Mystery Lovers' Kitchen: Leftover Ham

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Grandma's Ham Salad from author @CleoCoyle (A Great Use for #Easter #Leftovers)

Ham Salad made fresh is absolutely delicious. Yes, it's a little old-fashioned, but sometimes the old recipes are the best, especially with new twists.

My husband and I like to eat our ham salad smeared on water crackers or slices of crusty baguette and topped with oil-cured olives and a slice of fresh jalapeño. Frankly, it's good enough to feed guests with a glass of wine or champagne. Just call it "American Pâté" and serve it with a little smile.

Cleo Coyle writes two
bestselling mystery

series with her husband.
To learn more, click here.

☕ A Recipe Note from Cleo

A few years ago, Marc, my husband (and partner in crime writing), said he wanted to make ham salad with our leftover holiday ham the way his grandmother did.

"Ee-gad, no!" I said, remembering Deviled Ham in a can (and not fondly).

"Oh, honey," he said, "you never had it made fresh for you like my grandmother did for me. Really, you don’t know what you’re missing."

Marc was right. Ham salad made fresh is an outstanding treat for sandwiches, but our favorite way to enjoy it is smeared on a slice of crusty baguette or as a topping for crackers, crowned with oil-cured olives and slices of jalapeño or hot banana peppers.

Below is the recipe we now use every year. It's our favorite. Tweak it to your own taste and eat with joy! ~ Cleo

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For Cleo's free
Recipe PDF, click here.

Grandma's Ham Salad
with love from Cleo Coyle

Ingredients:

3 cups diced ham, fully cooked
1 hard-boiled egg, chopped
2 heaping teaspoons dill relish (or sweet)
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 green onion, chopped (or 1 T. chopped shallots)
1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard (or yellow if you like)
1/2 cup mayonnaise

(optional) Toppings: sliced olives, jalapeño, bell or banana peppers

Directions: Grind your ham slices with a blender, food processor, meat grinder, or (if you have strong hands, use the method of Marc's grandmother) a pastry blender!

Add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Chill and serve on your favorite crackers or slices of crusty baguette. We enjoyed topping ours with slices of jalapeño or hot "banana peppers" and oil-cured olives.