Ham Salad with a Twist: Classic Recipe + Bologna Option
Sneak Preview: Turn leftover ham (or bologna) into a creamy, flavorful ham salad with hard-boiled eggs, sweet pickle relish, and mayo. Serve it on crackers, bread, or crispy sweet potato chips!
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Ham Salad is a quick way to repurpose leftover ham or bologna. A bit of mayonnaise, hard-boiled eggs, sweet pickle relish, and some seasonings, and you’ll be in “hog heaven.”
Use ham salad to make a satisfying sandwich, a light supper, or as an appetizer with oven-baked sweet potato chips.
Why You Will Crave This Recipe
- If you’ve been on this earth longer than a few decades, ham or bologna salad will bring back memories. Let me know in the comments if I’m right about this.
- It’s a great way to use leftover ham or cold cuts.
- Substitute Miracle Whip for the mayo. It’s all good.
- Eat with Ritz crackers or saltines, over a salad, or in a sandwich with homemade white bread. Another choice is to eat it straight out of the mixing bowl. YUM!
Recipe Inspiration
Ham salad and bologna take me back to childhood.
My mom bought big sticks of bologna (paid link)—likely cheaper than the sliced kind. She’d set up an old-fashioned silver grinder(paid link) on a kitchen stool, and my sister and I took turns cranking the handle while pushing in chunks of bologna. Watching it extrude through the holes felt like magic! We’d mix in hard-boiled eggs, pickles, and mayo, creating a creamy, nostalgic spread.
Different Ways to Serve Ham Salad
- Classic Sandwich: Spread on soft white bread or homemade rolls. Try it with homemade cranberry yeast bread, cranberry lemon dinner rolls, poppy seed rolls, or these dinner rolls using the Tangzhong method.
- Cracker Spread: Pair with Ritz crackers, saltines, or gluten-free alternatives.
- Lettuce Wrap: Scoop onto lettuce leaves for a fresh, light option.
- Sweet Potato Chips: Serve atop homemade Skinny Sweet Potato Chips for a crispy, grain-free snack.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Ham salad is not a precise recipe. Play with it. If you don’t have one or two ingredients, save yourself a trip to the store and substitute.
- MAYONNAISE:
- Mayonnaise is traditional.
- Try Greek yogurt, Miracle Whip, or a sandwich spread instead.
- SWEET PICKLE RELISH:
- We prefer sweet pickle relish
- Use finely chopped bread-and-butter pickles or swap for dill relish.
- HARD-BOILED EGGS:
- These are optional–but I must have them. 😁
- HAM:
- Ham–usually leftovers from the recipe for Slow Cooker Pulled Ham
- Substitute bologna, shredded chicken, or even Spam (paid link).
- Skip the meat and add a couple more hard-boiled eggs for egg salad.
- APPLE CIDER VINEGAR:
- Use white vinegar or lemon juice instead to add some zip.
- EXTRA ADDITIONS: Add chopped celery for crunch or fresh basil for a herby twist.
How To Make Ham (or Bologna) Salad
Ham Salad with a Twist: Classic Recipe + Bologna Option
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound (453 g) ham or bologna
- 2 (100 g) hard-boiled eggs, chopped
- 1 (40 g) stalk celery (optional, chopped very finely if you like crunch in your sandwich)
- ½ cup (112 g) mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup (82 g) sweet pickle relish
- Seasoning salt (sparingly if desired–ham is salty already)
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- fresh sweet basil leaves
Instructions
- Chop the Ham: Cube leftover 1 pound (453 g) ham or bologna and pulse in a food processor 10-15 times until finely chopped.
- Prepare the Eggs and Celery: Chop hard-boiled eggs and 1 (40 g) stalk celery (if using) finely.
- Mix Ingredients: In a bowl, combine the ham, eggs, 1/2 cup (112 g) mayonnaise, and 1/3 cup (82 g) sweet pickle relish.
- Season to Taste: Add 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, freshly ground black pepper to taste, and a small amount of seasoning salt if needed.
- Make it Fancy: Chop fresh sweet basil leaves and add to spread if serving immediately. Otherwise, leaves should be left whole and added to the sandwich before serving. Cut leaves will turn an unappetizing color.
Equipment
Nutrition
All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com
FAQs About Ham Salad
- How long does ham salad last?
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Can I freeze ham salad?
- Freezing is not recommended due to the mayo-based dressing.
- What else can I do with leftover ham?
- Use it in soups (like this Ham Stew with Beef and Bacon), Easy Fried Rice., or homemade ham and cheese biscuits.
Final Thoughts:
Ham salad is a nostalgic, crowd-pleasing spread that’s easy to customize. Whether you use leftover ham, bologna, or even chicken, this creamy, tangy mix is a must-try. For bread lovers, try it in a sandwich with Cranberry Yeast Bread for an extra-special touch!
Need help troubleshooting? Please email me: Paula at saladinajar.com–photos welcome!
Paula Rhodes, owner
As a retired home economist, I created Saladinajar.com to share my belief that you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Bread machines (used in an unconventional way), homemade yogurt, and quick microwave recipes are my specialty.