Instead of mixing leftover ham with the traditional ham salad fixings, I made a Deconstructed Ham Salad Sandwich with the special sauce on the top and caramelized onions. A great way to use all that leftover ham!
Happy Easter everyone! I hope that you have a lovely day celebrating with family, friends and loved ones! We have another beautiful spring day in Colorado. The birds are out chipping, flowers blooming, a big hike and good food are in order for the day! I’m looking forward to packing up in a few and head up to Evergreen for a nice relaxing day!
I know you are wondering, Deconstructed Ham Salad Sandwich? Well, the idea is pretty simple. You create the elements of dish and serve them in a way that highlight their individuality while showcasing how the flavors work together in a different way.
I came up with a Deconstructed Ham Salad Sandwich after chatting with my friends John and Jenny. They are always talking about “ham salad”. Truth be known, I have never had “ham salad” in my life but I do eat a ham sandwich at least three times a week! So, serving the ham this way is me taking baby steps into the ham salad world and it came at the right time as it is Easter and cooked ham is in millions of homes as we speak.
The beauty of this recipe is that you use the leftover ham bone and boil it to make a tasty broth. You can use the meat to make the sandwich but also have a big pot of broth that you can use to make some soup with! I love recipes that serve double duty. This recipe sure fits the bill.
The shredded smokey ham and the tasty mayonnaise, honey mustard mixture pair nicely together on a toasty, soft ciabatta roll topped with caramelized onions. It’s like one of those fancy sandwiches that you can get a specialty sandwich shop that you can enjoy at home. The best news is that any spiral cut ham will do and you probably have most of the ingredients on hand to make this delicious sandwich! Oh, if you add a fried egg on top, well, you may as well die and go to heaven!
Give my Deconstructed Ham Salad Sandwich a try. It may just be your new favorite way to eat a ham sandwich!
Enjoy!
- [b]To Make the Ham[/b]
- 1 leftover ham bone with leftover meat still intact
- 2 ribs celery
- 2 carrots
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons pepper
- [br][b]To Make the Special Sauce[/b][br]
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons honey mustard
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
- [br][b]To Make the Caramelized Onions[/b][br]
- 1 large sweet yellow onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- salt and pepper
- [br][b]To Make the Sandwiches[/b][br]
- 4 ciabatta rolls, toasted
- 4 eggs, cooked to your liking (optional)
- In a large stock place place the ham bone, celery, carrots, onion, garlic and pepper. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1-2 hours or until the ham is easy to shred with a fork. Strain the and reserve the liquid from the pan. Remove the vegetables and the ham bone. Shred the ham from the bone. I had 3 cups of ham from my bone.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, relish and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- In a medium sized saute pan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook until the onions become golden brown stirring occasionally.
- When you are ready to assemble the sandwiches, in a small saute pan place a few tablespoons of the reserved cooking liquid over medium heat. Add about 1/2-3/4 cup of the shredded ham to the warm liquid. Heat until the liquid has absorbed.
- Place a tablespoon or so of the special sauce to both sides of the toasted ciabatta rolls. Top with ham, caramelized onions and fried egg if you choose.
Because honestly, every sandwich is better with an egg on top. This is pure indulgence!
It was fun to see a Spiny Softshell Turtle in Colorado after seeing so many turtles in the Galapagos. I think that I have seen more turtles in the past month than I have in my entire life!
You know it’s spring time when these guys come out! Noisy buggers…
It never gets old stumbling upon these guys on a walk. Not sure they liked my dogs too much!