Ham Balls!

Ham balls! This Iowa favorite is perfect for family gatherings, holiday dinners, or potlucks! Tender and juicy ham balls coated in a sweet and tangy sauce. These go wonderfully with Texas Potatoes!

What is Ham loaf?

If you live in the midwest, Fareway Grocery Stores sells this wonderful concoction at their meat counter. It’s already ready to go for this recipe and makes things really easy. If you don’t have a Fareway near you, combine 1.5lbs of ground pork and 1.5lbs of ground ham.

Ingredients

• 3lbs. Ham Loaf
• 1 C. milk
• 1 C. graham cracker crumbs- I use these pre-crushed ones, but you can also crush graham crackers in a food processor to make them
• 2 eggs
• 1 10.75oz. can tomato soup
• 1 C. brown sugar
• ½ C. white vinegar
• 1 tsp. ground mustard

How To Make Ham Balls:

1. Preheat oven to 350℉ and lightly grease a 9×13 pan with non-stick spray.
2. Stir together the ham loaf, milk, graham cracker crumbs, and eggs until well combined. I like doing this in my KitchenAid Stand Mixer because it makes it quick and easy.
3. Scoop the meat mixture into 20-24 1½-2 inch balls. I use an ice cream scoop to get them the same size, then smooth them out and pack them in a little better in my hands.
4. To make the sauce, stir together 1 can of tomato soup, brown sugar, vinegar, and ground mustard in a small bowl until the brown sugar is dissolved. Pour the sauce evenly over the ham balls.
5. Bake at 350℉ for 1 hour or until the ham balls turn slightly golden brown and the sauce is thick and bubbly in the center of the pan. Serve with Texas Potatoes (recipe coming soon) or mashed potatoes!

If you love Ham Balls, you will also love my recipe for Mad Hatter Meatballs!

Ham balls is what I typically make in lieu of a traditional ham for holiday dinners like Easter or Christmas!