Last Updated June 2nd, 2023 at 09:19 am by Lisa
Ham Salad is a tasty spread to go onto crackers for an easy appetizer. But it's most famously put on sliced bread as a ham salad sandwich recipe! Oh, and it's a fantastic way to use up all that leftover holiday ham.
Pack up sandwiches in school or work lunch boxes, or take them on a picnic. Also, this classic ham salad recipe layers beautifully into little finger sandwiches for baby showers, bridal showers, and luncheons...
Ham Salad Recipe
These easy ham salad recipe ingredients are simple pantry staples, and this recipe comes together in minutes. And if you are packing a Picnic, take a look towards the bottom of the post for more delicious Sandwich ideas!
Ham Salad Ingredients
- slices white bread or sourdough
- Smoked Ham
- Hardboiled Eggs
- celery finely diced
- mayonnaise or miracle whip
- Dijon mustard
- Pickled Red Onion, chopped red onions, or green onions
- sweet pickle relish, dill pickle relish or Dill Pickles chopped
- black pepper
- optional: crisp lettuce
Try my Kahlua Pineapple Glazed Ham or Double Smoked Ham recipe, with a sweet glaze just like Honey Baked stores!
Boil Eggs
Boil 2 eggs, and dice into fine pieces. Try my Steam Hard-Boiled Eggs method to cook eggs in just 12 minutes. It is an amazingly simple recipe.
Grind The Ham
In a food processor or a meat grinder, place the Smoked Ham in larger pieces and pulse until ground, about 4-5 times.
Scrape down the sides and keep pulsing until it becomes a finer consistency.
Another easy way to prep the meat is to chop it on a board into either a fine or chunkier texture, as you prefer.
Mix Up The Ham Spread
Scrape the finely ground meat into a medium bowl. Add the diced Hard Boiled Eggs, and next add in the mayonnaise, red onions, dill (or sweet) pickle relish, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.
Mix until well combined with a rubber spatula, cover, and chill in an airtight container for at least a few hours.
This ham salad spread recipe gets even better chilled overnight, with so much flavor! And lasts up to four days refrigerated.
Homemade Ham Salad Additions
Ham Meat: The main ingredient is the star of the show. When you buy a good honey-baked ham, this will put those leftovers to good use. Or if a whole one is not practical, consider a ham steak.
They are a good way to go and are a precut slice from a whole ham roast. You can also buy deli ham, but that does get pricey.
Pickle Relish: You can add a touch of relish you like. Try a sweet relish, dill relish, or my homemade Relish Recipe. Chop up some dill pickles, butter pickles, sweet gherkins, or cornichon pickles. It is also great to add a splash of a little pickle juice!
Seasonings: Different seasonings like Finishing Salts add a nice touch of flavor. Add a dash of my homemade Celery Salt, or a little onion powder or garlic powder for more of a little kick.
Mayonnaise Dressing: In place of the mayo, you can swap in Greek yogurt or sour cream. You can even use some creamy salad dressing! My Buttermilk Ranch Dressing would be great. Those all alter the flavor but will be delicious.
Sandwich Spread: Some people love a good spread of ham mixture on their favorite bread or slider bun without anything else. Other people like to have a condiment spread on their bread. Try my Creamy Balsamic Horseradish Sauce for a spicy kick or Remoulade with this simple ham salad recipe!
Ham salad is a traditional American and British chilled cold salad. The main ingredient is finely-chopped ham, mixed with mayonnaise, celery, sweet or dill relish, onion, seasonings, and other ingredients like chopped hard boiled eggs. It is used to make sandwiches and enjoyed as a side dish for dinner, lunch, picnics, and cookouts. Today, it is loved throughout the United States and the UK and is considered a classic Southern dish in America.
Originally ham salad was a recipe created from cooked leftover deli meat or canned products. It started as a regional favorite recipe in Northern Ohio and Eastern Pennsylvania. Leftover ham salad is great on crackers as an appetizer or snack!
How To Eat The Best Ham Salad Recipe
If you are wondering what is best to eat with this amazing ham salad besides on sandwiches, the most simple way is on your favorite cracker!
For parties, uses a 1" springloaded scoop. It goes fast and looks pretty, garnish with some fresh herbs like parsley or chives.
Nothing is better than a little ham salad on a cracker...
You can also scoop it into mini bell pepper halves, celery sticks, or lettuce cups for a low-carb option!
More Sandwich Recipes
Get some new recipe inspiration with any of these salads that are great on their own or piled on slices of bread. They all have basic ingredients available at local stores and grocery stores.
Use this perfect ham salad on elegant, dainty, crustless Tea Sandwiches. Quintessential pinkies-up party food. And host a beautiful light lunch garden party, a bridal shower, or a Mother’s Day brunch.
Summer picnic food is easy with this popular recipe, Pressed Italian Picnic Sandwiches. They are bursting with the best flavor, neat to hold and eat, made ahead, and then toss into a cooler or picnic basket.
A BLT Lobster Sandwich Recipe with succulent lobster, thick crispy applewood smoked bacon, golden grilled sourdough bread, and slathered with an easy dill-caper aioli sauce. Oh, and this great recipe won a 1st Place Blue Ribbon at the Orange County Fair during a live cooking competition!
One of my favorite things about this Italian Tuna Salad recipe is it can be rolled up in a tortilla wrap, scooped in colorful bell pepper bowls as an easy side dish, or put inside lettuce leaves for low-carb lunches!
Make an elegant beef roast for a special dinner, then serve thick deli-style Roast Beef Sandwiches the next day. These are out of this world heavenly, and all made at home with a creamy dressing spread.
Easy recipes like Egg Salad are fast to put together and go so well on good bread like pumpernickel or rye. Be sure to put a pickle on top!
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Ham Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 slices white bread or sourdough
- 2 cups smoked ham finely ground in food processor
- 2 whole hardboiled eggs
- 1 cup celery finely diced
- ½ cup mayonnaise or miracle whip
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup red onion pickled red onion, or green onions
- ¼ cup dill pickle or sweet pickle relish chopped
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Boil 2 eggs, dice into fine pieces.
- In a food processor or a meat grinder, place the smoked Ham in larger pieces and pulse until ground, about 4-5 times. Scrape down the sides and keep pulsing until it becomes a finer consistency.
- Another easy way to prep the ham is to chop on a board into either a fine or chunkier texture, as you prefer.
- Scrape the finely ground ham into a large bowl. Add the diced hard boiled eggs. Add in the mayonnaise, red onions, dill (or sweet) pickle relish, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Mix until well combined with a rubber spatula, cover and chill in an airtight container for at least a few hours and it's even better overnight.
Very nice post. Very informative
Thanks
So easy, so good. We loved the crunch of celery in it.