Recipe Background
Tonya's Ham Salad brings back memories of shared apartments, using stone-ground mustard for a delightful kick.
Back when I first transitioned from college dorm life to my first shared apartment, I discovered the joy—and necessity—of creative meal planning. My new roommate, Tonya, introduced me to her family’s ham salad recipe, which quickly became our go-to for late-night study sessions and much-needed breaks from ramen noodles. The trick was using fat-trimmed ham for a leaner texture, something her grandmother insisted upon. We’d sit on our mismatched thrift store furniture, pulsing ham, mayonnaise, and a dash of garlic powder in the old blender we shared, adding just enough to create a harmonious texture.
Our tiny kitchen's staple was dried onion flakes, easy to store and a breeze to use. The heady combination of stone-ground mustard and sweet pickle relish added a complexity to the spread that even our skeptical friends couldn’t resist. I remember Tonya laughing, saying, 'If we're making this for the gang, let's make sure it chills well; no one likes warm ham salad!' Her wisdom proved true, and I quickly learned the art of patience, giving our concoction two solid hours in the fridge.
Our study breaks often turned into impromptu gatherings, served with a side of crackers and the optional, albeit crowd-favorite, Swiss cheese squares. The days of spreadsheets and essays felt miles away as we indulged in this chunky, savory spread—each bite a little reminder of camaraderie and culinary creativity.
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 2 cups ham fat trimmed off, diced
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or to taste
- 2 teaspoons dried onion flakes
- 1 teaspoon stone-ground mustard
- 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
For the garnish:
- crackers optional, of your choice, to taste
- Swiss cheese optional, sliced into squares, to taste
Directions
- Dice the ham into 1/2-inch cubes.
- Add the ham, mayonnaise, garlic powder, onion flakes, and mustard into a food processor and pulse until chunky. The mixture should be spreadable but not a paste.
- Transfer the spread to a mixing bowl.
- Stir in the relish.
- Place the mixing bowl in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours.
- Serve with crackers and Swiss cheese.
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