When life gives you leftover ham, why not make devilishly delicious, deviled ham! Deviled Ham is a versatile spicy ham spread which never goes out of style.
I love ham, and it’s one of the reasons I look forward to Christmas and Easter meals every year. Of course, there are plenty of other reasons. But knowing there will be a sweet/salty ham in the picture is appealing for sure!
What to do with leftover ham:
In my opinion, leftover ham is just as good as when it is fresh out of the oven. In addition to deviled ham, another recipe favorite of mine is Au Gratin Potatoes and Ham. And, I always freeze chunks of leftover ham to use to season black-eyed peas, field peas, and pink lady peas. Leftover ham is also an excellent seasoning for bean soup and makes an outstanding addition to quiches and frittatas.
What is deviled ham?
Deviled ham and its chunkier Southern cousin, ham salad, is a combination of chopped ham, scallions, and parsley. This ham mixture is blended with cream cheese (yes, cream cheese), mayonnaise, mustard, hot sauce, and Worchester sauce. Deviled ham has a much smoother consistency; ham salad, in addition to being chunkier, sometimes includes celery or pickles.
Deviled ham – A blast from the past:
Did you know deviled ham has been around since 1868? According to New England Today, “One of the longer histories belongs to Underwood Deviled Ham, a canned-food workhorse that’s not just an everyday pantry staple, but has traveled the world in caravans, camping gear, lunchboxes, picnic baskets, tailgate totes, and, well…just about everything that transports food.”
And I’m guessing as a kid you ate deviled ham sandwiches, as well as the ever-popular peanut butter and jelly? Am I right?
Now that you know everything there is to know about deviled ham, let’s get down to the business of making it!
How to make deviled ham!
Add the cream cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, Worchester sauce, ground black pepper, and hot sauce to a food processor fitted with a metal blade and blend until everything is well combined.
Add the ham, parsley, and scallions. Pulse about ten times and check the consistency. The deviled ham should still be reasonably chunky. If you prefer a smoother more spreadable consistency, pulse a few more times.
Taste and add the salt if it needs it. The ham is pretty salty so you may not need to add any salt.
Sharon’s Expert Tips:
- If you like it spicier, feel free to add more hot sauce. It is deviled ham after all.
- It’s important that the cream cheese be at room temperature or it will not mix well with the rest of the ingredients. If its right out of the refrigerator, heat it in the microwave for about 20-25 seconds.
- No leftover ham, no problem! Just purchase a small ham steak at your grocery store.
- To make ham salad, don’t process the ham mixture as much and add about a stalk of finely chopped celery.
- I like to serve deviled ham spread on crackers or spread on croissants for sandwiches. If I am making it for sandwiches, I leave it a little chunkier. If you use large croissants, this recipe makes enough for about three sandwiches, with a liberal amount of filling.
- Leftover deviled ham can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- What are some of your favorite ways to use leftover ham? Leave me a comment and let me know.
Devilishly Delicious Deviled Ham Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz ham approximately 2 cups chopped
- 4 oz cream cheese at room temperature
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp prepared mustard
- 1 tsp hot sauce
- 1 tsp Worchester sauce
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 scallions white parts only, finely minced
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt optional to taste
Instructions
- Add the cream cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, Worchester sauce, ground black pepper, and hot sauce to a food processor fitted with a metal blade and blend until everything is well combined.
- Add the ham, parsley, and scallions. Pulse about ten times and check the consistency. The deviled ham should still be reasonably chunky. If you prefer a smoother more spreadable consistency, pulse a few more times.
- Taste and add the salt if it needs it. The ham is pretty salty so you may not need to add any salt.
Notes
- If you like it spicier, feel free to add more hot sauce. It is deviled ham after all.
- It's important that the cream cheese be at room temperature or it will not mix well with the rest of the ingredients. If its right out of the refrigerator, heat it in the microwave for about 20-25 seconds.
- No leftover ham, no problem! Just purchase a small ham steak at your grocery store.
- To make ham salad, don't process the ham mixture as much and one stalk of finely chopped celery.
- I like to serve deviled ham spread on crackers or spread on croissants for sandwiches. If I am making it for sandwiches, I leave it a little chunkier. If you use large croissants, this recipe makes enough for about three sandwiches, with a liberal amount of filling.
- Leftover deviled ham can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to three days.
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