Ham Patties: A Tasty And Filling Meal From Leftover Ham

Looking for a delicious and satisfying meal? Try making ham patties from leftover ham! They’re easy to make and packed with flavor and protein. Learn more about this tasty dish and how to make it here.

Ingredients for Ham Patties from Leftover Ham

If ham salad and salmon patties had a baby, you’d get these easy ham patties. Basically, you make a ham salad with leftover ham. The ham salad has onion, bread crumbs, parsley, mustard, salt and eggs to bind it together.

• Leftover Ham, ground up
• Onion
• Dry Bread Crumbs or Cracker Crumbs
• Large Eggs
• Chopped Parsley
• Yellow Mustard
• Salt (and pepper, if desired)
• Butter

Then, you make these patties, and you fry them in butter until they are golden brown on both sides. This is the part that reminds me of a nice, crunchy salmon patty, except it’s salty ham instead.

Fried Ham Patties

The original recipe for these fried ham patties are from the green McCall’s Cook Book. This is a favorite cook book of mine; it’s more like an encyclopedia for cooking. There’s even a section called Leftovers which contains new ways to use leftovers. It’s the old fashioned version of a leftover remix, and I’m a big fan.

In the cook book, it suggests serving these with a white sauce made with sour cream. Check out that recipe in the Recipe FAQs section below.

I prefer to serve them as a ham sandwich, and it’s perfect for feeding those farmers in the spring or fall when they’re busy in the fields.

How to Make Ham Patties using Leftover Ham

Step by Step Instructions

1. Grind up ham and onion in a food processor until it’s ground into a fine consistency.
2. In a large bowl, mix ham, onion, bread crumbs, eggs, parsley, mustard and salt until well combined.
3. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
4. Form ham mixture into balls with an ice cream scoop, and shape into round ham patties.
5. Fry in the hot butter until golden brown; flip, and brown the other side.
6. Eat by itself, or serve on a bun.

Storage Instructions

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.

For the full ingredient amounts and recipe steps for , scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this page.

Recipe FAQs

• This is the perfect way to use leftover ham from the holidays.
• Make the ham croquettes mixture ahead of time, and store it in the refrigerator until ready to fry up.
• Use an old fashioned meat grinder, if desired. I do not own one of those, so I use my basic food processor. Pulse or process until the ham is finely ground.
• Use fresh parsley, dried parsley or the freeze-dried parsley that is found at the grocery store.
• If desired, make a sour cream sauce by bringing 1/4 cup of water to boil. Add 1/4 teaspoon paprika; reduce heat and add 1 cup sour cream. Heat thoroughly.
• I serve these up on a bun with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise; however, these would also make a tasty appetizer for the holidays.

Recipe Variations

• Any type of mustard will work. Try stone ground mustard, Dijon mustard, or whole grain mustard.
• Fry in olive oil, coconut oil, regular vegetable oil, canola oil or ghee, if desired.
• Use traditional store-bought prepared bread crumbs, panko bread crumbs or crush up your favorite type of crackers such as Saltines or Ritz Crackers. I’ve also been known to use Cornflakes.
• Use green onions instead of regular onion.
• Make these ham and cheese patties by adding your favorite shredded cheese to the ham cakes.

What to serve with ham cakes?

I love ham cakes served as an entrée, and they are so versatile that they go well with pretty much any vegetable side dish (green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, etc.). I recommend serving with cheesy cauliflower, broccoli rice casserole, or Sweet and Sour Green Beans with Bacon.

Can you freeze ham patties?

Yes, you can freeze ham patties in a couple different ways. First, make the ham patties ahead, and fry them up. Then, store them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2-3 months. When ready to eat, just defrost and reheat.

Or, prepare the ham patties mixture, and shape into golf ball-sized meatballs. Place the ham balls on a parchment-lined pan, and freeze. Once frozen, toss the balls in a freezer-safe zip lock baggie for 2-3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then smash into patties, and fry up according to the recipe steps.

Can you use a food processor instead of a meat grinder?

Yes, a food processor is a great substitute for a meat grinder. I do not own a meat grinder; however, I use my food processor all the time to grind up meat for recipes such as leftover ham patties.

What do you use to grind ham?

I use my basic food processor to grind up ham for ham salad spread or ham patties. I add the ham to the processor container, and pulse until the ham is to the desired consistency.

Can you freeze leftover ham from Christmas?

Yes, freezing ham for later is a great way to prevent waste. Store the ham in an air-tight container or in freezer-safe zip-lock bags. Store the ham for up to 3 months in the freezer. To thaw, place the frozen ham in the fridge until it thaws out.

Leftover Ham Recipes

After fixing one of these delicious ham recipes, check out all of our leftover ham recipes shown below.

• 3-ingredient Spiral Ham
• Cranberry Ham – Instant Pot recipe
• Brown Sugar Spiral Ham – Crock Pot recipe
• Garlic Honey Mustard Spiral Ham
• Cherry Crock Pot Ham

Ham Salad

Cheesy Ham and Potatoes

Ham and Cabbage Casserole

Pineapple Casserole with Ham

Kitchen Tools and Pantry Staples

• Food Processor
• Large Bowl
• Spoonula
• Ice Cream Scoop
• Cast-iron Skillet
• Spatula
• Bread Crumbs
• Freeze Dried Parsley
• Yellow Mustard