Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

thelma's best ham loaf

(2 ratings)
Recipe by
Ellen Gwaltney Bales
Indianapolis, IN

I think it was after my dad passed away that Mother stopped baking turkeys and hams for the holidays. One of the things we liked was a ham loaf--a lot like a meat loaf, but made with ham instead of beef. It wasn't long after I was married that I began making them myself. We had a small family and didn't need a huge ham or turkey for the holidays. A ham loaf was just the right size! Photos are mine.

(2 ratings)
yield 8 serving(s)
prep time 15 Min
cook time 1 Hr 30 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For thelma's best ham loaf

  • HAM LOAF:
  • 1 lb
    ground ham
  • 1 lb
    ground pork
  • 2/3 c
    medium cracker crumbs
  • 1/2 c
    milk
  • 1/4 c
    chopped onion
  • 1
    egg, slightly beaten
  • dash
    pepper
  • MUSTARD GLAZE:
  • 1/2 c
    brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp
    dry mustard
  • 2 Tbsp
    orange juice
  • whole cloves (optional)

How To Make thelma's best ham loaf

  • 1
    FOR THE HAM LOAF: Mix together 1 pound each ground ham and ground pork in a large bowl. Add cracker crumbs, milk, onion, egg, and pepper. Mix well.
  • 2
    Mold the mixture into a 8-1/2x4-1/2x2-1/2" loaf pan. Then turn out into a shallow baking dish. Bake in a 350-degree preheated oven for 1-1/2 hours.
  • 3
    FOR THE MUSTARD GLAZE (OPTIONAL): Mix the brown sugar, mustard, and orange juice. For the last 30 minutes of cooking time, spoon the fat from the pan. Stud the ham loaf with cloves, if desired, and spoon the glaze over the ham. Continue baking and baste occasionally.
  • 4
    This is delicious served hot with the mustard glaze and Mother's cheese potatoes on the side, but I like it even better served cold the next day in a sandwich with some yellow mustard!
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