Ham Steak and Then Some

I make several meals from one of those fully cooked ham steaks that are about the size of a small dinner plate and weigh about a pound each.  They are prepackaged in the meat section at most grocery stores.  The other day I took one and cut it into portions about the size of a deck of cards. 

The first night, I simply reheated a serving in a pan and made sauteed mixed vegetables to go with it for dinner.  To make the vegetables, I put a small pat of butter in a pan and added coarsely chopped onions and let them start cooking.  I do this over medium heat so as to not burn the onions before they cook.  As they are cooking, I slice fresh mushrooms and add them to the onions. Then I dice zucchini and yellow squash into cubes and add them to the mixture.  I stir the vegetables a few times and cook until they are done - this a personal preference - I prefer my vegetables to have a bit of a crunch while others like them to be softer.  To make this a one pan meal, sauttee the vegetables and move them to a serving plate then heat your ham in the same pan.

My grandson came over for breakfast and his favorite meal is pancakes.  While his pancakes were cooking I put a slice of the ham on the griddle and heated it through.  He told me the ham was the yummiest!  I also will heat a serving of ham to go with my poached eggs for breakfast.

One of my favorite things to do is make grown up macaroni and cheese using part of the ham steak.  The directions for this dish are the subject for tomorrow's blog.

SMALL LIVING TIP: Finding ways to use one element in several dishes for different meals eliminates food waste and reduces the boredom of eating the same thing over and over again.