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Old Fashioned Ham Salad Recipe

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Old fashioned ham salad is a super easy salad that comes in minutes – perfect as an appetizer, spread, side dish, or sandwich filler. 

I love old-fashioned recipes because they are always a great way to use leftover ingredients.

This ham salad is made with only a few ingredients. It has an amazing taste and it will keep fresh in a fridge for a few days. Once you make it, you will see why I love it so much and why I decided to share this recipe with you. 

Choosing The Ham

For this recipe, I used my leftover ham, but you can use any ham you want. I make this recipe with smoked ham too, just when I want something different.

Cured ham is another option to try, but if you want to stick to the classic, use regular cooked ham as I did.

Other Ingredients

Besides ham, I used pickle relish, mayonnaise, and onions. This salad has a few varieties, and you will find recipes with celery stalks and cooked eggs. You can toss these in as well if you are looking for a richer salad. 

If you are not a fan of mayonnaise, you can use sour cream instead. You will get the same creaminess, and for a tangy flavor, add in some Dijon mustard or a squeeze of lemon juice. 

Do I Need A Food Processor?

Yes and no. If you want to avoid manual ham chopping, then you can use a food processor (I love this one from Mueller).

Also, if you like your ham chopped into finer pieces, then the food processor is for you. Otherwise, you can chop up your ham with a plain kitchen chopping knife. 

Varieties Of Ham Salad

Ham salad can be altered with just a few ingredients. You will have the same experience, but with a slightly altered flavor. 

  • Sauces – If you are not excited about pickle relish, you do not have to use it. Instead, choose yellow mustard, dijon mustard, or even dill pickle juice. Depending on your taste, you can use more or less mayonnaise to make the flavors stronger or weaker. 
  • Add-ins – As mentioned, you can add some celery, but also green onions, or bell peppers. You can also top the ham salad with freshly grated parmesan cheese. If you want, you can add some nuts to the salad as well. Pecan nuts are classic, but you can substitute them with walnuts, almonds, or cashews. 

Making Ham Salad

This is probably the easiest meat-based salad you can make. Here are the steps to follow:

  • Gather your ingredients – ham, pickle relish, mayonnaise, and seasonings (do not go overboard with the seasonings as the ham is salty already)
  • In a food processor process ham until desired structure or size of the ham is reached. If you do not have a food processor, you can chop the ham by hand, into the desired size. 
  • Place the ham into the bowl, and add the rest of the ingredients – pickle relish, onion, and mayonnaise. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, and give it a good stir. Chill the salad for 30 minutes before serving.

Serving Ham Salad

You can serve the salad as you desire. I personally serve this salad with toasted bread slices or crackers. When I want to turn the salad into a full dish, I serve it with air-fryer potatoes or homemade potato chips. 

The salad is great to use for sandwiches, and I pair my ham salad with whole wheat bread and some lettuce. 

Storing Ham Salad

As mentioned earlier, the ham salad will keep in a fridge for a few days, actually 5 if stored in an air-tight container. You can also freeze the salad, but do it as soon as it is made.

Place the salad in an air-tight container and freeze for up to a month. To serve thaw the salad overnight and serve as desired. 

Old Fashioned Ham Salad

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups cooked ham
  • 2 tbsp sweet pickle relish
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • Salt and pepper, just a pinch
  • 1 small onion, chopped

Instructions

1. Place ham in a food processor. Process until finely chopped. You can also chop the ham with a kitchen knife. 

2. In a bowl, add chopped ham, pickle relish, and onion. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

3. Add mayonnaise. 

4. Stir until well combined. 

5. Chill the salad for 30 minutes before serving.

Old Fashioned Ham Salad Recipe

Old Fashioned Ham Salad Recipe

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

This ham salad makes for a zesty and refreshing side to any summer meal!

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups cooked ham
  • 2 tbsp sweet pickle relish
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • Salt and pepper, just a pinch
  • 1 small onion, chopped

Instructions

  1. Place ham in a food processor. Process until finely chopped. You can also chop the ham with a kitchen knife. 
  2. In a bowl, add chopped ham, pickle relish, and onion. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
  3. Add mayonnaise. 
  4. Stir until well combined. 
  5. Chill the salad for 30 minutes before serving.

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