Not sure what to do with leftover ham? Leftover ham mixed with pickle relish and dried onion flakes come together in a nice and easy ham salad that gets slathered atop a soft white bun, for one of my favorite lunches of all time.
Homemade Ham Salad Sandwiches
I can’t be all elegant and fancy all of the time. It’s just not in my nature. You’ll find me in my Vans slip-ons more often than strappy heels.
I prefer to hole up at a cabin in the mountains or sit on the beach with friends and family rather than shopping at the hippest boutiques.
And I’m totally into eating good old-fashioned favorites instead of upscale molecular cuisine. Who wants to eat molecules anyway? Oh wait, I guess we all do. But, you know what I mean.
I often find myself harkening back to my roots, to my childhood faves. And this ham salad recipe is one of the recipes I love just as much today as I did back then.
I’m a fan of any sandwich that has a ‘salad’ at the end of its title and always have been. Egg salad. Crab salad. Shrimp salad. Chicken salad. A sandwich filling with a bit of mayo—but not too much—mixed in with a few additional ingredients then sandwiched between two slices of bread delivers me straight to my comfort zone.
And my comfort zone lives with potato chips and pickle chips. It’s home all the way.
Classic Ham Salad Ingredients
Ham salad is a breeze to make and is perfect for using up leftover ham you’ve got lying around. Here’s what goes into these ham salad sandwiches:
- Ground ham
- Mayonnaise
- Pickle relish
- Dried onion flakes
- Dinner rolls
- Toppings of choice
see more: 17 Recipes to Make with Leftover Ham
How to Make Ham Salad Sandwiches
You could ask your butcher to grind the ham, but I use my food processor. I cut the ham into chunks, place it in the processor bowl with the big blade and pulse a few times. Don’t pulse too much or you’ll end up with a paste.
Then, everything else goes in the bowl. A few more pulses and you’re done! Let the ham salad chill in the fridge for an hour to allow the flavors to develop, then assemble your sandwiches.
The secret ingredient in this ham salad recipe is dried onion flakes. I’ve tried it with fresh minced onion, with green onion and red and none of them measure up to the subtleness of the dried onion.
Can I Use Miracle Whip Instead of Mayo?
If you grew up on Miracle Whip, you’re welcome to use it in this ham salad recipe. But I prefer real mayo, which is what I used in this recipe.
How Long Does Ham Salad Last?
This homemade ham salad will last up to 5 days in the fridge.
Tips for Making Ham Salad Sandwiches
This ham salad recipe takes advantage of that leftover ham that always seems to linger after the family dinner, whether it’s Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or just any old Sunday. Choose a good ham for this recipe—I like to use the leftovers from a bone-in smoked ham—because there isn’t going to be much else to cover up if you use a crappy one. My mom always tells me to look for a ham that is lower in water content. You don’t want a soupy sandwich.
My recipe uses just a few tablespoons of mayonnaise. I prefer it on the drier side. If you prefer, add more mayo—or even Miracle Whip for a sweeter taste—to your liking.
You can use sweet or spicy pickle relish, whatever you prefer. This pickle relish is my new favorite.
More Easy Sandwiches to Nosh On
- Pulled Chicken Sandwich with Creamy Ranch Sauce
- Classic Egg Salad Sandwiches
- Chicken Caprese Sandwich
- Healthy-ish Fried Fish Sandwich
- Healthy Homemade Egg McMuffin Sandwich
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Bookmark this recipe and leave a comment below, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Ham Salad Sandwiches
Ingredients
For the Ham Salad:
- 4 cups ground ham (about 2 pounds)
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons pickle relish
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried onion flakes
For the Sandwiches:
- 8 potato or dinner rolls
- mayonnaise
- pickle slices
- potato chips
- lettuce leaves
Instructions
- Mix together the ground ham, mayonnaise, pickle relish and dried onion flakes in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour for flavors to meld.
- To assemble sandwiches, split the rolls in half then spread each side with mayonnaise. Top the bottom half with ham salad, pickle chips, potato chips and lettuce leaves and serve.
Nutrition
More Ham Recipes to Make
- Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole
- Monte Cristo Waffle Sandwich
- Ham and Cheese Baked Egg Cups
- Ham and Smoked Gouda Grilled Cheese
- Microwave Egg Caprese Breakfast Cups
Thanks for stopping by and visiting FoodieCrush. Have something to say? I’d love to hear from you. Let me know in the comments below. Have a great day, and make something good.
Craving more life balance, less stress, and better health? Check out my Nourished Planner, the daily planner to help create simplicity and under-schedule your life.
We send good emails. Subscribe to FoodieCrush and have each post plus exclusive content only for our subscribers delivered straight to your e-mail box.
Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter for more FoodieCrush inspiration.
As always, thank you for reading and supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. There are affiliate links in this post of which I receive a small commission. All opinions are always my own.
