Sarah Butler: If your kids eat ham sandwiches this is the cooking hack you need to know

Plus a quiche recipe to use up what's left in the fridge at the end of week

Adding home-cooked ham cut into cubes is a super addition to this quiche recipe.

I love a recipe that makes your food week easier. Something that gives you lots of quick food options when you’re short on time, which most of us are.

A home-cooked ham does just that; there are so many things you can make with it. A cooked ham will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days; it’s ideal to make on Sunday ahead of a busy week. From that one recipe, you can enjoy fresh ham sandwiches for the kid’s lunchboxes, ham and mushroom vol au vents or pies, add some to your breakfast omelette, and of course, not forgetting the nation’s favourite, bacon and cabbage.

I always have a less stressful food week when making a home-cooked ham. This is all before we talk about the flavour and financial benefits. I slow cook mine with cloves, onions, garlic, brown sugar, bay leaf and orange, so the flavours are smashing. And the cost, in comparison to pre-sliced packed ham, is a no-brainer.

So dust off that slow cooker; I promise it will become a weekly must-make in your home.

As for the quiche, it’s super for using the fridge contents later in the week when you stare inside at a few eggs and wonder what to make from so little.

Adding home-cooked ham cut into cubes is a super addition to this quiche recipe.

Slow Cooked Ham

I was recently stuck for sandwich fillings and had to buy supermarket packet ham. I paid €6 for 4 small slices, and the texture and flavour left me without much of an appetite for my sandwich.

The next day I went straight to my butcher and bought a shoulder of ham for €12. We had bacon and cabbage for dinner and days of leftovers for sandwiches.

I won’t get caught out again with shop bought ham, I would rather go without.

Home-cooked ham offers a superior experience to mass produced brands which often contain preservatives, excess salt, or artificial flavouring.

Home-cooked is unmatched in flavour and freshness. The texture of a home-cooked ham is so much better as it retains its juiciness, offering a tender and flavourful bite every time.

I like to slow cook one on Sunday and use the meat throughout the following week. There is no waste, a constant supply of refrigerated meat for hungry bellies, and the cost savings of making your own ham goes without saying.

Slow-cooked ham

recipe by:Sarah Butler

Once you start to slow cook your own, this is the only way you will have ham.

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 4 hours 0 mins

Total Time

 4 hours 5 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 3lb ham shoulder, loin, or fillet unsmoked

• 1 orange, cut in half

• 1 onion, cut in half skin on

• 3-4 whole peppercorns

• 2-3 whole cloves

• 1 bay leaf

• 3 tbsp brown sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 140°C/120°C fan/gas 1. If you can, soak your ham overnight, it is preferable to do so.

2. If you do not have the time to soak it overnight you can do so for an hour before cooking to remove any excess salt.

3. Rinse the ham well and put into an ovenproof pot and cover with water. Add all the ingredients and bring to the boil.

4. Cover with a lid or some tin foil and place in the oven for 4-5 hours.

5. If using a slow cooker, place all the ingredients in a slow cooker with 700ml of water and cook for 4-5 hours on low. The longer you slow cook, the more tender your meat becomes and the more intense the flavours will be.

6. Once the ham is cooked, remove and place it on a wire rack allowing all the juices and water to drain off.

7. Cut away any fat with a sharp knife.

8. For any leftovers, refrigerate and slice as you need it. This will keep for 3 days in the fridge.

Sarah's secrets

Always buy your ham a little bigger as it will shrink while cooking.

I suggest a 2lb ham shoulder or or fillet, unsmoked, for a family of four.

I refrigerate the ham once cooked and cooled. It slices much easier the next day and won’t fall apart as it would when freshly cooked and hot.

A good sharp knife is an essential tool for carving meat at home.

Quiche

We all know the scenario. Half a pepper, a few tomatoes, a scallion and a few rashers in the fridge. Not enough for a family meal. But together, enough for a quiche!

A quiche is an incredibly versatile dish that can transform leftovers into a delicious and satisfying meal, making it a perfect choice for busy mid-week dinners and lunch boxes.

So nutritious, packed with protein from the eggs, and nutrient-rich veggies, it makes a wholesome and satisfying meal. Great hot or cold, with a salad and fries, or in your hand on the go!

I like to make one later in the week as the fridge contents dwindle allowing me to get one more day out of the fridge’s contents, ahead of the weekly food shop. Adapt the ingredients to suit your family’s taste. The great thing about a quiche is that you can add whatever you like. Cold cubed cooked potatoes, spinach, feta and cooked ham are all great additions too.

Quiche

recipe by:Sarah Butler

A quiche is an incredibly versatile dish that can transform leftovers into a delicious and satisfying meal

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 60 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 20 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• Equipment: 9” round or a 12 x 8” tin with removable base

• 1 sheet ready-made shortcrust pastry

• 20g butter

• 1 leek, finely chopped

• 1 garlic clove, crushed

• 8-10 cherry tomatoes, halved

• Handful spinach leaves

• 3-4 fresh basil leaves

• 200g rashers, chopped into small pieces

• 250ml fresh cream

• 150ml milk

• 3 eggs

• 100g red cheddar, grated; 100g mozzarella; 30g Parmesan cheese (or use 230g cheese of choice)

• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.

2. Brush a 9” flan tin with a little butter.

3. Carefully ease the pastry into the tin, pressing into the corners. Don’t worry if it breaks, use a little water to patch it together again.

4. Allow the pastry to fall over the sides as it will shrink slightly in baking.

5. Line the pastry base with parchment paper and fill with baking beans. You can use dried rice or dried pasta if you do not have baking beans. They simply prevent the pastry from rising.

6. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the baking beans and parchment paper and bake for a further 10 minutes until golden.

7. Trim the pastry edges with a knife to tidy it up and set aside.

8. For the filling, add the butter to a frying pan and fry the chopped leek, garlic, and tomatoes for 3-4 minutes. Add the spinach and basil next and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

9. Fry or grill the rashers until crispy, set aside. Combine the cream, milk, and eggs in a jug and mix.

10. Arrange the cooked rashers, tomatoes, leek, garlic, spinach and basil in the base of the pastry dish. Sprinkle the three cheeses evenly all over the top.

11. Pour the cream and egg mixture into the quiche, ensuring it is evenly poured all over the contents. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

12. Bake for 40 minutes until golden.

Sarah's secrets

Did you know that quiche freezes really well?

I like to bake two, eat one and freeze one.

Simply defrost overnight in your fridge and enjoy a day off dinner.