35 Christmas Ham Dishes Because That Honey Ham Is So Last Year

Easter gets lamb, Thanksgiving gets turkey, and Christmas? It’s all about that holiday ham. Whether you’re looking for a classic show-stopping dinner centerpiece or just want to incorporate that quintessential porky flavor into all of your holiday meals, we’ve got tons of recipes for you here, from breakfasts to apps to mains.

When you think of a Christmas ham, we bet you’re imagining a big roast, playing the role of centerpiece on a Hallmark-worthy dinner table. We’ve certainly got those recipes here, like our brown sugar pineapple ham, our cherry bourbon glazed ham, or our best-ever glazed spiral ham, as well as some made simpler in your Crock Pot or Instant Pot. But! We’re more aware than most how hectic the holidays can get, and that though Christmas is technically one day, there’s a whole lot more where we also need to get festive meals on the table for our family and friends. In that spirit, we’ve included a variety of recipes here that utilize leftover ham, deli ham, and even ham bones too to great effect.

Looking for a ham-filled breakfast? Try our ham, egg, & cheese roll-ups (perfect for that newly low-carb family member), our buckwheat galettes with ham & egg, our eggs Benedict bake, or our crescent breakfast squares. What about lunch? Make it special with the best ham sandwiches you’ll ever have, like our ham & cheese sandwich, our sheet pan Italian subs, or our club sandwich. Don’t forget about the sides too. Ham is a great supporting character, like in our ham & bean soup, our ham & cheese tortellini, or our scalloped potatoes & ham. Ham is also great paired with chicken for dinners that are easy enough for a weeknight, but fancy enough for unexpected holiday guests. Check out our chicken cordon bleu, our antipasto stuffed chicken, our our chicken cordon bleu casserole to see what we mean.

Now you’ve got all your ham needs met this Christmas, it’s time to set your sights on sweets. Check out our best Christmas cakes, our favorite Christmas cookies, and our top holiday cocktails too.

When it comes to a Christmas dinner main, you can’t beat a baked ham. Beautifully browned and shiny, it makes for an eye-catching centerpiece at any holiday gathering.

Get the Baked Ham With Brown Sugar Glaze recipe.

This zingy retro classic glazed ham is a stunner set in the center of a table, and just a few easy sides short of a fantastic feast. Beyond the eye-popping pineapple rings and bright maraschino cherries, the glaze lends a shine and texture to the ham’s caramelized crust too.

Get the Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham recipe.

Get ready to plan a dinner party around this ham alone! The tart cherries and bourbon work together to bring a slight sour and oaky tartness to the spiral ham, and the glaze has just enough cayenne pepper to deliver a subtle smoky heat.

Get the Cherry Bourbon Glazed Ham recipe.

Once the chicken here is layered with cheese and ham and then rolled, it's kind of large. Frying it seemed like too much, so we baked it instead (you're welcome). It bakes into a beautiful, golden, and crispy piece of meat that's perfectly swirled on the inside. It's mesmerizing!

Get the Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe.

Need to feed a hungry holiday crew, fast? Nothing better than these packed Italian subs—they're assembled and baked on a sheet pan so everyone can eat all at the same time.

Get the Sheet-Pan Italian Subs recipe.

Some hams will come with a glaze packet. That’ll do, right? Think again. Making your own glaze is super-easy and SO much more delicious than a store-bought packet.

Get the Best-Ever Glazed Spiral Ham recipe.

Spiral hams are delicious, but they yield so much meat. When you're craving ham, but don't want to fuss with a full roast like that, ham steaks are the way to go! Instead of roasting and glazing a whole ham, just make everyone their own perfectly cooked, savory-sweet steak.

Get the Maple Glazed Ham Steak recipe.

These roll-ups are the perfect low-carb substitute to your (and your newly-keto family member visiting for the holidays') favorite breakfast burrito. Easy enough to make for a crowd, and the filling possibilities are endless! Who needs a tortilla when you have ham?

Get the Ham Egg & Cheese Roll-Ups recipe.

These ham and cheese pinwheels are made easy using store-bought crescent roll dough. They are chock-full of melty cheese and savory-sweet ham, topped with fresh parsley and toasty poppy seeds for texture and flavor you and your holiday guests will love.

Get the Ham & Cheese Pinwheels recipe.

This ham sandwich is great for many reasons. It's got a beautiful golden crust (thanks mayo!), a quick and simple honey mustard sauce, and briny pickles for crunch. Make it with leftover spiral ham, and you've got yourself a prize-winning, low-key Christmas lunch.

Get the Ham & Cheese Sandwich recipe.

Though ham soup is often thought about in terms of what to do with leftover ham, we think this soup is spectacular enough to stand on its own. It's warm and comforting and endlessly filling.

Get the Ham & Bean Soup recipe.

Take some stress off your plate this Christmas and make this classic holiday ham right in your slow cooker! Bonus: it leaves plenty of room in your oven for all those delicious side dishes.

Get the Crockpot Brown Sugar Glazed Ham recipe.

We love ourselves a good crescent roll dough hack, and for good reason. This one is extremely simple and comes together in just about an hour. It’s a simple way to avoid any complaints about the way the eggs are cooked (hint: they’re scrambled, but even haters will enjoy it tucked between flaky pastry), is super-customizable, and makes for a great on-the-go option too.

Get the Crescent Breakfast Squares recipe.

If you're not glazing your ham in a sweet-acidic mixture of Dr. Pepper and pineapple juice, you're doing it wrong. People will flip over this untraditional ham!

Get the Dr. Pepper & Pineapple-Glazed Ham recipe.

There's nothing better than good antipasto. Our only qualm with the meat and cheese spread is that it's never a truly satisfying dinner on its own (thought we desperately want it to be!). This stuffed chicken changes all that.

Get the Antipasto-Stuffed Chicken recipe.

Orange marmalade and Dijon come together in this spectacular ham, made extra easy in your Instant Pot. Did we mention it only takes 20 (!!!) minutes to make?!

Get the Instant Pot Ham recipe.

Cheesy scalloped potatoes meet salty baked ham for a wonderful side dish. Hot tip: Use leftover ham from dinner and make this for Christmas brunch the next morning.

Get the Scalloped Potatoes & Ham recipe.

Christmas celebrations look different for everyone, and if yours is more of a kick-back than a dinner party, you've gotta serve up these delicious sliders. They're the perfect party app, whether you're serving cocktails or family-friendly hot chocolates.

Get the Ham & Cheese Sliders recipe.

Like their sweet cousins, crêpes, galettes hail from Brittany, France. Because they're made with buckwheat flour, galettes are extra nutty, making them perfect for pairing with savory fillings for a quick dinner, breakfast, or anytime meal this holiday season. Here, they're filled with a classic ham, egg, and cheese combination, known as "galette complète" in French, but feel free to switch it up if you like.

Get the Buckwheat Galettes With Ham & Egg recipe.

You're probably thinking, I don't need a ham sandwich recipe, but this sandwich is worth following a recipe for. Making your own herb mayo—by mixing in a few fresh herbs and some olive oil—makes this sandwich stand above the rest (perfect for Christmas lunch!).

Get the Ham Sandwich recipe.

Looking for a way to use up that leftover spiral ham from Christmas dinner? Look no further! This super-easy ham salad is as delicious between bread for lunch as it is on crackers as an appetizer.

Get the Ham Salad recipe.

With ham, turkey, bacon, and three slices of bread, the club sandwich is one of THE best sandwiches of all time. Make a bunch and serve them for the best Christmas lunch ever. The order everything gets added is important and traditional so stick to it!

Get the Club Sandwich recipe.

Eggs Benedict is a traditional breakfast dish composed of an English muffin topped with Canadian ham, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce. Though it's got a bad rep for being tricky (eggs often are!), we've got all the tips you'll need.

Get the Eggs Benedict recipe.

This breakfast sandwich stars layers of thinly sliced ham, soft, melty cheese, a Mornay sauce (like an upgraded béchamel) and an audible crunch (or croque) as you bite down. Make this for Christmas brunch and you might just forget about the presents under the tree.

Get the Croque Madame recipe.

All the flavors you love in chicken cordon bleu are here in this cozy casserole. There's ham, Swiss cheese, a hint of Dijon, and, of course, chicken, without any of the fussy stuffing, dredging, and searing of the original. 😍

Get the Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole recipe.

Hawaiian rolls are a guilty pleasure of ours: They're buttery, soft, and full of just-sweet-enough flavor. These sliders, layered with ham, Swiss, and caramelized onions, will quickly become a MUST at any Christmas party you throw.

Get the Hawaiian Roll Sliders recipe.

If you’re a fan of potato soup, you’re going to love this upgrade— loaded with chunks of tender potatoes, salty-sweet ham, and tender vegetables, this creamy soup is the comfort food you know and love, with a little something extra.

Get the Creamy Ham and Potato Soup recipe.

This sandwich is a decadent play on the classic Monte Cristo. For this version, instead of simple bread, make a slice of French toast and pile everything on it in an over-the-top style. It's savory and sweet and extra special for the holidays.

Get the French Toast Ham and Cheese Sandwiches recipe.

This dish can truly be whatever you want it to be. We'd eat them as our Christmas main, as a side dish accompanying a crispy roast chicken or slow cooked short ribs, or even for Christmas brunch. Don't skip that paprika in there—it adds warmth (but not spice!) that you and your guests will love.

Get the Cheesy Ham And Potato Casserole recipe.

Got last-minute guests coming over this Christmas? This cheesy quiche with a super-buttery, flaky homemade crust is the perfect emergency Christmas brunch meal. It's easy to make, can be prepared ahead of time, and, most importantly, it's always a crowd-pleaser.

Get the Ham & Cheese Quiche recipe.

This is one of our favorite easy, kid-friendly holiday meals—everyone can get into salty deli ham and cheesy tortellini in a creamy sauce. Swap peas for bigger veggies if your kids are little, or are just pea-averse. 😉

Get the Ham & Cheese Tortellini recipe.

Do you always order eggs Benedict when out to brunch? Re-create the fave at home with this one-pan dish that can also feed a hungry Christmas morning crowd.

Get the Eggs Benedict Bake recipe.

Skip the centerpiece—this ham is everything you need to decorate your Christmas dinner table. The sweetness of the apricot jam with the zip of the mustard is perfect combination for this smoked bone-in ham.

Get the Apricot-Mustard Ham recipe.

Want to impress with chicken cordon bleu this holiday season, but don't have time for the whole ordeal? This recipe takes the French-Swiss classic and transforms it into a one-pot meal (or nearly one, if you don't count cooking the pasta 😉) that everyone will love.

Get the Chicken Cordon Bleu Skillet recipe.

This breakfast casserole is our FAVORITE way to feed a crowd. It's got all your favorite breakfast components: a little egg, a little ham, bread, and cheese. All you need is a glass of OJ (or a mimosa?) and a mug full of Christmas coffee, and you've got a perfect start to your holiday morning.

Get the Ham & Cheese Brunch Bake recipe.