Yam recipes

Mac and cheese loaded with chopped ham, crushed pineapple, green bell pepper, and onion in a creamy American cheese sauce. Hawaiian pizza flavors in pasta form.

Hearty egg scramble loaded with ham, potatoes, onion, and green pepper cooked in butter. A filling one-skillet breakfast ready in 25 minutes.

Filled butter ring cookies sandwich apricot preserves between two shortbread rounds, the top one cut with a thimble window, dusted with powdered sugar. Linzer-style holiday classic.

Pineapple ham sandwich roll-ups with pineapple cream cheese, toasted walnuts, ham, and crisp lettuce rolled in warm tortillas. A lunchbox-friendly cold wrap with sweet-and-savory contrast.

Cuban chicken stir-fry with rice, ham, pimento-stuffed olives, peas, and tomatoes served on a platter with sliced avocado. A fast one-wok meal using cooked chicken and leftover rice.

Norwegian meat salad with julienned lamb or veal and ham in a creamy vinaigrette, garnished with sliced egg and pickled beet. A hearty Scandinavian main dish salad.

Sweet and sour shrimp tossed in a fresh stone-fruit sauce of pureed nectarines, plums, apricot preserves, Dijon mustard, lemon, and a hit of red pepper flakes. Bright, tangy, and unlike any takeout version.

Farmer's breakfast is a hearty all-in-one: hash brown potatoes, ham, green onion and eggs cooked together in a single dish in the microwave. A filling, no-skillet breakfast on the table in about 25 minutes.

Jerusalem artichoke egg rolls stuffed with sunchokes, ham, shallots, garlic, and chives, then deep fried until crispy. A creative fusion appetizer with earthy, nutty flavor.

Cuban sandwich meets burger: ground chuck patties stacked with Swiss cheese, smoked ham, dill pickles, roasted garlic mayo, and Dijon, then pressed on the grill until flat and crispy.

Quick red beans and rice with diced ham, cayenne, cumin, and hot sauce over brown rice. A Cajun-spiced skillet dinner ready in 25 minutes using pre-cooked ingredients.

Jalapeño, raspberry and pecans blend beautifully in this thumbprint cookie from Anna Marie Bleich of California, Mo.

Beau's notes: * There are no "jalapeno beans;" there are jalapeno peppers and pinto beans. I have two recipes, both of which are quite tref, but a Catholic should worry? But if you are hosting a Jewish person, smoked turkey will substitute most agreeably for the chazer called for in either recipe.]

Tender cream cheese cookies studded with coconut and apricot preserves for jewel-like drops that bake up golden and soft.

Spargel in Weisser Sosse: German white asparagus in a creamy white sauce with julienned ham and freshly grated nutmeg. A classic springtime German side dish ready in 20 minutes.

Buttery hazelnut sandwich cookies filled with raspberry jam and topped with a simple icing. Tiny, tender rounds that melt on your tongue.