Country Ham and Asparagus Bake

Breakfast for dinner.  Brinner.  Dinfast.  Definitely a favorite in our house.

The recipe is from the Betty Crocker’s Diabetes Cookbook.

I made a few small substitutions, noted below.

1 1/2 c chopped fully cooked ham
1 medium onion, chopped (approx 1/2 c)
1/4 c chopped bell pepper
1 package (10 oz) frozen asparagus or broccoli cuts – I used asparagus
8 eggs or 2 c egg subsitute – I used all eggs
2 c fat-free milk – I used 2%
1 c all-purpose four
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tps dried tarragon
1 c shredded cheddar cheese – I used my fav 3 cheese blend from Trader Joes

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Generously grease bottom and sides of a 13×9 baking dish.  Sprinkle ham, onion, bell pepper and asparagus in baking dish. – I used my pampered chef pan (no greasing).  I also tossed the ham and veggies together in a bowl before putting them in the baking dish.

Beat eggs, milk, flour, parm cheese, salt, pepper and tarragon with a fork or wire whisk in medium bowl until smooth; pour over ham mixture.

Bake uncovered about 20 min, or until a knife inserted comes out clean.  Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.  Bake 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

This is a easy and delish casserole.  Both husband and I liked this one and it’s a great use for leftover ham (from Christmas or Easter).

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Split Pea Soup

A friend of mine blogged about this recipe early in 2012, and I have made it probably ten times in the last year.  It’s that good.

Here are the original posts for this recipe – Picnics in the Park and In the Kitchen with Kath

Julia Child’s Split Pea Soup with Ham

Ham Stock
Meaty ham bone and scraps from a ham, or 1 or more ham hocks
3 quarts water
1 c chopped carrots
1 c chopped onions
1 c chopped celery
An herb bouquet: 3 bay leaves, 1 tsp thyme, 5 cloves tied in cheesecloth

Put all ingredients in a large stock pot and simmer, lid askew for 4 hours.

Strain the broth, discarding the ham and vegetables.  At this point you can make the soup, or you can refrigerate or freeze the stock to use later.

I like to make the broth the day before I make the soup.  I will also strain the fat off the top of the broth before using in the soup.

Soup
3 tblsp butter
2/3 c diced celery
2/3 c diced onions
1 c diced carrots
3 tblsp flour
2 quarts ham stock
1 1/2 c split peas
salt and pepper
Diced ham or croutons for garnish

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the celery, onions and carrots and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the flour and cook, stirring for 3 minutes.

Add the stock and split peas.  Simmer with lid askew for 45 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Use an immersion blender in the pot to blend the soup. – Alternatively, put some of the soup in a blender.  Fill the blender only half full and hold the lid on securely with a pot holder.

Serve with sauteed ham or croutons as a garnish.

This is another favorite in our house and is perfect on a cold winter evening.  Add a little diced ham to your bowl and a warm roll on the side, nothing could be better.