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. Make this recipe after Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or anytime you’re craving a ham salad sandwich like Mom used to make.
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.
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.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ham salad sandwiches are a breeze to make and is perfect for using up leftover ham you’ve got lying around from the holidays.
- It’s a fast and easy recipe that calls for just 4 basic ingredients.
- You can customize the ham salad mixture by adding your favorite relish, crunchy chopped celery, chopped hard boiled eggs, and more.
What’s in This Recipe?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Ham — You want a big, juicy piece of ham for this sandwich recipe. Something like a spiral cut ham or smoked ham. Buy a pre-cooked ham to save yourself some time, or use leftover glazed ham from the holidays.
- Mayonnaise — 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.
- Pickle relish — Use your favorite variety, from dill to bread and butter. It all works!
- Dried onion flakes — The secret ingredient in this ham salad sandwich 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. Swap with ½ teaspoon onion powder if that’s all you have.
- Dinner rolls — Choose something soft and buttery, like Hawaiian rolls or these buttermilk rolls.
- Toppings of choice — Dill pickles, lettuce, potato chips, and an extra dollop of mayo are non-negotiables at our house.
see more: 17 Recipes to Make with Leftover Ham
How to Make Ham Salad Sandwiches
- Grind the ham. 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.
Heidi’s Tip: 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.
- Add the remaining ingredients. 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.
- Assemble your sandwiches. We love pairing the cream ham salad with buttery soft dinner rolls and crunchy toppings like potato chips and lettuce. The mix of flavors and textures is out of this world.
Recipe FAQs
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.
Yes, but I suggest freezing it as soon as you prepare it because the ham will release moisture over time which can make frozen ham salad grainy once thawed.
I’ve had readers leave glowing reviews saying they’ve loved making this recipe with mixture of ham and Spam or bologna. Use what you like!
Storage Tips
Ham salad will last up to 5 days in the fridge. Store the toppings in separate containers to keep everything fresh.
Or, freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw overnight before using the ham salad to make sandwiches.
What to Serve with Ham Salad to Make a Meal
- Potluck Sides — Macaroni Salad, Celery Slaw, Broccoli Salad, Three Bean Salad,
- Salads — Herbed Cucumber and Feta Salad, Strawberry Arugula Salad, Kale and Apple Salad
- Veggies — Fried Green Tomatoes, Grilled Corn, Roasted Asparagus
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Ham Salad Sandwiches
Ingredients
For the Ham Salad:
- 4 cups ground ham (about 2 pounds)
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons pickle relish
- 1 ½ 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 Easy Sandwiches
- Tuna Melt Sandwiches
- Curried Egg Salad Sandwiches
- Dill Pickle Chicken Salad
- French-Style Tuna Salad
- Classic Egg Salad Sandwiches
- Traditional Tuna Salad
- Club Sandwich
More Leftover Ham Recipes to Make
- Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole
- Monte Cristo Waffle Sandwich
- Ham and Cheese Baked Egg Cups
- Fettuccine with Ham and Peas
- Croque Monsieur
- Split Pea Soup with Ham
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Frances
Love these, reminds me of home as Mom always liked this type of sandwich which she would get ready made at a special grocery. I like making it and controlling what goes into it. I had some left over frozen ham that I thawed and got rid of every bit of fat. The food processor makes a fast job of this and the onion flakes a wonderful idea, as I don’t like raw onion in things. I did the sweet pickle relish and also my own memory of these I added celery (also in with ham in processor) and added two tabs yellow mustard and used nonfat greek yogurt instead of mayo, just to keep calories a bit lower. We loved it. Thank you
Jane
I never knew anyone else had this. I’m from McKeesport PA and we always laughed about how good it was but no one knew about it. Hilarious to see this.
Kathleen
I also chop pimento stuffed green olives into the ham spread
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
Great idea!
sue|theviewfromgreatisland
You’ve made an upscale version of the sandwiches my mom made for us, ground ham, Miracle Whip, and relish, love this!
Cecile@My Yellow Farmhouse
I simply ADORE ham salad sandwiches – and they are so much more delicious when prepared with ‘bone-in ham’. As you mentioned, food like this takes us back to our childhood. And, in my childhood, my mother used to set up her meat grinder by screwing it in underneath the kitchen counter. Then she’d let us kids turn the crank. You know – I think ham salad tastes best when ground in an old-fashioned meat grinder!
I guess I need to buy a meat grinder. I agree, you get a better chunk that way for sure.
nicole ~ Cooking for Keeps
You even manage to make a simple hand sandwich looks gorgeous! Love these, especially the chips, the perfect element of crunchy and salty!
Kelly
Love pickles and chips on a sandwich. Your ham salad recipe sounds perfect- not to much mayo!
Haley @ Cheap Recipe Blog
Thanks to you and your beautiful photos, I’m craving ham at 11:30 pm! These look so good. Remind me of something my mom makes. And there’s nothing wrong with not being fancy all the time!
Mandy
Wow, this here is what quick meals are all about. I substituted pickles for green apple slices and did away with the onions. I love the little sweet edge to it. And works great with tuna too. Thanks Heidi! :)