Quick Deviled Ham Salad Recipe

What's for lunch today? How about a simple dish with a five-minute prep and no cook time? Recipe developer and dietitian Kristen Carli came up with a deviled ham salad that tastes good atop lettuce or between two pieces of toasted bread or a roll. It also makes a lovely light dinner — just add potato salad, fruit, or some French fries on the side.

The key to creating this dish easily is using a food processor so you can mix the ingredients thoroughly and achieve a nicely textured salad. The even blend of celery, onion, and pickles gives the dish a nice flavor and crunch. The act of deviling is done to many foods, including the picnic and summertime BBQ favorite deviled eggs.

Those who don't eat meat can substitute hard-boiled eggs or tuna in place of the ham. "I love a prepared salad for sandwiches," said Carli. "It makes lunchtime super quick and easy." The recipe produces four sandwiches, and they're so good you'll want two for yourself.

For this recipe, you'll need 16 ounces of cubed ham, half a cup of diced yellow onion, some celery, dill pickles, mayo, and some salt and pepper. 

You can chop the ingredients during your prep or save some time by purchasing already-cut onions and celery (just be sure they're fresh — you'll want some crunch in your ham salad). When chopping the celery, remember to save the leafy end section — these leaves add a nice flavor to soups and broths and are also tasty when mixed into a salad. 

Put the cubed ham, diced onion, celery, and pickles into the food processor to blend. Make sure that you keep utensils away from the moving blades and use the food pusher to add ingredients.

Use a light hand when using the food processor too. You don't want to overdo things. The salad should be mixed well, but it should still be chunky. You want to be able to taste the different flavors of the ingredients and feel the crispness of the celery and onions when you finish making your salad. 

Remove the ingredients from your food processor, and place them in a medium bowl. Add your mayo, salt, and pepper. Stir with a spoon to combine. Make sure that everything is evenly distributed — it's too easy to leave some uncoated ingredients on the bottom of the dish.

Take a taste and see if you want to add anything else before serving. Like deviled eggs, you can make all sorts of varieties of this recipe. Maybe you'd like a bit of Dijon mustard, some paprika, hot sauce, or a pinch of cayenne? This is a salad that is easy to customize.

You can serve the deviled ham salad on toasted bread — it's a bit sturdier for the mayo's moisture — a roll, or with crackers for dipping. While you can't freeze the salad to eat later in the week, if you store it in an airtight container in the fridge, the salad lasts for up to three days. 

Since it's a sandwich, feel free to add the usual additions: cheese, sliced tomato, or a lettuce leaf. Whether you like a loaded hoagie or a simple sandwich, this deviled ham salad is an easy and satisfying dish.