Ham and Apple Pudding

If you have some ham left over from New Year’s, you might enjoy this dish that was inspired by one I had seen in an old cookbook.  I changed it a lot to make a light luncheon entrée that my daughters and I enjoyed.

HAM AND APPLE PUDDING

• 2 cups bread cubes
• 1 cup cubed, cooked ham
• 2 Tblsp. butter
• 2 cups tart apple slices
• 1 Tblsp. dark brown sugar
• ¼  tsp. cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 Tblsp. prepared mustard
• 2 Tblsp. dried minced onions
• Thin white sauce (Recipe below)
• 1 cup of bread crumbs
• 1 Tblsp. butter

THIN WHITE SAUCE
2 Tblsp. all-purpose flour
¾ cup cold milk
¾ cup hot milk
1 packet Goya ham seasoning (optional)*
Salt/pepper if not using Goya ham seasoning

*Goya ham seasoning is an easy way to add some extra delicious ham flavor to any dish.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Oil a 9-inch casserole dish

In the bottom of the casserole dish place the bread cubes…

…topped with the ham cubes.

In a medium skillet over medium low heat, melt the butter and add the apple slices.  Cook, turning frequently for 5 minutes.  Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, mustard, and onions.  Continue to cook and stir for another 3 minutes until apples are fork tender.  Place this mixture on top of the layer of ham.

Make the thin white sauce:
In a small pan, whisk together the flour and cold milk until smooth.  Add the hot milk and cook, whisking constantly, over medium heat until mixture starts to boil.  Continue to cook and whisk for 2 more minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in ham seasoning or salt/pepper to taste.  Pour the sauce over the mixture in the casserole.

In a small skillet melt 1 Tblsp. butter, add crumbs and toss to coat.  Sprinkle buttered crumbs on top of casserole.

Bake @ 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes until top is golden brown.  Serve immediately.

4 servings

Margarita Mousse … with Leftover Cake

A few months ago, I made a cake with a thin glaze that used Margarita non-alcoholic frozen concentrate.  It was OK, but nothing special, so I cut the leftovers into slices and stuck them in the freezer.  For this past Sunday dinner, I decided to thaw the cake to use as both crust and topping for a delicious mousse, also made with the Margarita concentrate.

I adapted an old mousse recipe I have been using since 1976 and it turned out great.  I loved being able to make use of a rather ordinary cake and create an easy dessert that the family really enjoyed.

Although the Margarita-flavored cake added a bit of punch to the dessert, I believe any plain or lightly glazed cake would work just as well, since the mousse has a strong lime flavor.

MARGARITA MOUSSE DESSERT

• Servings: 6
• Print

• 3 cups leftover plain or lightly glazed cake
• 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk (Eagle Brand Non-Fat)
• 3 Tblsp. Margarita non-alcoholic frozen concentrate (Bacardi), thawed
• 2 cups frozen whipped topping (Cool Whip), thawed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Spray or butter a 9-inch baking pan and a flat baking sheet

Take 2 cups of leftover cake and crumble coarsely.  Place in the prepared 9-inch baking pan and press down.

Bake @ 350 degrees F for 10 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.

Take the remaining 1 cup of leftover cake and crumble into fine crumbs.  Spread on the prepared flat baking sheet.  Bake @ 350 degrees F for 5 minutes, stir and turn and bake an additional 5 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.

Note:  The two pans can be baked at the same time.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the condensed milk, Margarita concentrate and whipped topping.

Spread this mixture over the cooled crust in the 9-inch baking pan.

Sprinkle the fine toasted crumbs over the top.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Cut into squares to serve.  Makes 6 servings.

The mousse alone also makes a nice dessert.  Spoon into dessert dishes and chill.

Hodgenville Ham Pudding

This is our family’s favorite way of using up leftover baked ham.  It comes from a favorite cookbook, “What’s Cooking in Kentucky”.  This is a typical 1950s era luncheon dish, probably served with a gelatin salad of some kind and a super-rich dessert.

The cookbook says that when President Dwight Eisenhower visited the birthplace of Lincoln at Hodgenville, Kentucky, the Women’s Club served lunch to the visitors.  President Eisenhower asked for a second helping of this pudding and the recipe, saying he was an amateur chef and wanted to add it to his collection.

• Servings: 6
• Print

• 1-1/2 cups of buttery cracker crumbs (such as Ritz or Town house) – divided
• 1 cup grated cheese – divided (I like cheddar)
• 1 cup finely chopped ham – divided
• 2 Tblsp. diced pimiento – divided
• 2 hard boiled eggs, diced – divided
• 1-1/2 cups white sauce (recipe follows) – divided

White Sauce

• 2 Tblsp. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1-1/2 cups milk

In medium saucepan, combine flour, salt and pepper.  Whisk in cold milk until smooth, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to bubble.  Continue stirring for 2 minutes and then remove from heat.

Butter a 9x9x2 baking dish.

In bottom of baking dish place 1/2 cup of cracker crumbs.  Moisten with 1/2 cup white sauce.  Add 1/2 cup grated cheese, 1/2 cup diced ham, 1 Tlbsp. diced pimiento, and one diced hard-boiled egg.

Add another 1/2 cup of cracker crumbs, 1/2 cup white sauce, 1/2 cup grated cheese, 1/2 cup diced ham, 1 Tblsp. diced pimiento, and one diced hard-boiled egg.

Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cracker crumbs on top of casserole.

Bake @ 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes until bubbly hot and crusty.

Makes 6 servings.

This dish can be made ahead for baking later in the day.  Add 10 minutes or so more baking time to compensate for the food coming straight from the refrigerator.

The cookbook, “What’s Cooking in Kentucky” by  Irene Hayes (my version is the Revised Edition 1979) is probably the most used cookbook I own – and I have a lot of cookbooks.  The recipes are down-home, country style, contributed by women from all over Kentucky, and the timing was perfect for me when I got the book for my birthday in 1982.  We had just moved to the country and I had lots of good produce coming into the kitchen every day, sometimes with my husband carrying it in a wheelbarrow!  I notice the book is still available online and it would be a nice addition to anyone’s collection.