Sneak Preview: Learn how to make Ham Salad Recipe with Bologna as a substitute for the ham. Add hard-boiled eggs, pickle relish, and mayo.
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. ”.
You can eat ham salad as an appetizer with oven-baked sweet potato chips, on a sandwich, or as a light dinner.
Ham salad is a cherished old fashioned spread perfect for sandwiches, biscuits, crackers and more. But quality ham can be pricey. An easy workaround? Use humble bologna to make tasty ham salad on a budget! Read on for tips on how to morph basic bologna into a delicious ham salad meat spread.
With just a few extra ingredients and simple preparation, you can turn inexpensive bologna into a flavorful ham salad-esque mixture. Follow these steps to make this retro sandwich filler or appetizer dip. You’ll save money and enjoy delicious bologna transformed into faux ham salad deliciousness!
Choose Your Bologna
Obviously bologna will be the star ingredient. For 1-1.5 pounds of bologna, go for budget friendly processed deli bologna, not the fancy artisinal kind. Brands like Oscar Meyer are perfect.
Buy thick sliced bologna and stack the pieces, or purchase a chub/log of bologna from the deli counter Either way, you want a good sized chunk of bologna, not individually sliced pieces
Dice Other Flavorings
In addition to the bologna, dice about 1 stalk of celery and 1 small onion. Grate in 1 hard boiled egg as well. The classic ham salad combo! This trio adds crunch, flavor, and protein.
For extra flavor, consider tossing in some shredded cheddar, swiss, or other complementary cheese. Or a spoonful of sweet pickle relish if you like some tang.
Blend it Up
Now it’s time to transform the ingredients into spreadable ham salad. Use a food processor to pulse the bologna, celery, onion, egg, and any other add-ins until they are finely and evenly minced.
Be careful not to overmix into a paste – small minced chunks gives the best texture. Scrape down the sides as needed so everything blends evenly.
Or you can finely chop by hand if you don’t have a food processor It just takes a bit more elbow grease.
Bind with Mayo and Mustard
To bind it all together, add 3/4 cup of mayo and 1 tablespoon of mustard to the bologna mixture. Mayo and mustard are classic ham salad binders.
You can also experiment with substitutions like plain Greek yogurt or sour cream for a tangy twist. Mix well until fully combined. Add any extra seasonings you like too.
Chill and Serve
Spoon the ham salad into a storage container or bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Overnight is best to let the flavors meld.
Then spread it on bread or biscuits, scoop onto crackers, or eat it straight up with a spoon! The possibilities are endless
More Tips and Variations
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Use a potato ricer for quick, even dicing without electricity.
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Add pickle relish, olives, or capers for a punch of brine.
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Mix in hot sauce or cajun seasoning to spice it up.
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Swap in pineapple juice or maple syrup for a sweet twist.
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Play with different herbs and spices like garlic, dill, paprika and pepper.
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Spread on rolls or tortillas and roll up for easy pinwheel sandwiches.
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Replace the celery with chopped bell pepper for crunch and color.
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Stir in some shredded smoked gouda or provolone for bonus smoky flavor.
Now you’ve got endless ideas for transforming humble bologna into craveworthy ham salad deliciousness! With a few simple tricks, you can enjoy gourmet taste without gourmet prices.
Enjoy Your Faux Ham Salad Creation
Part of the fun of cooking is taking cheap ingredients and turning them into something special. This easy from-scratch ham salad using basic bologna is a perfect example.
With just a few extra ingredients and quick chopping, you can have a tasty meaty spread or sandwich filler for a fraction of what real ham salad costs. Get creative with your own flavor variations too.
So next time you have a craving for ham salad, don’t run out and buy the pricey deli stuff. Channel your inner vintage cook and whip up this easy homemade version with bologna as the star. Your tastebuds and wallet will thank you!
Use as a sandwich filling.
Add a leaf or two of fresh sweet basil to each sandwich to make this recipe even better. Your guests will be asking for your secret recipe. It is AMAZINGLY good.
Serve over a bowl of lettuce.
Use a big scoop of ham salad as a “salad dressing” for your lettuce. Add some spicy pecans and fresh parmesan for a spectacular lunch. I eat a LOT of lettuce, so adding olive oil and vinegar to the whole thing will make the ham salad last longer. (Also grain-free and gluten-free. ).
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.
- Miracle Whip, Greek yogurt, or Sandwich Spread could be used instead of mayonnaise, though they will taste different. Has anyone tried the new mayonnaise mixed with catsup? It tastes great in this recipe! If you like mustard, you could add a teaspoon of your favorite brand.
- Hard-boiled eggs: The eggs can be left out entirely. Or, people who like eggs could add three or four hard-boiled eggs to their ham salad. Deviled eggs you have left over in the fridge? Chop them up and add them to your ham mixture.
- If you don’t like sweet pickle relish, you can use dill pickle relish instead. Not having pickle relish on hand? Finely chop bread and butter pickles to get a taste that is very close to the relish.
- If you want to use apple cider vinegar, you should instead use white vinegar or lemon juice. Add one teaspoon and taste. If your ham salad still needs a little kick, add one more teaspoon.
- Ham: You can make a regular chicken salad with this same recipe. Substitute shredded or cubed chicken for the ham. Tuna works, too. As noted before, my mom subbed bologna for ham. One of my readers suggested Spam. If you don’t want to eat meat, you can make a simple egg salad rather.
Old Fashioned Ham Salad Spread
FAQ
What is deli ham salad made of?
What goes with bologna?
Where did ham salad come from?
What to do with leftover ham & bologna?
Add hard-boiled eggs, pickle relish, and mayo. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 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.”
How do you make a good ham salad?
The best ham salad recipe only requires leftover ham, mayonnaise, celery, onion and perfectly combined seasonings! Pulse (short, quick pulses) 20-25 times to mince. Scrape down the sides of the food processor to make sure it all gets combined evenly.
Can you make a ring bologna salad with a meat grinder?
For decades family cooks have been pulling out the table top meat grinder or food processor to make a batch of bologna salad using ring bologna meat or hot dogs or a combination of the two. This budget friendly copycat ham salad recipe would be spread on white bread, sometimes with a slice of cheese or a bit of lettuce for lunches.
How do you make a fried bologna sandwich in a food processor?
Scrape down the sides of the food processor every 10 pulses to make sure it all gets combined evenly. Combine relish, mayonnaise and mustard into a separate bowl. Then stir in minced bologna mixture. Cover and chill. I prefer to chill it for several hours. It definitely gets better as it chills for a while.