Mom's Ham Salad • easy classic recipe! (2024)

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Ham salad just like mom made…with a few improvements to make this classic salad even better. Eat it in a sandwich, on crackers, or by the spoonful, it’s good!

Mom's Ham Salad • easy classic recipe! (1)

the ham salad you remember (maybe it’s even just a little bit better?)

  • the ham: I use a smoked ham…you can find it in the packaged meat section of your grocery store. Sometimes it will come sliced, but it doesn’t matter for this recipe. A smoked ham adds an extra layer of flavor to this salad.
  • the mayo: sure, you could just add a big kollop of Miracle Whip to your salad, that’s what my mom did. But I’m going up a notch with actual mayonnaise, lol, and a nice glug of creamy Dijon mustard. Mix the two together and you’ve got a much better dressing for this salad.
  • the relish: mom added sweet relish. As kids we loved the extra sweetness but I’m going one better with finely minced gherkins. And add in a few of the little co*cktail onions that come in the jar, that’s how we’re rolling.
  • the bread: ok, I cop to it, I’m using the same sliced white bread mom did. There are some things you just can’t improve on 😉
Mom's Ham Salad • easy classic recipe! (2)

the method

Mom had a meat grinder, and for the longest time I assumed I couldn’t make ham salad because I didn’t. But guess what? A food processor works just as good, if not better for turning chunks of ham into a fluffy salad. Who knew?

Mom's Ham Salad • easy classic recipe! (3)

how to grind ham in a food processor

  1. Chop your ham into chunks. This helps the food processor grind the meat evenly.
  2. You’re going to use the pulse button, and you want to give it about 50 short pulses, give or take, until the ham is fluffy and evenly chopped.
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how to serve ham salad

Most of the time you’re going to want to make sandwiches, and my only tip is to spread a thin layer of the mayo/Dijon mixture on your slices of bread first. It’ll bond the sandwich together and also helps keep it moist.

You can add lettuce, tomato, or a thin slice of red onion if you like, but it’s also really good on its own.

For tea sandwiches use thinly sliced white bread and cut off the crusts before slicing in triangles or rectangles.

Ham salad also makes an easy appetizer, just serve with buttery crackers like Ritz.

For the carb-averse, use it to fill ribs of celery or endive leaves.

Mom's Ham Salad • easy classic recipe! (5)

more sandwich inspo

  • Smoked Salmon Salad
  • Curried Chickpea Salad (vegan or not!)
  • Great Island Curried Chicken Salad
  • Sheet Pan Tuna Melts
  • Perfect Patty Melts

Mom's Ham Salad • easy classic recipe! (6)

Mom’s Ham Salad

5 from 12 votes

Ham salad just like mom made…with a few improvements to make this classic salad even better. Eat it in a sandwich, on crackers, or by the spoonful, it'sgood!

Print RecipeRate Recipe

Prep Time:15 minutes minutes

Total Time:15 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 sandwiches

Equipment

  • food processor

Ingredients

  • 1 lb smoked ham, cut in rough chunks
  • 1/3 cup relish or finely minced cornichons (you can process the pickles with the ham if you like.)
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 3 tsp creamy Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

  • Put the ham into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Give the machine 50-60 short pulses, until the ham is evenly ground and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary to make sure everything gets evenly minced.

  • Transfer the ham to a bowl along with the relish or minced cornichons.

  • Mix the mayo, mustard, and salt until smooth. Taste it to see if it needs any adjustments. Toss the salad with the dressing until well combined.

  • Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

NEW FEATURE! Click here to add your own private notes.

Course: lunch

Cuisine: American

Author: Sue Moran

Keyword: ham, lunch, salad, sandwich

Nutrition

Calories: 243 kcal · Carbohydrates: 3 g · Protein: 13 g · Fat: 20 g · Saturated Fat: 5 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 7 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 7 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 41 mg · Sodium: 1039 mg · Potassium: 176 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 1 g · Vitamin A: 27 IU · Vitamin C: 1 mg · Calcium: 7 mg · Iron: 1 mg

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

Did You Make This?We love seeing what you’ve made! Tag us on social media at @theviewfromgreatisland for a chance to be featured.

Mom's Ham Salad • easy classic recipe! (7)

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Mom's Ham Salad • easy classic recipe! (2024)

FAQs

What is deli ham salad made of? ›

Ham salad is similar to chicken salad, egg salad, or tuna salad. It is prepared with cooked, cold ham along with vegetables, relish, and mayonnaise. It is then chilled and served cold directly from the refrigerator.

How long is ham salad safe to eat? ›

Cold Food Storage Chart
FoodTypeRefrigerator [40°F (4°C) or below]
SaladEgg, chicken, ham, tuna, and macaroni salads3 to 4 days
Hot dogsOpened package1 week
Unopened package2 weeks
Luncheon meatOpened package or deli sliced3 to 5 days
49 more rows
Sep 19, 2023

What does devilled ham mean? ›

Far from evil, the word “deviled” is a culinary term that means “adding spices” — usually hot ones like cayenne pepper, Dijon mustard, or chopped chili peppers — to foods like ham, eggs, turkey, or even lobster. Underwood Deviled Ham Spread — a New England-born favorite since 1868.

Where did ham salad come from? ›

Historically, ham salad was made from left over deli or canned ham in Western Pennsylvania. Meat markets offered a deli meat that was chopped ham which was called chipped ham that was thinly sliced to order. The leftover ends was then chopped up and made into a salad the same way tuna.

Is Boar's Head ham real ham? ›

Since 1905, our standards of quality have never wavered. Our products are made of only the finest ingredients: whole muscle beef, pork and poultry, and spices sourced from around the globe.

Why does my ham salad get watery? ›

Your ham salad may be watery due to excess moisture from ingredients like celery, onion, and pickles or from the ham itself. To reduce wateriness, dry the ingredients before mixing, and avoid using too much mayonnaise.

Can you eat ham 3 days out of date? ›

Most ham lasts 3-5 days in the fridge.

After 5 days, discard your ham as it will have gone bad. A whole ham will tend to last around 1 week in the fridge. Prosciutto, dry Italian ham, Spanish ham, and Serrano ham can last 2-3 months in the fridge. Canned ham will last up to 6 months to 2 years if it isn't opened.

Can you eat ham after 7 days? ›

Now that Easter is over, you might be wondering what to do with leftover ham. Of course there are many options, but one thing you should not do is let it sit too long in the refrigerator. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, ham is good for three to five days in the refrigerator after it is cooked.

Can you eat 5 day old ham? ›

Spiral-cut hams and leftovers from consumer-cooked hams may be stored in the refrigerator three to five days or frozen one to two months. Keep your refrigerator at 40 °F or less and your freezer at or near 0 °F. See also Ham and Food Safety.

Is Spam the same as deviled ham? ›

Deviled ham has long been a popular canned good, but can also be made at home with a blender. It is not to be confused with Spam, which involves a meat mixture mostly consisting of pork shoulder, and lacks deviled ham's spicier flavor.

What is ham called before it's cooked? ›

Gammons were traditionally cured before being cut from a side of pork along with bacon. When cooked, gammon is ham.

Why is ham not called pork? ›

Pork is a cut of meat from a domesticated pig in its raw form, while ham is a specific cut of pork from the pig's hind legs.

What state is known for its ham? ›

Photo Credit: Emily Condit. The neighboring town of Smithfield, Virginia, known as the “ham capital of the world” and “Hamtown,” is one of the biggest hubs for ham production. Smithfield is also home to Smithfield Foods, a world-famous name in the food industry.

Why is ham salad pink? ›

(My mom tipped me off that the way that they were able to get the grocery store version of this dish to look so beautiful, pink and fresh is that they add beet juice to it! So I add a bit of red food coloring if I am serving it on a buffet so that it looks more appealing.

What is uncooked ham called? ›

A fresh ham would be an uncured leg of pork. The fresh ham will have the term “fresh” in the title of the product. The term fresh means that the product has not been cured in any process. The term “turkey ham” refers to a ready-to-eat product that is made from the cured thigh meat of the turkey.

What are the ingredients in ham deli meat? ›

Ingredients. Cured with dextrose, water, salt, contains 2% or less of ascorbic acid (vitamin c), flavorings, honey, molasses powder (molasses, maltodextrins), smoke flavor, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite, sodium phosphate.

Is boar's head deli ham processed? ›

Our products are not highly processed. In order for you to enjoy optimum flavor, we recommend that you do not purchase more product than you can consume within three days.

Is ham from the deli processed meat? ›

Processed meat is meat that has been preserved by smoking, curing, salting or by adding preservatives, nitrates and nitrites. Processed meat includes ham, devon, bacon, salami, frankfurts, prosciutto and some sausages such as cabanossi and kransky.

Is deli sliced ham healthy? ›

It's rich in protein and several beneficial nutrients. However, regularly eating processed meats like ham may increase your risk of certain cancers. Thus, it's best to limit your intake and stick to fresh, less processed types of ham as part of a balanced diet.

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