Four small cuts around the edge of a slice let it fold flat, and two recipes here lean on exactly that: the ham lines foil muffin cups in the corn and mozzarella bakes, and nestles into split croissants for the breakfast cups. Elsewhere the slices go inside rather than on top, layered between two pieces of cheddar in the loaded potato waffles so the cheese melts in the middle of the batter, doubled up under grated mozzarella inside the rice paper spiral, and cut into strips that get tossed through an egg-and-cream custard for the shredded tortilla pizza. Because the meat arrives cured and already salted, several of these ingredient lists add no salt at all; season the batter or custard around it lightly and taste once the ham is in.
Shredded tortilla pizza slices 4 tortillas and 100 g of ham into thin strips, coats them in a custard of 3 eggs, 100 ml of cream, salt and Italian herbs, presses the mix into a pan and bakes it under pizza sauce, mozzarella and pepperoni at 180 °C for 25 minutes. Thicker than pizza, closer to a savory pie — the viral TikTok bake that actually works. Serves 4.
Bake this ham and cheese rice paper spiral at 200°C (400°F) for about 15 minutes until deep golden and crisp. Soak 3 rice paper sheets in beaten egg instead of water, overlap them into one sheet, layer cured ham and grated mozzarella, roll tight, then coil into a snail-shell spiral. Brush with the reserved egg, shower with everything bagel seasoning, and bake. The result is crackly golden paper wrapped around salty ham and molten cheese — a savory breakfast worth waking up for.
These waffles start with mashed potato instead of a plain flour batter, and cheddar and ham go in the middle so the cheese melts inside rather than burning on the plates. A spoonful of baking powder does the real work, lifting the dense mash so the center stays fluffy while the iron crisps the outside. Boiled potatoes, flour, an egg, chopped green onion, and 120 ml (½ cup) of milk come together in about 15 minutes of prep. Cook until the grid is deep golden and lifts out without sticking, about 5–7 minutes. Leftover mashed potatoes work fine too, as long as they are not too wet.
Thin ham slices stand in for pastry here: four small cuts around each slice let it fold into a foil muffin liner without tearing, forming a cup that holds drained canned corn, a small piece of butter and a heap of shredded mozzarella. Draining the corn well matters, so the cups don't turn watery as they bake. The butter melts down through the kernels, keeping the filling rich rather than dry. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is golden on top and melty in the middle; the foil liners make each cup easy to lift out.
Split croissants do the work of pastry in these breakfast cups: each half sits cut-side up in a muffin tin, cradling folded ham, beaten egg and melting cheese. Day-old croissants are the better choice here, since a slightly stale crumb holds its cup shape and soaks up the egg without turning soggy. Cutting a few slits in each ham slice lets it fold flat into the cup instead of springing back. Mozzarella melts smoothly on top, though any soft melting cheese works. Bake at 180°C (350°F) and pull the tin once the edges are deep golden and the eggs are just set in the middle.
These little spiral bites turn a single ham-and-cheese tortilla into a batch of crisp, croissant-like rounds, and the air fryer browns them in 15 minutes at 180°C (350°F). Rolling the tortilla tightly matters: a loose roll traps air, so the spirals unwind and the cheese leaks out before the outside crisps. Cut the roll into 2–3 cm (1 in) pieces and line them up in a single layer so the hot air reaches each one. They are done when the edges turn deep golden and the cheese just starts to bubble from the spiral. Pepperoni or salami swap in for the ham without changing the timing.