Delicious 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

1. 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.
2. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/delicious-ham-and-potato-soup/

Nevada Basque Chicken

1 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and black pepper to taste
One 3- 3 1/2-pound chicken, cut into serving pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium-size onion, diced
1 medium-size green ell pepper, seeded and diced
4 medium-size ripe tomatoes, diced
1/4 pound smoked ham, diced
1/2 cup dry white wine

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2- 2 1/2-quart casserole and set aside.

2. On a plate, combine the flour and salt and pepper and dredge the chicken pieces in the mixture, tapping off any excess. In a large heavy skillet, heat the oil over moderate heat, brown the chicken pieces on all sides, and arrange in the prepared casserole.

3. Add the onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, and ham to the skillet and cook, stirring, till the vegetables soften, abut 10 minutes. Add the wine and continue to cook about 5 minutes. Scrape the mixture over the chicken, cover, and bake till the chicken is very tender, about 1 hour.

4-6 servings

Country Ham, Spinach, and Mozzarella Strata

6 slices day-old white bread, crusts removed and torn into pieces
1 cup finely chopped or shredded mozzarella cheese (about 4 ounces)
1 cup diced cooked Smithfield ham (or other style cured country ham)
One 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups milk
6 large eggs
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2-quart casserole.

2. Sprinkle half the bread pieces over the bottom of the prepared casserole. Top with half the cheese, sprinkle the ham evenly over the cheese, arrange the spinach evenly over the top, sprinkle on the remaining bread pieces, and drizzle the melted butter over the top.

3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, mustard, nutmeg, and pepper till well blended and pour slowly over the casserole. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes.

4. To bake, sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and bake till a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. 45-50 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Creole Breakfast Ham and Eggs

1 cup soda cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
8 large hard-boiled eggs, sliced
1 cup chopped cured country ham (such as Smithfield)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Red pepper fakes to taste
Ground sage to taste
2 cups Cream Sauce
1 cup Tomato Sauce
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 1 1/2 quart casserole and set aside. In a small mixing bowl, combine the cracker crumbs and butte, toss well, and set aside.

2. Make alternate layers of eggs and ham in a prepared casserole, seasoning each layer with salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and sage.

3. In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the two sauces, stir till well blended, and pour evenly over the top of the casserole. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top, spoon the buttered crumbs evenly over the cheese, and bake till bubbly and golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Gratin of Leeks, Country Ham, and Cheese

6 to 8 medium-size (white part and some of the green), rinsed thoroughly
3 scallions (white part and some of the green)
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup half-and-half
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated
2 ounces cured country ham, diced
1 ounce Swiss cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons, butter, cut into small bits

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a shallow 1-quart casserole and set aside.

2. Cut each leek in half and place in a large pot with enough water to cover. Cut the scallions into small pieces and add to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to moderate, cook till the leeks are just tender, about 10 minutes, drain.

3. Arrange the leeks and scallions in the prepared casserole. In a small mixing bowl, combine the broth and half-and-half, pour over the leeks scallions, and season with salt and pepper. Scatter the Parmesan and ham over the top, sprinkle over the Swiss cheese, dot with the butter, and back till bubbly and top is golden, abut 30 minutes.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.