Leftover Ham Casserole

In an effort to get rid of our Easter ham, I made this casserole tonight.  It was simple, easy and surprisingly delicious.  

Ingredients

• 1 (6-ounce) package long-grain and wild rice mix
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine 
• 2 cups chopped cooked ham 
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium-size green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 (2-ounce) jar diced pimiento, drained
• 1 cup sliced almonds, toasted

1. Preparation
2. Cook rice according to directions.
3. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add ham, onion, and bell pepper, and sauté until tender. Stir in rice.
4. Combine soup and next ingredients; add to skillet. Spoon into a lightly greased 2-quart baking dish.
5. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with almonds, and bake 5 more minutes.

Leftover Ham + Rainy Day = Split Pea Soup

On days like today, I start to crave soups like Grandma used to make. I remember long, rainy afternoons when Grandma would make soup, and often Grandpa would be home because the weather would prevent him from working. Even though I didn't like pea soup as a kid, I loved the atmosphere of its creation.

Since we had a ham bone left over from Easter, I decided to use it to make soup this morning. If found a good recipe from The Food Network by Emeril and gave it a try. I tested the soup at lunch and it's quite yummy. Hopefully Brian and Jack will like it -- somehow I think Jack, our pea lover, will be more enthusiastic than his dad.

I'll try to post their reactions later.

UPDATE FROM DAY 2 of THE SOUP:
Even better the second day... My picky, non-pea-eating husband happily ate a second bowl of soup today without complaint. A success in my book. Jack, however, wouldn't touch it.