Easter Feast and Ham Delicacies at Bagley Farms Meat Market

Easter is on April 20 this year, and that means the smell of a smoked or baked ham is
right around the corner. At Bagley Farms Meat Market, we have two of the best-selling
local brands (Wenneman Meat Co out of St. Libory, IL and Behrmann Quality Meats out
of Albers, IL) and the national best seller Boar’s Head.
Ham is the cut of meat that comes from the back of the pig. It is a large cut with just one
bone, making it the ideal entrée for large family gatherings such as Christmas and
Easter. When a whole ham is cut in half, it becomes two cuts: the shank (easier to
carve) and the butt end (leaner). Ham is processed in one of three ways: fresh, smoked,
or cured. Specialty cuts of ham such as serrano ham (Spanish style) and prosciutto
(Italian) are specialty slices that are cured, smoked, and then air dried.
Ham can be sold in a variety of ways: bone in, spiral sliced, honey baked, maple glazed,
cut into thick steaks (a cross-section of either the butt or shank., or sliced thin into lunch
meat.
For over 50 years, family-owned Behrmann Meats has been serving not only southern
Illinois, but Indiana, Kentucky, and Missouri. Bone in and bone out hams are their
specialties. This year their commercial style ham won Grand Champion at the 2025
Product Show in Effingham.
Wenneman Meat Company is another family owned business that has been providing
fresh hams without fillers, glutten, or MSG for over 100 years using the same
formulations handed down from generation to generation.
Boar’s Head is the national leader in lunchmeat and whole hams which can be bought
in maple honey, tavern smoked, or Smokemaster black forest varieties. We also carry
pre-sliced prosciutto.
To fully cook a whole or half ham, place it in a shallow pan and bake it for 10 minutes
per pound at 325 degrees. If using an instant pot, the ham will be ready in less than 30
minutes. A fully cooked 5-6 pound ham will feed a large family with leftovers!
While leftover ham makes great sandwiches or breakfast meat, here are a couple
different recipes to use up the extras.

Ham Cake-ettes (serves 6)

Ingredients
1 ½ cups cold mashed potatoes
1 cup finely chopped cooked ham
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs, divided
1 large egg
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon dried dill weed

½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ cup vegetable oil for frying, or as needed

Directions
Mix together mashed potatoes, ham, green onions, 1/4 cup bread crumbs, egg, Dijon
mustard, dill weed, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. If
mixture is too moist to hold together, mix in an additional 1/4 cup bread crumbs.
Place remaining bread crumbs into a shallow bowl.
Scoop about 1/3 cup of the mixture and form into a ball; slightly flatten into a patty.
Press both sides of patty into bread crumbs; tap off any loose crumbs. Repeat with
remaining mixture.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until very hot. Fry patties, 2 to 3 at a time, in
hot oil until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

One-Pot Ham and Veggie Pasta (serves 6)

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 ½ cups cubed fully cooked ham
½ cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 ¼ cups fat free half-and-half
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 (16 ounce) package farfalle (bow tie) pasta
2 cups frozen peas and carrots
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
chopped parsley for garnish

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add ham and onion; saute for about 3
minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in Italian seasoning,
red pepper flakes, salt and pepper; cook for 2 minutes.
Whisk together chicken broth, half-and-half, and flour in a bowl until smooth; pour into
the pot. Stir in farfalle pasta, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.

Add peas and carrots. Cook until pasta is cooked through, about 8 more minutes. Stir in
Parmesan cheese and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve immediately.