Ham Salad Recipe

I lost my Grandmother about 25 years ago. I spent so much time with her in her kitchen and gardens and learned an amazing amout of knowlege from her that has guided me through life. She would cook with a simple country style and almost every ingredient she used would be of an item that was grown on the farm or came from a relatives farm. Her cold cellar was always filled with her canned items, fruits in their bushel baskets and potatoes and such. I would never see a canned ham on her table. That was more of something my parents would do.

I would help my Grandmother with making her Ham Salad. I was an excellent cranker. To this day I make my Ham Salad the way she made her's. Of course my ingredients are all store bought and I'm not making my own Mayo.

My Grandmother eventually handed the Ham Salad making over to me as I grew older. I had the pride of meeting her appoval. I always strove for that of my elders. It seemed that once the salad was made it never lasted that long for we loved to dip into it with a cracker or spread a layer of it over a piece of a crust of bread. It's a tradition that I kept going and truly enjoy.

Mac’s Ham Salad

Ingredients

About 1-½ lbs of leftover ham

1 large onion minced

1 dill pickle minced

3 sweet Gherkin pickles, minced

1 tsp of black pepper

1 tsp of horseradish

1 tbs of spicy brown mustard

6 tbs of mayonnaise

2 tbs of Miracle Whip or Sandwich Spread

Directions

With a hand grinder with a course grind blade, grind the ham. If you are feeling lazy cut the onion and the pickles to a size to fit into the grinder and grind them too.

In a bowl with a cover combine all of the ingredients and mix them well. If the salad looks a little dry I like to pour a bit of the dill pickle juice into it. Of course you could add more Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for several hours to allow the flavors to meld.

This ham salad is great for sandwiches. It is excellent for use on miniature pumpernickel bread for a New Years Eve Snack. It is excellent on crackers or even used in a “Mac”oroni salad. My kids like it when I put it on toasted pumpernickel and melt cheese over it under the broiler for a few minutes. After Easter I like to make Deviled Eggs with the cooked egg yolks added to the salad from the Easter Eggs.