Leftover ham? Make a simple ham salad with diced ham, hard boiled eggs, sweet pickle relish, mayo, onion, celery, bell pepper, and mustard.
One of the best reasons to serve a ham for a holiday dinner or family gathering is the prospect of leftover ham, don’t you think? Ham keeps well and can be used for a hearty ham and bean soup, a pasta dish with peas, or for a crowed pleasing ham salad.
It’s one of those feed-a-lot-of-people comfort food salads that makes you look forward to leftovers.
Put it in a sandwich (or a slider bun!), eat it plain, or add it to macaroni. The basic components of our favorite ham salad are ground or finely diced ham, sweet pickle relish (sweet works better than dill for ham, imho), and hard boiled eggs. Then something for crunch (celery and/or bell peppers) and mayo to bind it.
Add a little mustard and lemon juice to brighten the flavors, and maybe a touch of cayenne as a nod to deviled ham or eggs.
Do you have a twist on ham salad that you enjoy? Please let us know about it in the comments!
Photos updated, recipe first published 2010.
Ham Salad Recipe
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Yield: Makes enough for 3 to 4 sandwiches
To make ground ham, chop leftover ham into cubes and either pulse in a food processor or put through a meat grinder.
Ingredients
- 2 cups finely diced or ground ham (about 3/4 pound)
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
- 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp minced green onion
- 2 Tbsp minced celery
- 2 Tbsp minced red bell pepper
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- A large pinch of cayenne (optional)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Method
Mix everything but the salt, pepper and cayenne in a large bowl. Taste and add cayenne, salt and black pepper to taste. Serve chilled.
Serve straight, or mixed in with macaroni, or in a sandwich in a hamburger bun, slider roll, Kaiser roll, regular bread, in a pita or as a wrap. Good with lemonade on a hot day.
Links:
Deviled Ham with Pickled Jalapeños here on Simply Recipes
Pasta with Ham and Peas here on Simply Recipes
White Bean and Ham Soup here on Simply Recipes
Pesto Pasta and Ham Salad from Taste and Tell
