Hickory Smoked Ham Salad
Ok, I admit it, I love ham salad! It’s like having a picnic any time of the year and who doesn’t like a great picnic? This is a recipe I created, because my husband loves deli salads. We had ham that needed to be used, so I decided to make this family favorite. What’s so great about ham salad, besides the taste, is that it helps reduce waste. You can use any leftover ham, whether it's scraps or chunks, it all works. My recipe calls for fully cured deli ham, but you can use ham that has been smoked or baked as well. This recipe will give your ham an extended life for lunches and snacks. If you really want to elevate your lunch, spread this ham salad on a light and flaky croissant. Ohhh the decadence! Of course, you can’t go wrong with a little ham salad on a Ritz cracker, too! Enjoy!
Hickory Smoked Ham Salad
Ingredients:
2 pounds (approx.) of cooked ham
1 medium onion
½ cup sweet pickle relish
2 cups good mayonnaise (I prefer Hellmann’s)
6 hard boiled eggs
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions:
Start by hard boiling the eggs. The idea is to make them easy to peel, so I’m going to help you do just that.
Place your eggs in a single layer at the bottom of a medium-sized stockpot (I use a 3 quart pot) or lidded saucepan. The recipe calls for six eggs, but I like to cook a few more, just in case some aren’t perfect or to have a few to eat as a snack! Pour enough tap water into your pot to cover eggs by about one inch. Set your stove-top burner to high heat. Bring the water to a full rolling boil, then place the lid on your pot and turn off the heat. Leave the pot covered and sitting on the burner for 15 minutes.
Place the pot in your sink and drain some (not all) of the hot water from the eggs. Now place ice cubes into the pan to cover the eggs. As the ice begins to melt, put the lid back on the pot and shake vigorously up and down. The egg shells will just begin to fall off and the eggs will be easy to peel. As you can see, the eggs are perfectly cooked to hard boiled!
Using a knife and cutting board, chop ham into chunks and place in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the “S” blade. Pulse until the ham is ground up, but not so fine that it becomes a paste. Remove the ham from the food processor and place it into a large mixing bowl.
Peel the onion and chop into large chunks, then pulse in the food processor until it is minced. Place the minced onions into the mixing bowl with the ham.
Drop 6 hard boiled eggs into the food processor and pulse until the eggs are chopped, then add those to the mixing bowl with the ham and onion.
Add ½ cup of your favorite sweet pickle relish and stir all ingredients together. Then fold in 2 cups of good mayonnaise. Lastly, sprinkle and fold 1 teaspoon of ground pepper into the mix.
Tips and Tricks:
Place the finished salad into a serving bowl. Garnish with sprigs of fresh parsley or other green herbs and fresh ground pepper.
Tools:
I’ve provided a link to the Cuisinart food processor that I use at home (see photos above). My son bought it for me as a Christmas gift in 2019 and it has been a wonderful, time-saving addition to my kitchen!
Also, I’ve provided a link to a good kitchen scale. As you can see in my photos, my scale needs an upgrade! I’ve had my eye on this one for a while - I like that the digital display detaches and extends for when you’re using a large bowl or container.
