I gotta tell ya, I don’t know many people who love deviled ham. I don’t even know that many people these days who even give it any thought at all. If you’re here and you love deviled ham as much as I do, let’s make this classic deviled ham together!

Classic Deviled Ham

It was my Dad who introduced us to those little cans of Underwood Deviled Ham when we were kids. They were wrapped in paper and were unlike anything else we’d ever seen. He’d spread it on saltines as we waited in turn for ours, lined up like little birds. Probably with our mouths open! I can’t remember anything tasting so good.

About Classic Deviled Ham:

Can you imagine not having to buy expensive Deviled Ham in a tiny little can? And not having to bear the looks of some who don’t “get” it when that can is popped open?

Imagine having enough Deviled Ham to indulge in a nice, thick spread on a cracker or a Deviled Ham sandwich. Enough to eat to your heart’s content and have enough to share with your friends and loved ones. If you can imagine that, then this is a must-make.

First, a couple of things to know:

• Don’t worry about the color in these pics because that color reflects the ham this was made with. This particular one was honey mustard-glazed ham. See more on this below.
• This recipe is a classic and mimics, but is not a copycat of the Underwood version. For one thing, we know what’s in mine!

The flavors are classic English: mustard (two kinds), clove, and it’s tempered with just a touch of honey. It’s rich and indulgent, and oh, so good. Bonus? It’s not as salty as the stuff in the can.

photo from Underwood Products

How to Serve:

My favorite way to eat Classic Deviled Ham? It’s not as frugal as on spreading onto crackers, but I love it thickly spread on a good quality soft, white, or wheat sandwich bread with a little crispy lettuce and/or a few pickles. It’s heaven!

I’ve seen, but not tried, recipes for more upscale Deviled Ham Grilled Cheese Sandwiches on Artisan Bread, which sounds great, but sometimes, I think old-fashioned is best. What do you think?

Classic Deviled Ham

Making Classic Deviled Ham:

Making Deviled Ham couldn’t be faster or easier. Chop up the ham and onion and pulverize them into bits in your food processor. Then add the rest of the ingredients and whir, stopping to scrape down, until it smooths out.

Ham can have different moisture levels, so it’s a judgment call as to whether or not you need to add a little ham broth (if you have it) or a bit of water. Keep in mind it will firm up in the fridge.

Depending on when I’m making my Classic Deviled Ham, I might have some of the fat that’s rendered off my Ham along with the rich, jelly-like drippings. I’ll use that fat instead of the butter (or use a combination if there isn’t enough), then thin the Deviled Ham, if it needs thinning, with that nicely gelled broth. The flavor is insane!

Vary the Recipe:

Now, true Underwood Deviled Ham has Ham, Mustard Flour & Turmeric. I’ve taken just a few liberties, but you can do the same and make any additions or substitutions that fit your palate…all kinds of things can go in your Deviled Ham.

I’ve seen maple syrup instead of honey, gherkins, cornichons, or capers, additions of cayenne, hot sauce, Tabasco, Sriracha, and even hot pepper juice. Worcestershire or Paprika can be added. One of my fave additions is horseradish. Use your imagination and your taste buds!

There’s no Mayo here. Adding mayo would strictly put it into the category of a Ham Salad, a whole nuther animal. That’s delish, too, but Mayonnaise in Deviled Ham will get in the way of the delicate balance of flavors.

Classic Ham Salad

The Color:

Unlike the canned stuff, your Deviled Ham probably won’t be a bright pink. The colors might vary a bit depending on what ham you use to make it, and if that ham has a glaze or not. In this particular batch, I used ham from my Honey Mustard Glazed Ham, so the deviled ham picked up some of the color (and just a hint of the flavor) of that gorgeous amber glaze on the rind.

Personally, I like the variation in flavor that comes from using the rind part of the ham in my deviled ham. If you’d like a pinker color and/or a truer pure ham flavor, just use the portions of the ham that don’t have any rind or glaze.

Honey Mustard Glazed Ham

Saving Money on Classic Deviled Ham:

I have a lot of ideas for Using Leftover Ham. This recipe takes a full 3/4 pound of ham, which is a good part of my leftover Holiday Ham stash! There are ways to better stretch leftover ham, but I love this so much it’s worth a little indulgence. The last time I priced the Deviled Ham in 2016, it ran about $1.20 for the 2 1/2 cups.

Pick up several hams during the holidays when they are dirt cheap and chuck them in the freezer. By the way, if you don’t have a freezer, get one. They cost less than the price of a Big Mac to run per month (under five bucks) and will save so much money in the long run.

Honey is pricy, especially with the depletion in the bee population. Check the drug stores when they have coupon specials. Sometimes Asian markets have great prices. And don’t forget Aldi and Lidl. Brown sugar is a great budget substitution.

You can find a lot of my strategies for shopping and picking up items on sale during the holiday and seasonal sales in my post Win at the Grocery. From there, you can click on any specific holiday to see what items you might want to look at and budget for. Stock up when items are at a low.

Classic Deviled Ham

Classic Deviled Ham

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• Author: mollie kirby
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 2 1/2 cups 1x
• Category: Appetizers
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 3/4 pound ham, cut in chunks
• 1/4 of a medium-sized onion, in chunks
• 4 tablespoons ham drippings or softened butter
• 2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard, more to taste **
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (go by taste here – cloves are powerful)
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• about a 1/4 cup of ham broth or water to thin to desired consistency

** I’ve had a report back that this might be a little heavy on the Dijon with 1/4 cup. I cut it back in the recipe.

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Instructions

Using a food processor (or a grinder if you have one) run ham and onion through the grating blade. Remove and place in the food processor with the steel cutting blade. Process until nearly pulverized.

Add mustard, drippings or butter, honey, mustard powder, cloves, turmeric, and the two peppers. Blend until smooth. If the mixture seems dry, add broth or water, tablespoon by tablespoon until desired consistency is reached, stopping to scrape down from time to time.

Flavor is best after this has sat for a while. It will be firmer after refrigeration.

A serving is about 2 tablespoons.  Cal 101, Cal fr fat 57, 58%; tot fat 6.54 g, sat fat 3.45g; chol 37mg; sod 481 mg; tot carb 4.57g; prot 6.34g, sugar 3.65g

Helpful Links:

If you came to this recipe looking for a way to use ham, be sure to check out the link below for 12 Days of Ham. You might want to see the sister post for 12 Days of Turkey, too.