Tag Archives: Ham

A simple Ham & Gruyere Quiche is sure to please your taste buds so look no further for a quick and easy (yet delicious) breakfast that is perfect for a weekday morning or weekend brunch! If you are unfamiliar with gruyere cheese, it’s a traditional Swiss cheese that is semi-hard and has a rich, creamy, salty, and nutty flavor.  It works well as a substitute for Swiss cheese in recipes but also tastes great on its own with some crackers or bread.  In this quiche recipe, the gruyere cheese pairs well with the tender and salty ham and the soft and creamy eggs. The recipe can be found here. Start by preheating the oven to 425 degrees F. Next prepare the pie crust.  If you are using frozen pie crust, make sure it has time to fully thaw before you start.  If you are using refrigerated pie crust, let it sit on the counter … Continue reading

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If you are looking for a quick and easy breakfast option I have just the thing – Ham and Cheese Breakfast Quesadillas.  These are all the rage at my house!  They come together in a matter of minutes, can be customized, are portable if you need to eat on the run, and are big enough to share (if you want 😊). My favorite ingredients to use are scrambled eggs, ham, and cheese.  Very simple but very tasty.  You can substitute the ham for breakfast sausage or add veggies like mushrooms, spinach, onions, peppers, etc.  Make it your own!  One thing I want to point out is that the meat needs to be pre-cooked.  You will not be cooking or heating the quesadilla enough to fully cook the meat through.  Sliced deli ham works great because it’s thin and can be used as is or chopped into small pieces.  Pre-cooked breakfast sausage (I’m partial to the crumbles) also works well.  If you … Continue reading

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Chicken Cordon Bleu Quesadillas are a simplified version of the classic dish.  You still get the amazing layers of ham, cheese, chicken, and Dijon sauce but this time it’s sandwiched between 2 tortillas and cooked until crisp.  Think easy to assemble and fuss free! The recipe can be found here. Start by making the Dijon sauce.  Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat.  Whisk in the flour.  Then, slowly pour in the milk while whisking.  Add the bouillon cube and continue to whisk until dissolved.  Add the mustard and stir to combine.  Let the mixture simmer for about 5-7 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Keep warm on the lowest burner setting while you prepare the quesadillas.  This stuff is good enough to drink! Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add one tortilla. Add one slice of cheese (or more if you like). Add 2-3 … Continue reading

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Monte Cristo Sandwiches are my new go to sandwich!  They are served warm, so the cheese is perfectly melted, the bread is toasted, and the meat just seems to be extra tender and juicy.  It’s not quite a panini, because you aren’t pressing the sandwich or grilling it, but instead you are baking it.  I like to use French Toast as the bread as well.  It adds a little extra something to each bite! The recipe can be found here. Start by cooking the bacon according to package instructions.  Set aside. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Make the French Toast.  In a shallow dish, whisk together the eggs, milk, and cinnamon.  A pie plate or small baking dish works really well for this. Preheat a griddle to medium heat (or use a skillet).  Melt a small amount of butter on … Continue reading

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Can you believe it?  Easter is right around the corner.  With all that is going on in the world these days I’m starting to lose track of time.  What is typically a day of family and friends gathering together will most likely be spend apart or perhaps in very small groups.  This puts quite the strain on menu planning when you won’t be hosting, won’t be attending the usual get-together, or are just trying to maintain social distance. Not to worry – I won’t let you know down!  I have created a menu of simple items you can make at home.  Some can be modified depending on the ingredients in your pantry, some can be reduced in size or doubled depending on the number of people in your household, and some make great leftovers 🙂 I’m going to start the morning with Peeps Pancakes and Hash Brown & Bacon Egg … Continue reading

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For many years I thought the word “slider” meant a tiny hamburger, but boy was I wrong!  Sliders are small sandwiches made with slider rolls that come in a variety of flavors, and they are all the rage.  Think meat and cheese melted together in the oven on a crisp roll – yum! I can attest that all the recipes I’m about to share with you are not only delicious but easy to make.  You can even customize for various occasions – Kentucky Hot Brown Sliders for a Kentucky Derby Party, Apple Turkey Cheddar Sliders using the apples you purchased at the Apple Orchard, Chicken and Waffle Sliders when hosting brunch, etc.  You get the idea 🙂 Ham and Swiss Sliders are probably the most common slider (in my world at least).  These are filled with juicy ham and Swiss cheese nestled in a Kings Hawaiian Roll.  The tops of … Continue reading

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Christmas is my favorite holiday to host.  I think it’s due to my love of Christmas lights and decorations, so our house is always over the top!  Plus, there are so many festive serveware options available that you can change up your table display as often as you like.  (New Christmas plates…hint hint, Andrew 😊) Sometimes I like to go all out with appetizers and the main course but there isn’t anything wrong with keeping it simple if you prefer.  I truly enjoy cooking for others and putting on a big spread but also want to enjoy the holiday with family and friends.  So, I decided to keep my menu simple this year.  I’ll be serving a few appetizers with some of the drinks from my Christmas Cocktails blog post. The first appetizer I’m going to make is Ricotta and Prosciutto Crackers.  This is a light appetizer because it’s not … Continue reading

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Our Premium Quality Double Smoked Bone-In Ham has been a holiday tradition for many families. Our ham is twice smoked over hard wood, it is fully cooked so you may simply bake covered with foil or lid at 325 degrees for approximately 15 minutes per pound to an internal temperature of 140 degrees. This video featuring Festival team members Ray and Jason explains the advantages of purchasing and serving a premium quality ham. If you prefer a glaze on your holiday ham this is a fabulous recipe for Cranberry Maple Glazed Ham. I recently saw this recipe in Bon Appétit magazine for Easter Ham with Golden Breadcrumbs and Madeira Sauce and it sounds delicious so I plan to prepare this for our holiday dinner. Regardless of the recipe you choose for your ham, the perfect accompaniment is our Cheesy Potatoes, all you need to do is pop them in the oven! Leftover ham from your dinner … Continue reading

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One of my favorite holiday traditions as a child was coloring the Easter eggs, as an adult one of my least favorite traditions was hard-boiling the eggs so the eggs could be dyed! Many years ago I discovered the secret of perfect hard-boiled eggs – I purchase them from the Deli at Festival. I prefer to purchase the eggs and dye them at home but the Deli team also prepares dyed eggs if that is your choice. Our Premium Quality Double Smoked Bone-In Ham is a holiday tradition for many families. Our ham is fully cooked; twice smoked over hard wood you may simply bake covered with foil or lid at 325 degrees for approximately 15 minutes per pound to an internal temperature of 140 degrees. This video featuring Festival team members Ray and Jason explains the advantages of purchasing and serving a premium quality ham. Leftover ham from your dinner may be … Continue reading

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