A few slices of deli ham become the soul of a quick, rich sauce that tastes like Sunday supper. Peas keep it bright and give you something green on the plate. Toast is dinner.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 410 calories a serving, 15 g protein, 51 g carbohydrate, 16 g fat. From USDA figures for 89% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add 1 small diced onion and 1 minced garlic clove, cook until soft, about 3 minutes.3 min
2. Stir in 1 tablespoon flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring, until the flour loses its raw smell.1 min
3. Add 3/4 cup water and bring to a simmer, stirring often until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup frozen peas and a few slices of deli ham cut into bite-sized pieces, stir to warm through, about 2 minutes.2 min
4. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. While the sauce finishes, toast 4 slices of bread until golden at the edges.
5. Divide toast between two plates and pour the ham and pea sauce over each serving.

Note Swap the ham for diced cooked chicken or crumbled bacon. Leftovers keep in the fridge for two days; reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water. Serve with a simple salad of greens and vinaigrette on the side.

Ham and eggs in a quick cream sauce over buttered toast is a weeknight supper that uses up half a package of deli ham in one efficient skillet. The sauce comes together in minutes and stretches four ounces of ham into a proper dinner for two.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 18 at the stove.

About 730 calories a serving, 29 g protein, 45 g carbohydrate, 49 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat and add 1/4 minced medium onion. Cook until soft, about 2 minutes.2 min
2. Dust 1 tablespoon flour over the onion, stir well, and cook for 1 minute to remove the raw taste. Pour in 1 cup heavy cream and whisk until smooth, scraping the bottom as you go.
3. Stir in 4 ounces deli ham torn into bite-sized pieces and simmer gently until the sauce thickens, about 4 minutes, stirring often. Season with salt and pepper to taste.4 min
4. While the sauce simmers, toast 4 slices of bread and butter them lightly. Arrange two slices on each plate.
5. Crack 4 eggs into a small bowl and stir gently to break the yolks. Slide the eggs into the simmering sauce and stir gently until the whites are set but yolks remain soft, about 3 minutes.3 min
6. Spoon the creamed ham and eggs over the buttered toast and serve at once.

Note Swap ham for cooked chicken or diced turkey if you have it. Leftovers keep refrigerated for two days and reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water. Serve with a green salad or steamed vegetables on the side to stretch the supper.

A weeknight supper that turns a small wedge of deli ham into something substantial. Fried rice is quick and forgiving, perfect when the fridge is nearly bare and you need dinner on the table in twenty minutes.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 20 at the stove.

About 770 calories a serving, 21 g protein, 118 g carbohydrate, 22 g fat. From USDA figures for 86% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Chop the deli ham into small dice, mince 2 garlic cloves, and cut 1 small onion into quarter-inch pieces. Crack 2 eggs into a bowl and beat them with a fork until the white and yolk are combined.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in the beaten eggs and let them set for 20 seconds, then stir and break them into small curds as they cook, about 1 minute total, until just cooked through. Pour the eggs onto a plate and set aside.2 min
3. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened and just starting to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and diced ham and cook for 1 minute, stirring.3 min
4. Add 1.5 cups of cooked and cooled rice, breaking up any clumps with the back of the spoon as you stir it in. Cook, stirring now and then, for 2 minutes until the rice is heated through and starting to lightly brown.2 min
5. Add half a cup of frozen peas and carrots, the cooked eggs, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss everything together over the heat for 1 minute until the vegetables are warm.1 min

Note Swap the frozen vegetables for any other kind, corn, green beans, broccoli. Leftovers keep, covered, for three days and reheat in a skillet with a splash of water. Serve with soy sauce and a squeeze of lime, or with hot sauce on the side.