Homemade Deviled Ham Spread

As kids, my siblings and I took our lunches to school. We had peanut butter and jelly many days and meat sandwiches ranging from bologna, tuna and egg salads, and my favorite, deviled ham. In the winter months, we had chicken noodle soup and spaghetti o’s.

Of all the lunch boxes I had during the elementary years, there was one in particular I remember. I was in first grade and it was a vinyl Raggedy Ann and Andy lunch box. Every time I opened my lunch box, I knew exactly what I was having for lunch that day because the vinyl kept the smell inside. It was an explosion of scent that engulfed my desk area.

Over the years, I’ve enjoyed opening a can of ham spread. I even passed my love of it onto my son. I noticed a change in the product several years ago and the taste was not like when I was a little girl. Another thing I noticed was the oil in the can, something that really was not eye appealing. Because of this, I knew I if I wanted a yummy ham spread, I would have to make it.

 

I tried several recipes that included, vinegar, worcestershire sauce, onions, pickles. Yeah, those were not for me. The onion and pickle recipes were more of a salad type spread and that was not what I was looking for. The recipes that called for vinegar or worcestershire sauce left my tongue tingling of tartness, which is not what deviled ham does.

The recipe I was looking for was just a plain ham taste recipe. I found none, so I had to experiment with the ingredients. I’ll never forget the first taste – it was heavenly! Really, I mean it. That little bite took me back to a time when processed foods were not made cheaply as they are today. It was so good!

You can use leftover ham in this recipe and you can use a precooked ham. I missed Farmland hams when we moved back to Georgia. I was super excited when I found them at our local Walmart last weekend, I had to buy one. Hopefully, their other products will be making an appearance before too long.

I’ve never used a canned ham, so if you use one, take into consideration the water in the ham.

While I love the recipe how it is, you can definitely use it as a starting point and add other yummies for your taste.

Homemade Deviled Ham Spread

Ingredients:

• 1 1/5 pounds diced ham (about 4 cups)
• 3/4 cup mayo
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
• garlic powder and pepper to taste
• salt if needed

Directions:

Place the ham chunks in the food processor bowl and process until finely chopped.

Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the mayo, mustard, hot sauce, garlic powder, and pepper. Once mixed, taste and if needed add a dash of salt.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.