Ham Balls

 Can you believe that I had never heard of this classic Iowa dish until I met my husband? I have lived in Iowa my entire life, and I had never had a ham ball. I can only assume that everyone else had already heard of these tender beauties based on my husbands reaction when I asked him what they were. 

Fast forward 21 years, and I now make these delicious ham balls and my kids LOVE them. I'm sure it has everything to do with the sweet sauce that is poured over the top and baked. I usually have to make extra sauce so that my kids can pour it over mashed potatoes (although about half the time I make cheesy hash browns instead because well, that's the norm around here).

 This recipe calls for ham loaf, which I can purchase at my local grocer's meat counter. If your grocery store does not have ham loaf, a mixture of half ground ham and half ground pork can be used. 

Expecting company? This recipe is easy to double, and the ham balls stay nice and warm in a crock pot. 

You can also freeze these to cook later. I freeze mine without the sauce and add the sauce right before baking. If you do add the sauce, be sure to thaw completely before you bake.

 

 

 

Ham Balls

Author: The Marigold Kitchen

Tender meatballs with a sweet sauce over the top makes these an Iowa classic.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ham loaf
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 can tomato soup
• 1/8 cup vinegar
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1 cup brown sugar
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Mix together the ham loaf, egg, milk, and graham cracker crumbs.
2. Farm into 2 inch balls, about 1/3 cup.
3. Place in a greased casserole dish.
4. Mix together tomato soup, vinegar, mustard, brown sugar, and salt and pepper. Pour over ham balls.
5. Bake at 350 for an hour.

Notes:

You can reduce the amount of brown sugar if you prefer the sauce to not be so sweet.