FARGO — I have been blessed to spend the past two weeks with my parents at their home in Florida, and it is always a goal of mine to fill their freezer with delicious food before I depart. This endeavor requires some purging of the freezer to make space for new food, and I was delighted to find that my mother had several pounds of GooGoo’s Easter Ham in her freezer left over from the holiday last month.
I was able to make four Three-Cheese Ham and Spinach Quiches , and we had just enough left to make this sweet and savory Ham Loaf with Brown Sugar and Mustard Crust.
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Just like meatloaf, this is an old-fashioned comfort food and a favorite from my mother’s childhood. The loaf is made with a combination of ground ham and ground pork, as well as yellow onion, eggs, milk, breadcrumbs, brown sugar and mustard.
You can use a knife to finely chop the ham, but a food processor is even better, as it can grind a pound of ham in just a matter of seconds. I chopped the onion by hand, but the next time I make this recipe, I will add it to the food processor with the ham and blitz them together.
The brown sugar and mustard are added twice to enhance the natural sweetness of the ham — first in the loaf mixture and then as a glaze atop the loaf. I used Dijon mustard on this occasion, but you can use any variety of prepared mustard, including yellow, Dijon, brown or spicy.
To make the ham loaf, simply combine all the ingredients and spread the mixture evenly into a loaf pan (9x5 or 8½x4½ both work), then cover the top with the brown sugar-mustard glaze, which will be thick, like a paste. You can prepare the loaf and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before baking, or bake it up to two days in advance and reheat it just before serving. I leave the loaf uncovered when baking it so that the glaze can form a caramelized crust, but if I am reheating it, I cover it with tin foil to prevent it from drying out.
I served this Ham Loaf with Brown Sugar and Mustard Crust with three terrific recipes from this column: Marilyn’s Potato Salad , Super Sicilian Roasted Red Peppers and Banana Coconut Cream Pie . My parents were delighted by our retro dinner, and I am excited to have a new favorite to share with my family back in Fargo.
Speaking of retro dinners, St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church in Dilworth is hosting its spring Spaghetti Dinner this Sunday, April 28, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is one of our favorite food events on the planet, and we never miss it. We hope to see you there!
If you go
What: St. Elizabeth’s Authentic Italian Spaghetti Dinner
When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, April 28
Where: St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church, 207 North Main St., Dilworth
Cost: $18 for adults, $10 for children, preschoolers free
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Ham Loaf with Brown Sugar and Mustard Crust
Serves: 6 to 8
Ingredients:
- 1 pound ham, finely chopped
- ¼ cup yellow onion, finely chopped
- ½ pound ground pork
- 2 eggs
- 1¼ cups plain breadcrumbs
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons prepared mustard (Dijon or yellow)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Glaze crust:
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare the glaze first by mixing the brown sugar and mustard until well combined; set aside.
In a large bowl, use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to mix the ham, onion, eggs, breadcrumbs, milk, brown sugar, mustard and black pepper until well combined.
Transfer the ham mixture to an ungreased loaf pan (9x5 or 8½x4½). Use a knife or spatula to smooth the top. Spread the glaze evenly over the top, covering the entire surface.
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Bake until the loaf is fully done, about 90 minutes. The top should be a rich golden brown and the loaf will be bubbling. Let the loaf cool at room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing.
Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or frozen for 2 to 3 months.
Sarah’s tips
- If you have a food processor, you can use it to grind the ham and onion together until finely chopped.
- You can prepare the ham up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate it until ready to bake. You can also fully cook it 2 days in advance and reheat it at 300 degrees until hot through the center, about 30 minutes. To reheat, cover the loaf with tin foil first to prevent it from drying out.
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