Using Up Leftovers - Gammon

This is one of my favourite recipes for using up leftovers. In this case leftovers of gammon (ham for my American friends) and vegetables.

When we had a roast gammon joint on New Years Day, I knew there was going to be leftover meat so I cooked extra vegetables at the same time so that I could make this the day after.

So, the first thing you will need is leftover vegetables and gammon. In this case I think we have potatoes, carrots, cauliflower and parsnips, but you could use pretty much whatever you have on hand.

Chop these into bite sized pieces and place in an ovenproof dish.

Then you will need the ingredients for a cheese sauce. Again this is leftovers. I used up the last of the Holiday season cheeses, Gouda, mature cheddar and Shropshire Blue! If you have never eaten Shropshire Blue you should try it. I have never liked blue cheese, ever, and some times last year I finally tried some Shropshire blue and I LOVE IT!

Grate the cheese

Then you need butter, flour and milk. For 4 people I used 80 grams butter, 80 grams flour and 1 pint of milk.


If you prefer a thinner sauce, use more milk.
I didn't weigh the butter out, I used the 50g marks on the packet as a guide and cut through it Jamie style.


Melt the butter in a pan


Add the flour


and whisk in, remembering to use a non stick friendly whisk such as this one if you have non stick pans.


Cook for a couple of minutes. This is an important step and removes any raw taste from the flour.
THEN, remove the pan from the heat and GRADUALLY add the milk, a little at a time, whisking thoroughly after each bit.


It will actually get THICKER first, not thinner. Do not panic, this is meant to happen!


Keep adding the milk a bit at a time, whisking as you go, and eventually you will get back to a very thin sauce. Put the pan back on the heat, and whisking fairly often to stop it sticking, bring to a boil. As it comes to the boil it will thicken. Once the bubbles start to appear it is best to then whisk as it comes to a proper boil, just to make sure it doesn't stick.

Once the sauce has thickened


you can add the cheese

and season to taste, although with all that cheese it probably will not need any salt, just a bit of pepper. Taste and see what you think.

When seasoning always add less than you think you need and taste again as it is easy to add more but very difficult to remove it.

Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables


Cover with foil


and bake in the oven for 45 minutes, removing the foil about 15 minutes before the end, or sooner if you like a nice crispy top.


Remove from the oven and serve.

I know that at times with these recipe instructions it might seem as if I am teaching my grandma to suck eggs as it were, BUT I am putting these together for my late teens son, who may need every step explaining, if I am not around to ask details.