Fit for a King
Or at least 4 graduating high school seniors and a college graduate! Today our church honored these young people for their accomplishments. Although that was important, I really must focus on the potluck afterwards! This morning on my Facebook page I mentioned that I was making ham balls and I've gotten more responses to that than any other comment I've made on Facebook. From "what is a ham ball?" to "I miss Iowa" and "my mother-in-law makes a killer ham ball." What a hoot! I decided that you all must have the family recipe for ham balls. See below!
The food line.
Ham Balls (from the family cookbook)
3 lbs ground ham
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
3 eggs, slightly beaten
2 c. milk
3 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
1 cup brown sugar
2 T. vinegar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
To the slightly beaten eggs, add graham cracker crumbs, milk, salt, and pepper. Mix egg mixture and meat together (Heidi's tip: used the Pampered Chef stainless steel bowl and mixer tool and this was easy as can be.) Form into balls. Place in greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Bake, uncovered for 1 hour at 300 degrees. While baking, combine remaining ingredients for sauce. Add some sauce to ham balls and bake for another hour, adding sauce at intervals. Continue to bake uncovered.
Heidi's church tip: Bake the ham balls without adding sauce. Instead cook ham balls. Cool. Put ham balls and sauce in crock pot and refrigerate until needed. Then put in crock pot on low and warm up. I kept scooping sauce over the ham balls so they remained really juicy.
Close-up of food. I could have eaten the bowl of homemade pickles...they were so good. Three kinds of deviled eggs.
Enjoy!
The food line.
Ham Balls (from the family cookbook)
3 lbs ground ham
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
3 eggs, slightly beaten
2 c. milk
3 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
1 cup brown sugar
2 T. vinegar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
To the slightly beaten eggs, add graham cracker crumbs, milk, salt, and pepper. Mix egg mixture and meat together (Heidi's tip: used the Pampered Chef stainless steel bowl and mixer tool and this was easy as can be.) Form into balls. Place in greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Bake, uncovered for 1 hour at 300 degrees. While baking, combine remaining ingredients for sauce. Add some sauce to ham balls and bake for another hour, adding sauce at intervals. Continue to bake uncovered.
Heidi's church tip: Bake the ham balls without adding sauce. Instead cook ham balls. Cool. Put ham balls and sauce in crock pot and refrigerate until needed. Then put in crock pot on low and warm up. I kept scooping sauce over the ham balls so they remained really juicy.
Close-up of food. I could have eaten the bowl of homemade pickles...they were so good. Three kinds of deviled eggs.
Enjoy!
Don't you love potluck meals...our church had the most awesome ones back when our kids were little. Then there was the ones at high school level for band and/or sports banquets. Yummy!
Reply to this
Yum, there is no meal so divine as a potluck - and especially a church potluck. Just last night at my grandson's birthday party, we were recalling jello, casseroles, ham salad sandwiches, and cake, lots of cake, that we have all enjoyed at church functions. I've always wanted that hamball recipe. It sounds like the perfect thing to fix for Mother's Day because I could cook them the day before and then relax on the big day!
Reply to this
I am from Kansas and my mom makes ham balls all the time. However I don't know that she adds ground pork and ground beef. I haven't eaten breakfast yet and your pictures of the food in tempting!
Reply to this
Thank You for your website. So interesting, I just found it. I too use to like gatherings to eat. But in 2006, I was diagnosed with Celiac, therefore going to events like this is almost impossible any more. I can't have wheat, barley, oats or rye. So I have to change recepies and I even hate to cook anymore. I will just look at your beautiful tables and drool. Thanks. Jan
Reply to this