Many hams will be baked this holiday season, generating many pounds of leftover ham. Much of that ends up on a simple ham sandwich.

Here’s an alternative: Make your sandwich on a biscuit. It’s that much more special.

We enjoy this recipe with breakfast eggs and as lunch with a salad. The recipe was developed by Dietz & Watson, which used its Chef Carved Ham.

If you don’t want to make the cranberry balsamic reduction, default to mustard and plain cranberry sauce.

Similarly, you can make biscuits from scratch or buy refrigerator biscuits.

> The History Of Biscuits

> Different Types Of Biscuits

> More Biscuit Recipes

 
For The Cranberry Balsamic Reduction

 
Preparation

1. BAKE the biscuits.

2. MAKE cranberry balsamic reduction while the biscuits bake. Combine preserves, vinegar, basil, mustard, peppercorns, and chile in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Simmer the sauce until thickened (approximately 8 to 10 minutes). Strain the reduction through a fine sieve and if needed, thin with water.

3. TEAR ham to fit biscuits.

4. HALVE freshly baked biscuits and place ham on the bottom half. Drizzle reduction over the ham and cover with biscuit half.  
 

We’re being inundated with recipes for Thanksgiving leftovers. But today’s tip is good for leftovers year-round.

Leftover potatoes—boiled or roasted—make good hash. Leftover meat, poultry or fish added to the dish turns it into a main course instead of a side.

Just sauté chopped onion, bell pepper, celery, any other veggies and herbs, and stir it up.

Here’s an idea we received from PotatoGoodness.com. The recipe is from award-winning cookbook author, Diane Morgan. “There is no better or more enjoyable way to use up leftover turkey than to make turkey hash,” she says. “It’s perfect for a weekend brunch or for an easy weeknight supper, especially after the big Thanksgiving meal.”

Prep time is 30 minutes, cook time is 30 minutes.

Ingredients For 6 Servings

 
Preparation

1. MELT the butter over medium heat in a 12-inch skillet or sauté pan, preferably cast iron. Swirl to coat the pan. Add the potatoes and onion and sauté for about 1 minute until just coated with butter. Cover and cook for 7 minutes to steam the potatoes, stirring once.

2. ADD the celery and bell pepper, stir briefly, then cover and cook for 3 minutes longer. Uncover the pan, raise the heat to medium-high, and add the salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes until the potatoes are lightly browned.

3. GENTLY FOLD in the turkey, tarragon, and parsley and cook for about 2 minutes just until the turkey is heated through. Using a large spoon, make 6 shallow depressions in the hash, spacing them equally around the pan, with one in the center. Carefully crack an egg into each hollowed-out spot.

4. COVER the pan and cook the eggs for about 5 minutes until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny. Serve immediately, garnishing the top of each egg with a sprinkling of tarragon. Pass the hot sauce at the table.
 
WHY CAST IRON?

Cast iron is an ideal heat conductor, heating evenly and consistently. With proper care, it will last a lifetime.

When well seasoned, cast iron is stick resistant and requires no additional oil—the “original” fat-free cooking pan.

So don’t throw away Granny’s cast iron skillet: As long as it is scratch-free, clean it up and re-season it. Here’s how to season a cast iron skillet.
  

The onslaught of holiday eating has begun. But you can have your cake and eat it too, according to a physician and food lover.

Says Michael Fenster, MD, F.A.C.C.: “What makes the holiday season so difficult for many people is that it is not just a weekend event like a Memorial Day backyard grill, but a non-stop barrage from October through January.

“We are inundated with offerings everywhere: in the media, at the workplace, at home and every point in-between.”

Dr. Fenster is not only a cardiologist, but a certified wine professional and a chef with a culinary degree. He worked professionally in kitchens prior to entering medical school and has maintained his passion for food and wine throughout his medical career.

He doesn’t want you to abstain over the holidays. It’s not a time for deprivation or dieting—just for following a good eating strategy.

To allow for some culinary holiday cheer without falling into the abyss, Dr. Fenster offers these recommendations:

 
Make smart decisions and you can enjoy the holidays in a guilt free fashion, says Dr. Fenster. “Consider not gaining excessive weight during the holidays as your goal and getting back to the exercise and weight loss after the New Year.”

For better-for-you recipes and cooking demonstrations with Michael Fenster, visit WhatsCookingWithDoc.com.

Here, the creative chefs at Petrossian made a crab salad with fresh whole crab. Instead of discarding the empty crab legs, they stuffed them and arranged them on the plate: a clever, fun presentation.

Petrossian stuffed the legs with more crab, a quail egg and caviar and served them with a stripe of aïoli (garlic mayonnaise). But you can stuff them with anything, including:

Garnish the tops with:

 
Suggestions for stuffings and garnishes? Let us know.
  

Warm alcoholic beverages such as glögg, mulled wine and toddies originated in Northern Europe, where beer, cider, wine, and spirits were mulled (heated) with sugar and spices to add some cheer to cold winter days (before central heating, no less).

Serve a toddy (or one of the related drinks below) instead of egg nog and you’ll save big on calories. A hot toddy is just as festive and is made with mostly water instead of mostly cream and eggs!

Check out the three recipes below: Scotch Toddy, Hot Gin Cider, and Spiced Holly Highball.
 
 
HOT TODDY & ITS RELATIVES

 
While it’s not related to any of the hot drinks above, we’ll add another to the list to clarify the difference:

 
We have more history and recipes for all of these hot cocktails.

RECIPE #1: SCOTCH TODDY

This recipe comes from Laphroaig, using its 10-Year-Old Scotch Whisky. We’re big Laphroaig fans—we love that peaty, smoky taste—but you can use whatever Scotch you have. If you’re not a Scotch drinker, substitute your favorite spirit.

Instead of added spices, this recipe uses ginger liqueur.

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. BUILD drink in a pre-heated coffee mug.

2. GARNISH and serve.
 
 
RECIPE #2: HOT GIN CIDER

This drink, from Tanqueray London Dry Gin, is especially attractive in a tall glass mug, as in the photo below.

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the first five ingredients in a glass. Top with hot apple cider and stir.

2. GARNISH with cinnamon stick and serve.
 
Want a cool, not hot, holiday celebration drink? Here’s an option from Cruzan Rum.

RECIPE #3: SPICED HOLLY HIGHBALL

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. MUDDLE the cranberries, mint, spice, and agave. Add rum and shake well.

2. STRAIN over ice into a highball glass. Top with club soda and garnish with a mint sprig and three cranberries.