Ham Mold is a nostalgic recipe from my younger days. I am old enough to remember when Hormel first introduced its canned chunk meats. I was especially fond of the ham, as it made ham salad sandwiches very easy to prepare. These days I never eat the canned ham anymore because of my red meat allergy, and I am sure that some of the added ingredients are not very healthy, but at the time I really enjoyed the convenience. I even used that ham as a substitute for canned salmon to create the recipe below. Although the mixture can be shaped in a mold and turned out to serve, I usually did not bother, and simply left it in the bowl to be spooned out and spread onto crackers as an appetizer.
The original recipe calls for grated horseradish rather than horseradish sauce, but we only had the latter so I modified the amount. Using the sauce makes this recipe more of a dip than a mold, but that is not necessarily a disadvantage! If you use grated horseradish, start with about one teaspoon and taste before adding more. The amounts of horseradish sauce, onion, and lemon juice are only guidelines anyway. Add what seems right to you, taste, and add more if needed. Feel free to stir in any extra flavorings you like as well - I think diced pimientos, pickle relish, or chopped black olives would all be tasty options. Just remember that in this recipe, the horseradish is the star so any additions should complement that condiment (we like horseradish, and add almost enough to make your eyes water!). You can also substitute any meat, poultry, or fish for the ham (canned or otherwise), but I will always have a fondness for this ham version even though I can no longer eat it.
Ham Mold
1 can (5 oz.) ham
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 T. creamy horseradish sauce
1 T. minced onion
1/2 T. lemon juice
Mix all of the ingredients together well in a small bowl. Chill until firm. Serve at room temperature with crackers. Serves 4.
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