Go ahead, ham it up.
Pretty much everyone knows how to make tuna salad from a can of tuna, or chicken salad from chopped chicken. But not that many people know about ham salad. And they should.
Ham salad is the same kind of creature as tuna and chicken salad – a creamy, spreadable sandwich filling – but with a distinctly different flavor. For starters, it’s made from salty, smoky ham, which already has a stronger taste than tuna or chicken. It has a creamy mayonnaise dressing just like those other salads, but with zingy mustard and dill pickle relish mixed in for an extra flavor twist.
And finally, instead of combining all that with crisp veggies like celery or onion, it uses sour dill pickles. If you remove the seeds and pat them dry with paper towels, they don’t add too much liquid, but they do add a pop of cool, crunchy texture and tangy flavor.
Ham salad is great in a sandwich (try it on whole wheat with lettuce and tomatoes), but you can also serve it on its own in a bowl, with crackers for dipping. And it’s a great way to use up any leftover ham you have sitting around after and event or holiday.
How to Make Classic Ham Salad
Directions:
- In food processor add your ham, relish, mayo and dijon mustard and pulse until everything is combined but not too gummy.
- Remove into a bowl and folding chopped dill pickles.
- Serve with crackers or as a sandwich.
Tools used for this Ham Salad Recipe:
Food Processor: Here is my go-to food processor!
Food Storage: This glass food storage containers come in a variety of sizes and are perfect for storing your ham salad in.
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Classic Ham Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups fully cooked ham I used a ham steak
- 2 Tbs dill relish
- 3/4 cup mayo
- 1 Tbs dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup chopped dill pickles dried with paper towels and seeds removed, it helps keep it from being liquidy
Instructions
- In food processor add your ham, relish, mayo and dijon mustard and pulse until everything is combined but not too gummy.
- Remove into a bowl and folding chopped dill pickles.
- Serve with crackers or as a sandwich.
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Nutrition Information:
Nutrition Disclaimer
Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
Angelina says
This is a very nice recipe for Ham Salad, but I grew up having it with a few more ingredients added into it, which made it very special. We also added in some finely diced celery, & (either) some scallions or shallots, Drain & blot (w/paper towels) the pickles & the relish, so that you won’t incorporate any excess liquid into the Ham Salad. Some folks added in a chopped hard boiled egg or two (optional). Make sure to use a good quality mayonnaise, since that’s the key to it’s delicious flavor.
Maka says
I’ve made Ham Salad, though use yellow mustard and sweet relish (dried with a paper towel). It too is delish on a cracker or in a sandwich! Always a big hit!
Karen says
This work out well but makes a lot can’t it be frozen?
Corey says
I wouldn’t recommend freezing it.