Split Pea Soup

1 pound dried green split peas
2-1/2 quarts water
1 meaty ham bone or 2 smoked ham hocks
1-1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup each diced celery, carrots and potatoes
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp dried marjoram
Salt to taste


In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, add the peas, water and ham bone; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Set aside ham bone until cool enough to handle. Remove meat from bone; discard bone. Cut ham into bite-size pieces. Return to the soup and heat through.

Ham and Potato Soup

3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup diced cooked ham
3 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk

Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.

In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.

Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

Change things up a bit - add cheese, broccoli, bacon, etc to your liking!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 slices Swiss cheese
4 slices cooked ham
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp water

Sauce:
1 can cream of mushroom
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat a 7x11 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Pound chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness. Combine egg and water. Sprinkle each piece of chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Place chicken on bread crumbs. Place 1 cheese slice and 1 ham slice on top of each breast. Roll up each breast, and secure with a toothpick. Place in baking dish, and sprinkle chicken evenly with bread crumbs.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from oven, and place 1/2 cheese slice on top of each breast. Return to oven for 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Remove toothpicks, and serve immediately.

In small sauce pan combine cream of chicken, sour cream and lemon juice. Heat through. Pour over chicken when serving.

Ham 'n' Cheese Quiche

1 pastry shells (9 inches)
1 cups diced fully cooked ham
1 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 teaspoons dried minced onion
2 eggs
1 cups half-and-half cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Line unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 400° for 5 minutes. Remove foil; bake 5 minutes longer. (Use pie weights or pierce with fork before baking for the second 5 minutes)

Place ham, cheese and onion in the pastry crust. In a bowl, whisk eggs, cream, salt and pepper. Pour into ham mixture. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Or cover edges with foil and bake at 400° for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before cutting.

To use frozen quiche: Completely thaw in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking as directed.

Cheddar Chowder

4 cups water
4 cups diced potatoes
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

White Sauce:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
4 cups milk
4 cups cheddar cheese, grated
2 cups cubed ham

Combine water, potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, salt and pepper in a large pot. Boil for 10-12 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt butter. Add flour and stir until smooth (about 1 minute). Slowly add milk; cook until thickened. Add grated cheese to white sauce; stir until melted. Add white sauce and cubed ham to vegetables that have not been drained.

Heat through.