One-Pan Peas, Ham and Creamy Noodles

Looking for a quick way to use up all that leftover holiday ham that isn't soup? Don't get me wrong. I love me a good bowl of homemade ham and bean soup, but there is only so much soup one girl can eat. And I love soup. After the Christmas holiday, my husband and I were lucky enough to have been sent home lots of leftover ham. We had it in soup (duh), mixed some in to our eggs in the morning and even on sandwiches. As much as we loved ham in all those ways, we wondered what else we could do with it. Then came peas, ham and creamy noodles!

When my hubby was flying us home after Christmas (I've told you he's a pilot, right? If not, well, I'll tell you all about that another time), I was able to get a bit of reception over wonderful I-5, even at 7,000 feet in the air. I used it to my advantage and researched leftover ham recipes. There were all the usual suspects - ham and bean soup, ham and scalloped potatoes, etc. None of them sounded all that intriguing, until I found something about ham and noodles. I mentioned to my hubby and he said it sounded great (and like something he had before!). So, it was settled. That night, I was trying out a new recipe. All I needed to do when we landed was stop by the store and pick up the few things I didn't already have (i.e. egg noodles and peas). Little did I know I would forget a lemon. Don't you hate it when you double check your list at the store only to forget one little thing? Please tell me that I am not the only one that does that! But I digress. Enough about my lemon drama.

Okay, back to the ham and noodles. This recipe is so easy, it's one pan and it takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish. Now that's what I am talking about. It makes enough for a family or just two, with leftovers for an extra meal or two. Now who doesn't love leftovers? This recipe starts off with a little onion and garlic (okay, a lot of garlic) that are cooked down until they are tender and start to brown. Once your whole house smells like heaven, you add in the egg noodles, chicken broth, ham and bit of half and half. Give it all a good stir, bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for 10 minutes, give or take. Once the noodles are tender, add in a bit of cornstarch and water to thicken everything up, a big pinch of salt and pepper and then a bit of lemon juice and a good handful of peas. Give it one more good stir to combine and then here is where we get fancy. I also added in about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese. This is totally optional here, but I think it takes this dish up a notch.  Plus, who doesn't like cheese. Serve this with a little salad on the side and you have the perfect meal in less than 30 minutes.

This dish is creamy, super easy and so delicious. It's now on holiday ham rotation at our house and I think it should be on yours too!

Leftover ham isn't just for soup and potatoes!!

One-Pan Peas, Ham and Creamy Noodles (Slightly adapted from Kevin & Amanda)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
2 cups of diced onion
2-5 cloves chopped garlic
2 cups chicken stock or broth
1 cup half and half or any milk of your choice
1 pound diced, cooked ham
1 cup frozen peas
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 grated parmesan
Salt and pepper, to taste

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat and cook onions and garlic until nice and golden brown. Don't burn the garlic! Once the onions and garlic are nice and brown, add in the broth, half and half and noodles and bring to a boil. Then, add the diced ham, cover the pan with a lid and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook noodles until they are tender, about 10 minutes. 

While the noodles are cooking, combine one tablespoon of cornstarch and three tablespoons water together and add to pan once the noodles are cooked. This will thicken the sauce up nicely! Season with salt and pepper to taste and then add in the frozen peas and lemon juice. Stir to combine, add in the grated parmesan and then enjoy!

It doesn't have to be the holidays to enjoy this dish! You can make this anytime of the year - just look for ham steak in the lunch meat section of your grocery store. If you can't find it there, visit your local deli counter and ask them to slice your ham like a ham steak. Trust me, they'll know what you're talking about!