We Now Return You to Your Regularly Scheduled Ham

After a couple of days respite, we are back to the ham. How can I make ham this time?

Let's see: we have black pepper, salt, Yukon Gold potatoes, sharp cheddar cheese, green onion, yellow onion and ham.

The onion was chopped and the cheese was grated. The ham was diced and one of the potatoes was grated, skin and all. The grated potato was placed in a clean kitchen towel and the excess moisture was wrung out. Oh, and afterwards, immediately rinse out and then soak the towel in soapy water. I learned this lesson the hard way.

My new cast iron skillet was put to use, as olive oil was added to the hot pan before the potatoes went in. Then the yellow onion and ham were added. This cooked over medium-high heat until the potatoes began to brown on the bottom.

A plate was placed on top of the skillet and the pan was carefully flipped over. Since the pan is new, some of the potatoes stuck and had to be scraped out. This should be easier once the pan has been seasoned a bit more.

The grated cheese and sliced green onion were added to the top and this was seasoned with salt and pepper. The pan then went into a preheated 325 degree oven to finish cooking.

I fried slices of leftover ham loaf while the hash potatoes and ham continued to cook.

This was a nice, lighter meal after our large dinner the day before.

Remember, after the initial cleaning after purchase, never use soap to clean an iron skillet. Many people also believe that simply wiping out the pan is enough to clean the pan; no water necessary. If you must use water, be sure to thoroughly dry the pan and then wipe the inside with a bit of cooking oil to coat. After all iron + water = rust.