A friend gave me some leftover ham from her family get together and I made some ham salad out of it. I love Underwood canned deviled ham, roast beef and chicken spreads from the grocery store. It brings back memories of road trips and making my own lunch when mom was working.
Underwood is a brand so old its canned goods were carried by Union soldiers during the Civil War. Underwood has evolved into an all-American mainstay, thanks in no small part to its star product’s versatility. Not only does deviled ham make a tasty addition to sandwiches, appetizers, and dips in limitless combinations, but its stable shelf life makes it a reliable buy. So how old is it? Founded in Boston in 1822, the William Underwood Company originally manufactured packaged condiments and pickled vegetables, but in 1868 they began offering deviled ham as a canned meat spread. The famous devil logo, a nod to the “deviled” product inside and thought to be the oldest food trademark still in use for a prepackaged food product in the country, came along in 1870. Thankfully, the devil has morphed over the years into a much jollier version (sans claws) than the original. Far from evil, the word “deviled” is a culinary term that means “adding spices” usually hot ones like cayenne pepper, Dijon mustard, or chopped chili peppers to foods like ham, eggs, turkey, or even lobster.
The origins of ham salad are unknown, but it has been a staple dish in American cuisine for many years. You can find ham salad recipes in cookbooks dating as far back as the 1900s, and it remains a beloved comfort food to this day.
In the United States, meatpacking plants proliferated after the Civil War, and canned, salted, ready-to-eat hams began popping up at stores around the country. Once so many Americans had access to prepared ham, recipes began appearing for chopping it up and mixing it with things like vinegar or mustard and hard-boiled eggs; mayonnaise re-entered the ham salad scene by the start of the 20th century, and people began adding the now-classic celery and pickle relish. Right as the general public was settling into a groove of combining chopped ham with mayo and pickle relish and sometimes adding in other popular extras like Dijon mustard, onions, celery, and hard-boiled eggs, the country entered the Great Depression. It became more vital than ever to make use of every bit of food and try to make that food stretch to feed as many people as possible. Ham salad was a great way to do so. People could chop or grind up every last ham trimming and make it into something creamy with the mayo and crunchy with the relish, a salty, rich delight with a hint of acidity and brine. And they could easily make larger quantities, toss it all into a container, and bring it to a loved one’s house with crackers or white bread, which is how the dish became essential at funeral luncheons.
My family took ham, roast beef and chicken spreads on car trips, to the beach, and camping. White bread, miracle whip and lettuce made it a sandwich we all ate.
Roast beef salad
Ingredients
1 1/2 to 2 pounds leftover pot roast, cut into small cubes (or about 4 cups cubed roast)
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 finely chopped dill pickle
1/2 cup mayo, the real stuff
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup miracle whip
Salt and pepper to taste
Add the cubed roast, celery, onion, and dill pickle to a mid-sized mixing bowl. Give it a toss. In a separate bowl, add the mayo, sour cream, and miracle whip and whisk together. Add the mayo mixture to the roast and veggie mix. Stir together until the roast and veggies are evenly coated with the dressing. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve as a sandwich on bread or toast, or get really crazy and serve with crackers as a dip.
Ham salad
1 pound ham roughly chopped
1 rib celery roughly chopped
1 small onion roughly chopped
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
Add chopped ham to the bowl of food processor. Pulse several times. Add chopped celery and onion to the food processor and pulse until desired consistency is met. Be careful not to over mix. In a small mixing bowl combine mayonnaise, relish, Dijon mustard. Mix to combine. To a large mixing bowl combine ham and mayonnaise mixtures and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with bread, crackers or sliced celery sticks.
Deviled chicken spread
Ingredients
3 cups shredded chicken breasts (If using canned chicken use 24 ounces)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon honey mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly chopped chives
Instructions
Add the softened cream cheese to a large bowl. Use a hand-held mixer to beat the cream cheese. Add in the mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and ground black pepper. Beat to combine. Next, add in the shredded chicken and the chives. Use a spatula to fold the chicken and chives into the cream cheese mixture. Serve immediately or cover and chill for 1 hour. Keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.