Herby Ham Salad

posted on March 31, 2015 by Brenda

Leftover ham? This simple Herby Ham Salad is creamy, tangy, and utterly delicious.

Herby Ham Salad from afarmgirlsdabbles.com #pinkpork

Did you grow up on ham salad? I don’t remember my mom making it, but my aunt Mary Jane did. It was a sandwich spread I could count on at each of my cousin’s graduation parties. Mary Jane also offered her famous tiger meat, a rare find at most gatherings, especially nowadays, and one that I can’t personally vouch for. No, thank you.

My aunt’s ham salad, though. I’ve missed that spread.

When I admitted to my sisters that sometimes, when I’m on a road trip to and from South Dakota and North Dakota, I’ll pick up one of those pre-packaged ham salad sandwiches out of the cooler case at a gas station…well let’s just say they weren’t very impressed. All Cheryl and Jessica could do was scrunch up their faces in disgust. I laughed it off, and really don’t care. In fact, I can guarantee that I’ll eat more of those gas station sammies on future road trips. But the conversation also made me face the facts. It was due time that I experimented with making ham salad at home. You are going to LOVE this Herby Ham Salad. I promise!
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What Type of Kitchen Are You?

The Ohio Pork Council and Ohio Soybean Council asked me to share a recipe utilizing leftover Easter ham, and this post is sponsored by the both of them.

The Ohio Pork Council is hosting a “What Type of Kitchen are You?” survey on their website now through April 7th. They are giving away three Fiesta casserole dishes to three lucky Sweepstakes winners who pin their results by 4/7/15. Who wouldn’t love to own a new Fiesta dish? Besides, the survey is fun and super quick to accomplish – and the Ohio Pork Council is donating one meal of pork to a local food bank for each entry, up to 25,000 meals.

traditional kitchen

Let me know in the comments what type of kitchen you are – I’d love to hear back from my readers. I was classified as “traditional”. And the traditional kitchen shown in the survey result (photo above) would make me one happy girl. Gorgeous!

Herby Ham Salad from afarmgirlsdabbles.com #pinkpork

If you’re anticipating leftovers this year (I highly recommend that you make sure that happens!), this recipe has you covered. Similar in style to other salad favorites of mine (think chicken salad, egg salad, and tuna salad), this ham salad is creamy, tangy, and utterly delicious. Blake says it’s the best ham salad he’s ever had. And I have to agree.

It’s easy to make. Just cube some leftover ham and add it to a food processor.

Herby Ham Salad from afarmgirlsdabbles.com #pinkpork

Then pulse the ham until it’s nice and small.

Some people like to blitz the heck out of the ham, creating a mush-like consistency. I prefer some nice texture, leaving the ham in small bits.

Herby Ham Salad from afarmgirlsdabbles.com #pinkpork

And most ham salad is loaded with mayonnaise. But I wanted the wonderful smoky ham flavor to shine through, and opted for less mayo.

Herby Ham Salad from afarmgirlsdabbles.com #pinkpork

Along with the traditional sweet pickle relish, plenty of fresh herbs were stirred in, adding color and different levels of fresh flavors. But the best part is the kick of cayenne. I’m pretty sure that simple addition is what helped to slam-dunk Blake’s opinion of this herby ham salad.

Herby Ham Salad from afarmgirlsdabbles.com #pinkpork

While the ham salad on a flaky croissant makes for an incredible lunch, I also highly recommend noshing on crackers and cucumber slices topped with this salad mixture.

Herby Ham Salad from afarmgirlsdabbles.com #pinkpork

This method works beautifully for an appetizer course. Just think about a chilled cucumber and herby ham salad bite on a hot summer day in the backyard. Pass me a tall, cold glass of lemonade, please.

Print Recipe

Herby Ham Salad

Yield: about 3 cups of ham salad

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. chopped cooked ham (I recommend a good smoked ham)
  • ½ c. mayonnaise
  • ½ c. sweet pickle relish, drained from the jar with a slotted spoon
  • 1 T. Dijon mustard
  • 1 green onion, minced
  • 2 T. minced yellow onion
  • 2 T. minced red bell pepper
  • 2 T. minced celery
  • 2 T. minced fresh parsley
  • 2 T. minced fresh chives
  • 1 T. minced fresh dill (use more if you really like dill)
  • ¼ tsp. cayenne (this gives the ham salad a nice kick – if you don’t like heat, try just a pinch to start out with)
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Using a food processer, pulse the chopped ham until you have very small pieces. Take care to not over-process. Transfer ham to a medium bowl and add the rest of the ingredients, folding to combine. Serve chilled.

Serve as a sandwich spread or a topper for crackers or cucumber slices. Also good served on a  plate of fresh greens.

from a farmgirl’s dabbles

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Herby Ham Salad from afarmgirlsdabbles.com #pinkpork

Disclosure: Thank you to the Ohio Pork Council and the Ohio Soybean Council for sponsoring this post. My family enjoys #PinkPork and we’re happy to share its goodness with you. All opinions are my own.

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posted in Appetizers and Snacks, Christmas, Easter, Holiday, Main Dishes, Pork, Salads & Dressings, Sponsored Posts, Thanksgiving
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