10 Ham Dinners, Best Protein Per Dollar First
Ten dinners built on ham — soups, skillets, quesadillas, scalloped potatoes — ranked by protein per dollar, with estimated cost and cook time.
Ham is already cooked, which is the entire point of it on a weeknight: every recipe below is reheating, not roasting. That is why a ham dinner lands at about 25 minutes and $2 a serving while carrying 26g of protein — the expensive, slow part of the meal was done before you bought it.
Anychef catalog data: 41 recipes in our library cook with ham, at a median $2.00 a serving, 25 minutes and 26g of protein. Twenty-one come in under $2 and 25 are ready inside half an hour. Ranked by protein per dollar. Costs are per-serving estimates, not measured prices.
The list
1. Ham and Cheese Calzone
31g protein620 cal$1.90/serving40 min
Savory ham folded into stretchy mozzarella and creamy ricotta, a handheld dinner the whole table fights over.
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2. Chicken Cordon Bleu
52g protein620 cal$3.20/serving55 min
Crispy breaded chicken wrapped around melty ham and Swiss cheese, a dinner-party classic that is secretly weeknight easy.
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3. Grilled Ham Steak with Pineapple
32g protein360 cal$2.00/serving20 min
Salty-sweet ham steaks caramelized on the grill with juicy charred pineapple rings.
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4. Ham and Peas Pasta
29g protein540 cal$2.00/serving25 min
Salty ham and sweet peas tossed in a light parmesan cream, the classic way to turn leftover ham into gold.
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5. Cuban Sandwich
44g protein690 cal$3.20/serving75 min
Roast pork, ham, Swiss, pickles, and mustard pressed hot and crackly, the Miami classic worth firing up a skillet for.
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6. Meat Lovers Pizza
38g protein780 cal$2.80/serving45 min
Sausage, bacon, ham, and pepperoni piled onto one gloriously loaded pie for serious appetites.
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7. Hot Ham and Swiss Sliders
24g protein460 cal$1.80/serving30 min
Buttery baked sliders stuffed with ham and melty Swiss, brushed with a savory mustard glaze that makes a whole tray disappear.
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8. Ham and Potato Soup
24g protein420 cal$1.80/serving45 min
Creamy potato soup loaded with smoky ham and cheddar, the cozy bowl that turns leftover ham into everyone's favorite dinner.
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9. Hawaiian Pizza
25g protein580 cal$1.90/serving40 min
Sweet caramelized pineapple and salty ham over melty mozzarella, the sweet and savory combo people secretly love.
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10. Denver Omelet for Dinner
28g protein420 cal$2.20/serving20 min
A western classic: fluffy eggs folded around ham, peppers, and onions, finished with melted cheddar for dinner appeal.
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Every recipe above comes from the Anychef library of 1,700+ recipes, each with cost per serving and full macros — browse every ham recipe and every recipe under $2 a serving. Or skip the browsing entirely: scan your fridge with the Anychef app and get recipes built from what you already have, macros and grocery list included.
