The plan for this year's Easter was to have an indoor egg hunt (for everyone), a Brunch feast and homemade Carrot Cake for dessert. Deciding on the dishes to be used as well as the holiday menu started weeks before Easter arrived. While I tinkered with a variety of brunch options before finally committing, I knew the 'main' course would be a baked ham. Partly because it's tradition, but mostly because I was looking forward to making a classic Ham Salad with the leftovers this year. Not only is a creamy, tangy ham salad incredibly delicious as an appetizer or on sandwiches, it is really, really easy to make. And after making an epic brunch, I wanted 'easy'!
Ham Salad for some is a timeless classic dish to make with a baked ham. Leftover ham combined with finely diced celery, finely diced onions, finely diced sweet pickles, sweet pickle juice, mayonnaise, dijon mustard, Kosher salt and white pepper is my absolute favorite way to make ham salad. Some recipes call for chopped hard boiled eggs, hot sauce, yellow mustard, cream cheese, sweet or dill pickle relish, and/or green onions. But I much prefer a simpler ham salad.
Using a food processor to chop up the ham significantly speeds up the assembly process. If you don't have one, you could always finely chop the ham with a sharp knife. It takes a bit longer, but you have slightly more control over the size of the pieces of ham. The texture of a ham salad is one of personal preference. Personally, I like the ham's texture created with a food processor. One a little finer but still with some discernable pieces. However, I only like dicing the celery, onions and sweet pickles myself.
When making a ham salad, using a cooked or baked ham works best. If you use ham from the deli, you need to ask for very thick cut slices (at least 1/2 inch slices) or you will end up with nothing but mushiness when it's processed.
Your ham salad will stay fresh for up to 4-5 days stored well in the refrigerator, but it's highly unlikely it will last that long.
Spooned onto crackers or cocktail rye bread and/or slathered thickly on bread for sandwiches, Ham Salad is bound to be a hit whichever way you serve it. In all honesty, I love ham salad so much I could just eat it off a spoon. Ham Salad is and should be creamy, crunchy, and nearly irresistible to resist (especially if you love ham). In a pinch I will buy store bought ham salad, but nothing comes close to the flavor and texture of a homemade ham salad. After tasting this Ham Salad you might be tempted to bake a ham on a regular basis!
On a final note, Ham Salad makes for a great hearty appetizer! Perfect to serve at a gathering, to bring to an outing, or to have for a weekend getaway!
Ham Salad
Makes 4 cups
Ingredients
3 cups (405g) finely diced ham (pulsed in the food processor or cut up by hand)
1/4 cup (34g) finely diced celery (from one large stalk)
1/4 cup (34g) finely diced yellow or sweet onion
1/4 cup (34g) finely diced sweet pickles
3/4 to 1 cup (180-240g) mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
2 teaspoons sweet pickle juice
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Optional: 2 green onions very thinly sliced
Crackers or cocktail rye bread for serving as an appetizer/ Rye Bread or brioche rolls for serving as sandwiches
Directions
1. In medium sized bowl, combine 3/4 cup of the mayonnaise, dijon mustard, sweet pickle juice, Kosher salt and white pepper. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the ham, celery, onion, and sweet pickles. Stir to mix.
3. Add the mayonnaise mixture to the ham mixture. Stir well to combine. Taste for seasoning. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of mayonnaise if your ham salad isn't as creamy as you would like it. (Note: I used 1 cup).
4. Serve immediately or cover and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
5. The Ham Salad will keep for up to 4-5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes: (1) Using a food processor is definitely helpful. Pulse chunks of cut up ham until it reaches your desired consistency. (2) Three cups of diced ham is 405g or almost one pound. (3) I like using white pepper here, but you could use black pepper. (4) Only use a high-quality mayonnaise (and not Miracle Whip).
Easter Table, April 2026