Heavenly Ham Loaf

Sweet and savory ham loaf with a zesty tomato glaze is a heavenly combination! Made with graham crackers to add just the right sweet touch too. One of my hubby’s favorite meals!

Heavenly Ham Loaf

Yield: 6 – 8 servings

Ingredients:

1-pound smoked or hone ham (or ground ham)
1-pound ground pork
1 small onion, chopped
1 – 2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
1 cup crushed graham crackers, 7 – 8 crackers
3/4 cup low fat milk
1 egg

Glaze:

1 can tomato soup, condensed
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Equipment needed:

Cutting board
Chef knife
Food processor
Medium mixing bowl
Liquid and dry measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Small mixing bowl
Wire whisk
13 X 9-inch baking dish
Serving spoon for basting

It’s amazing how so few ingredients can prepare such an amazingly tasty dinner! Ham loaf or ham patties have always been one of my husband’s favorite foods. Ironically, when I was young my mother’s church circle put together a cookbook of classic old recipes and lo and behold... Ham Loaf was one of them. My mom made it on occasion too, especially when we had a larger family gathering, as the recipe is easy to double. Once I married my hubby, I knew he would love that same recipe! He of course liked it better than his Mom's. This recipe is better than most ham loaves, due to the addition of graham cracker crumbs rather than regular saltines. The sweetness combined with the salty ham is awesome! Then add the zesty tomato glaze and the final dish is so flavorful, almost like candy! Grab your ingredients and let’s find out just how good it is!

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Many grocery stores sell pre-ground ham in the meat department, but I prefer grinding my own. The grocery variety always has a weird pink color that doesn’t seem natural. Using a food processor, you can grind up the ham, onions and garlic in one easy step. You can often buy graham cracker crumbs. I use a small food processor to grind my own leftover from summer s’more making. It takes about 7 – 8 crackers to equal 1 cup of crumbs. Then add the ground pork and egg in a medium bowl.Add these crumbs to the meat along with the milk... use your ‘clean’ hands and mix up until smooth and the crumbs are distributed evenly throughout the meat.

Last ham loaf prep step is oiling the bottom of a 13 X 9 baking pan. Drizzle a bit of olive or cannoli oil on pan and spread to coat. Then, form the meat into an oval loaf about three inches tall and 8 - 10 inches long. Make sure the meat is packed tightly together too.

Now to make the glaze... this is the best part of the recipe! The glaze makes this ham loaf so yummy too. Sweet and zesty! In a small mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, tomato soup, vinegar and Dijon mustard. Use a wire whisk and blend well. Pour the glaze evenly over the loaf. It will run off, but will be a great basting glaze as it bakes. Place the loaf in a preheated 350 F oven and set the timer for 45 minutes. As the dish bakes, the glaze will thicken and will stick nicely to the ham loaf. When the timer goes off, use a serving spoon and baste the glaze over the loaf a few times to coat well. Set the timer for an additional 45 minutes. Baste again after removal of the loaf from the oven.

Doesn’t your dinner look so yummy? The glaze makes a wonderful sauce over the sliced ham loaf too. Slice the loaf in 1-inch thick slices. Serve with roasted vegetables, such as the sweet potatoes and butternut squash pictured above... Enjoy!!