Easter will be upon us sooner than we know it, and like any celebration, families gather around the table to feast. Ham is one of many Easter favorites, and like any other holiday, leftovers can be abundant.
Ham potpie is a Pa. Dutch classic that comes in handy around the holidays when you might find yourself with an abundance of leftover ham. This dish isn’t baked with a crust — though its name implies otherwise — and instead, it uses noodles.
And how does that saying go for the month of March . . . ‘In like a lamb, out like a lion’? Well, as move through March into April, we are likely to have some additional chilly days until summer temperatures arrive. Ham potpie soup is great on a cold night!
The recipe below includes homemade dumpling noodles. If you’re not in the mood to make your own noodles and would prefer to cheat like me, find some potpie noodles or your favorite large noodle (kluski are one of my favorite versions) at your favorite grocery store and use them instead of making your own.
HAM POTPIE SOUP WITH NOODLES
Dumpling Noodles
Prepare the dough for the dumplings after you’ve completed the first two steps of the potpie recipe (see below).
Ingredients
- 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup reduced-fat milk
In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt. Add egg and milk and stir until combined and no dry flour remains. Turn out on lightly floured work surface and knead until dough comes together. Roll out to 1/8” thickness and cut noodles approximately 1/4” wide and 3” long.
Potpie
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups reduced-fat milk
- 2 cups cooked ham, cut into 1/2” cubes
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
- 1 cup fresh or frozen green beans, finely chopped
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Melt butter in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrots, and cook until onion is translucent and vegetables soften, about 5 minutes.
Add in garlic, bay leaves, and thyme. Sprinkle flour over vegetables, and stir until all are coated. Stir in chicken broth and milk. Bring to a soft boil.
Meanwhile, prepare dough for dumpling noodles.
Stir dumpling noodles (or packaged pre-made noodles) into soup and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
Stir in ham, corn, and green beans. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
Remove bay leaves. Ladle soup into bowls and top with fresh parsley. Serve.
