ONE Ham – SEVEN Meals

Since meat is one of the most expensive things on our grocery list each week, I’m always looking for ways to stretch good cuts of meat in our weekly meal plans. I also like to stock up on meat when it often goes on sale — especially around the holidays {turkey at Thanksgiving, ham at Christmas, etc.}

This year, I managed to get a 16 lb turkey for less than $2.00 and two whole hams for about $4.00 each during those holiday sales {with coupons/rebates/etc}. I already have plans for the turkey in a couple weeks, and last week I used up one entire ham… because we ate it every single day!!

No, we didn’t eat leftovers all week long, and we certainly didn’t have boring, tasteless meals. In fact, when I asked Dave if he realized we had eaten ham every single night, he gave me a shocked look and said he never even noticed! I’m sure our girls didn’t notice either… especially since they both really seem to like ham.

So essentially, I fed 4 people for an entire week {and had leftovers} with one $4.00 ham… pretty impressive 🙂

Here’s what we ate.

Sunday = Traditional Ham Dinner

On Sunday, I made a “traditional” ham dinner with potatoes, sweet potatoes, vegetables, applesauce, roles, etc. Definitely not the most cost-effective meal, but it sure tasted delicious!

Monday = Ham and Chicken Lasagna

I found a new recipe for ham and chicken lasagna; and since I had a bunch of cooked and shredded chicken in the freezer, I made 2 large containers of this lasagna and put one in the freezer for later. A side salad and garlic bread rounded out our Monday night meal.

The recipe I used was from a church cookbook, but this is a similar one.

Tuesday = Baked Sandwiches

Ham and Cheese Baked Sandwiches have quickly become one of our favorite weeknight meals — so this was on the menu for Tuesday night {and then we all had them in our lunches the next day}

Wednesday = Slow Cooker Western Egg Casserole

I shared this recipe with you last week… and seriously, it was so good. Everyone had seconds and we even had plenty left over for breakfast the next morning!

Thursday = Chicken Cordon Blue

Homemade chicken cordon blue is surprisingly easy to make. Simply pound chicken breasts until they are all quite thin, then layer with thin slices of ham and cheese. Role up the chicken breast, secure with a tooth pick, and dip in breadcrumbs. Here’s a really easy recipe.

Friday = Ham & Potato Soup

We LOVE soup (especially on cold winter days) and one of our favorites is ham and potato soup. It’s so thick and creamy, and is also great as leftovers.

Saturday = Leftovers

Even after an entire week of ham, we still all scarfed down leftovers for lunch and dinner on Saturday. Everyone got to pick and choose their favorites from the week and I didn’t have to cook 🙂

We still have a little ham left and I’m sure we will eventually eat it on salads or sandwiches…but for one $4.00 ham, I think we ate pretty well for the week!

What are your favorite ways to stretch the meat in your meal plans?