You’ve basically got a little flavor goldmine on that ham bone. Here’s what to do with it so nothing goes to waste.

Quick Scoop

If you have time today: turn the ham bone into stock or soup.
If you don’t: wrap it tightly and freeze it for later.

Step 1: Save or prep the bone

  • Trim off any big chunks of ham and save them for omelets, casseroles, sandwiches, or salads.
  • If you’re not using the bone within 2–3 days, wrap it well (foil + freezer bag) and freeze for up to a few months.

Step 2: Easiest thing — ham bone stock

This is the base for almost everything else. Basic ham bone stock

  1. Put the ham bone in a large pot.
  2. Add 8–10 cups water, plus roughly chopped onion, carrot, and celery (no need to peel).
  3. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently 2–3 hours, partially covered.
  4. Strain, discard the bone and veggies, and chill the broth.
  5. Skim off any fat when it cools.

Use this stock for soups, stews, chowders, beans, and rice dishes.

Step 3: Classic ways to use the ham bone

1. Bean or lentil soup

  • White bean & ham soup (navy beans, great northern, or cannellini).
  • Split pea soup with ham.
  • Ham and lentil soup.

General method:

  1. Simmer the ham bone in water or broth with onion, carrot, and celery.
  2. Add soaked dried beans or peas and cook until tender.
  3. Strip any meat off the bone, chop it, and stir it back in.
  4. Season at the end (ham can be salty, so taste first).

2. Ham bone vegetable soup

Use whatever you’ve got in the fridge.

  • Base: ham bone + water or stock.
  • Add: potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, cabbage or kale, maybe tomatoes.
  • Simmer until veggies are soft, then remove the bone, chop the meat, and return it to the pot.

You can keep it brothy, or stir in a splash of cream at the end for richness.

3. Chowders and creamy soups

Great if your bone is still meaty.

  • Ham and potato soup.
  • Ham and corn chowder.
  • Ham, cabbage, and potato soup with a little cream.

Basic idea:

  1. Simmer ham bone with onion, celery, and potatoes in water or stock.
  2. Remove the bone and pick off the meat.
  3. Stir in milk/cream plus a little flour or slurry to thicken.
  4. Add corn or other veggies, simmer briefly, and serve.

4. Beans and rice / “ham & beans” dinners

Use the bone to flavor a pot of beans, then serve over rice or with cornbread.

  • Red beans and rice with ham bone.
  • Lima beans with ham.
  • Black beans with ham, spices, and rice.

Method:

  1. Simmer ham bone with soaked beans, onion, garlic, bay leaf, and any spices you like.
  2. When beans are tender, remove bone, chop meat, and stir it back in.
  3. Serve over rice with hot sauce, pickled peppers, or cornbread.

5. Creative uses and tips

  • Freeze in portions: Once you’ve made stock, freeze it in containers or ice cube trays.
  • Add to casseroles: Use chopped ham from the bone in scalloped potatoes, breakfast bakes, or pasta bakes.
  • Season carefully: Ham bones are salty; always taste before adding extra salt.
  • Don’t overthink “recipes”: For soup, as long as you simmer the bone long enough with veggies and liquid, you’ll end up with something tasty.

Simple starting recipe (no-fuss ham bone soup)

  1. Add ham bone, 1 chopped onion, 2–3 chopped carrots, 2–3 chopped celery stalks, 3–4 diced potatoes to a pot.
  2. Cover with water or broth by about 1–2 inches.
  3. Simmer gently 1.5–2 hours.
  4. Remove bone, cut off any meat, return meat to the pot.
  5. Taste, then season with pepper and only as much salt as needed.

If you tell me what you have on hand (beans? potatoes? corn? cream?), I can give you one very specific recipe tailored to your kitchen.