During the holidays around here, we focus a good amount of time on food gifts from the kitchen. Like the limoncello, nut brittle and quick bread recipes I’ve shared with you. 

So why today am I excited to give you a recipe, for, of all things, ham salad?

Well, ham is ubiquitous on many a holiday table, including mine, and that means leftover ham. I’ve got enough meat to make a batch of ham salad, the kind you find in delicatessens. 

What I love about ham salad is that it’s frugal to make, and can be casual or fancy. Casual by piling a good amount on a plate surrounded by crackers or slider buns and serving as an appetizer for a guaranteed winner. 

Make the mixture a bit drier and use as a filling for tea sandwiches. That’s the fancy part of the equation.  

Use the recipe below as a guide and do your own thing there. I use a food processor to pulse everything up. 

We like ham salad with hard boiled eggs as an ingredient, but if that’s not your thing, leave them out. I do think celery, onion and tangy sweet pickle relish are necessary. And real mayonnaise. A squirt or two of mustard adds a bit of heat and flavor, too. Taste as you go along. Just remember, you can always add but you can’t take away, so err on the side of less rather than more.

Make it your way deli ham salad

I honestly never measure much for ham salad, but the recipes I have in my file are similar to this one, so you’re good to go. 

Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds diced ham, trimmed of fat – 3 cups or so

1 hard boiled egg, chopped (optional but good)

Diced celery to taste – start with a good 2 tablespoons

Diced onion to taste – start with 2 teaspoons

3/4 to 1 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish

Mustard to taste – start with a squirt and go from there

Salt and pepper to taste – black pepper or if you’re adventurous a bit of ground red pepper

Instructions

Put ham, egg, celery and onion in food processor. Pulse just enough times to mince. Mine took about 25 pulses. Remove and put in big bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, pickle relish and mustard.

Add this to ham mixture and stir to combine well. Add salt and pepper.

Chill a few hours, then taste again and adjust seasonings. 

Gilding the lily: 

Stir in some minced red bell pepper for color.

To make tea sandwich filling:

Use a little less mayonnaise to prevent filling from being too moist and oozing out between bread slices.

Smear a bit of butter on bread before adding filling.