Got leftover ham? Do what I did and make this creamy Ham Salad! It's super easy and perfect for sandwiches. You can also use it in wraps, roll-ups, or even as a dip for chips and crackers. I used a food processor for chopping the ham into small pieces, but you can use a knife as well.
Looking for another simple salad? Try my egg salad next!
About This Recipe
I can't believe I'm still making recipes with the ham I bought a month ago. I've made three different recipes now: scalloped potatoes & ham, ham & potato soup, ham & bean soup. They've all been super delicious, and I'm still not sick of ham 😛.
In case you're wondering how my ham hasn't gone bad, I chopped up all my ham on the first day and froze it in a zipper-lock bag. Whenever I need ham for a recipe, I just take out how much I need and defrost it at room temperature for an hour. Super convenient!
Have you ever heard of ham salad before? It's very similar to other "salad" dishes like egg salad and tuna salad. It's basically chopped ham mixed with mayonnaise.
There are many different ways to make it, but my favorite is to add relish, mustard, and celery. The relish and mustard add a nice acidity, and the celery adds a nice crunch. Most people eat it in sandwiches, but it's popular as a spread for crackers and chips as well.
Key Ingredients
Here are the ingredients to make ham salad. You can adjust many of the ingredients to your own taste. Personally, I like mine with a bit of heat, so I always add tons of extra black pepper.
Ham: The ham salad will taste like whatever type of ham you use. I'm using a leftover holiday ham.
Celery: I love adding celery because it gives a good crunch to the salad. Some other options you could use for a similar crunch are onions, pickles, or carrots.
Mayonnaise: ¾ cup may seem like a lot but the salad is not too heavy in my opinion. You can add this to your own taste.
Dijon mustard and relish: I add these for acidity and sweetness.
Black pepper: Freshly ground for the best result.
Instructions
STEP 1: Add the ham to a food processor and blend until finely chopped. It should be small pieces but not a paste. If you want a more varied texture, you can blend the ham in two batches. The first batch can be finely chopped, while the second has a rougher texture.
STEP 2: Combine the ham with the remaining ingredients and mix until combined. Now the ham salad is ready to be used in sandwiches or however you like. Store the ham salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Enjoy!
📋 Recipe
Ham Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked ham
- 1 cup celery (finely diced)
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons relish (or chopped dill pickles)
- ½-1 teaspoon black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Add the ham to a food processor and blend until finely chopped. It should be small pieces but not a paste. Avoid overblending. Transfer ham to a medium bowl.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and fold until combined. Serve with crackers and chips, or make a ham salad sandwich.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.
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