A while back I gave a recipe for ham loaf. There are a couple other things I do with ground cooked ham. One is ham and potato cakes. The other is Ham Patties with Sour Cream. Why am I offering them now?

Well, Easter is only a short time away. I always have ham for Easter dinner. It has been a tradition at our house and maybe at yours, too. My problem with that scenario is leftovers. I have tried freezing ham, either in slices or in chunks. If it is in the freezer for more than a few weeks, it comes out freezer-burnt. Then it's thrown out to the critters.

I have found a way to avoid that problem. The food processor is my friend. I process the ham until it is like ground beef, then put the two bags (only two) of ground ham in the front of my freezer compartment of the refrigerator in my kitchen, not downstairs in the upright freezer. They would get lost among the other meats. I try to prepare the frozen ground ham in any of my three recipes within the next few weeks.

HAM AND POTATO CAKES
Combine:
1 cup leftover mashed potatoes
1 cup ground cooked ham
1 teaspoon minced onion
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Combine all ingredients in large bowl until well blended. Shape mixture into flat cakes. Dip lightly in flour. Saute in bacon drippings over medium heat until nicely browned.

HAM PATTIES WITH SOUR CREAM
2 cups cooked ground ham
1 tablespoon minced onion
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley,optional
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 cup water
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1 cup sour cream

Combine ham, onion, bread crumbs, parsley and mustard in large bowl. Add eggs and blend well. Shape into patties and brown on both sides in butter over medium heat. Keep warm while making sauce. Combine water and paprika in saucepan. Heat to boiling point. Remove from stove and stir in sour cream. To serve, spoon over ham patties and garnish with additional parsley, if desired.