of Christmas.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ham ground (3 c.)
  • 1 cup soft bread crumbs
  • ¼ cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 lb lean ground pork
  • ½ cup milk
  • 2 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 8 oz can crushed pineapple
  • ½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
  • ⅓ cup ketchup
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • ½ tsp ginger
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • ⅓ cup vinegar

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Combine ingredients for ham balls in bowl; mix well.
  3. Shape into 1 inch balls and place in a 9 x 13 x 2 inch dish, and set aside while you make the sauce.
  4. Empty pineapple into bowl.
  5. Mix brown sugar and cornstarch; add to pineapple.
  6. Stir in remaining ingredients.
  7. Pour over meatballs and bake for 50 minutes.

Variations

  • The sauce is similar to a sweet-and-sour sauce. You could easily add some rice and veggies for a full meal.

Corn, Ham and Potato Scallop

This simple crockpot casserole from Betty Crocker recipe (original here) is a warm and cheesy treat. The Expert Tips with the recipe suggest that you can “Substitute cooked roast beef for the ham.”

Ingredients

  • 6 cups 1-inch cubes peeled baking potatoes
  • 1½ cups cubed fully cooked ham
  • 1 can (15¼ oz) whole kernel corn, drained
  • ¼ cup chopped green bell pepper
  • 2 teaspoons instant minced onion
  • 1can (10¾ oz) condensed Cheddar cheese soup
  • ½ cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Directions

  1. Mix potatoes, ham, corn, bell pepper and onion in 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker.
  2. Mix soup, milk and flour in small bowl; beat with wire whisk until smooth.
  3. Pour soup mixture over potato mixture; stir gently to mix.
  4. Cover and cook on Low heat setting 7 to 9 hours.

Senate Bean Soup

Don’t let this pork and bean soup recipe from Betty Crocker (original here) trick you. This isn’t pork and beans. This is the real thing—a warm soup made with great Northern beans and ham, thickened with mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups dried navy beans or Great Northern beans (1 lb), sorted and rinsed
  • 12 cups water
  • 1 ham bone, 2 lb ham shanks or 2 lb smoked pork hocks
  • 2½ cups mashed potatoes
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
  • 2 medium stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Directions

  1. In 4-quart Dutch oven, heat beans and water to boiling.
  2. Boil uncovered 2 minutes; remove from heat.
  3. Cover and let stand 1 hour.
  4. Add ham bone.
  5. Heat to boiling; reduce heat.
  6. Cover and simmer about 2 hours or until beans are tender.
  7. Stir in remaining ingredients.
  8. Cover and simmer 1 hour.
  9. Remove ham bone; let stand until cool enough to handle.
  10. Remove ham from bone. Remove excess fat from ham; cut ham into 1/2-inch pieces.
  11. Stir ham into soup.

Variations

  • Add 1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles, 1 tablespoon chili powder and 1 teaspoon ground cumin with remaining ingredients in step 7. Top soup with salsa if desired.

Slow Cooker Ham & Scalloped Potato Casserole

According to the recipe from Campbell’s (original online), “The slow cooker makes it easy to make this mouthwatering casserole, packed with potatoes, ham and a creamy Cheddar cheese sauce.”

Ingredients

  • Vegetable cooking spray
  • 1 pound diced cooked ham (about 2 cups)
  • 4 pounds potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (about 8 cups)
  • 1 large onion, sliced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 cans (10 3/4 ounces each) Campbell’s® Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon paprika

Directions

  1. Spray the inside of a 5 to 6-quart slow cooker with the cooking spray.
  2. Layer the ham, potatoes and onion in the cooker.
  3. Stir the soup and milk in a small bowl.
  4. Pour the soup mixture over the potato mixture and sprinkle with the paprika.
  5. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or until the potatoes are tender.

Variations

  • Time-Saving: Or you may cook the recipe on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.

Time Required: 7 hours

Servings: 8