Cole Slaw Ham Salad with Grilled Gouda-Cheddar Sandwiches

Cole Slaw Ham Salad with a Grilled Gouda-Cheddar Sandwich
Recipes and recipes clippings are truly a primary source for amateur genealogists, but I wonder how many overlook them as clues to a family's past?


A family's culinary past should be part of its family tree. What our ancestors ate - and liked - should be fairly easy to track down if you have a few old, dog-eared and splattered cookbooks and recipe cards. Needless to say, I have thousands.

It was no surprise when I found a recipe for cole slaw ham salad among my mother's bulging recipe boxes. I know her tastes; they shaped mine.

My mother made cole slaw often, adding green pepper as her special touch, serving it with ham or pork dishes. I don't know if she ever made the following recipe, nor do I know its provenance. But I made it and really loved it. It's a great way to use up scraps of ham.

Cole Slaw Ham Salad (makes 4-6 servings)

For the dressing

  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup green onion, finely chopped

For the salad

  • 1 cup cooked, diced or shredded ham
  • 2 cups shredded cabbage
  • 1/2 cup pecans, roasted and chopped
  • 1/4 cup minced green pepper

Combine sour cream, honey, mustard and onions in a small bowl, reserving about a tablespoon of green onions Mix well and cover; chill in refrigerator for about 2 hours. Add dressing and gently toss. Just before serving, sprinkle with pecans and remaining green onions.

This salad just begged to be served with a grilled cheese sandwich. I missed National Grilled Sandwich Day a few days ago (here's why). So it was time to catch up.

I make my grilled sandwiches the same way you do. Here's how to make a great one. My favorite cheese for grilling is Gouda, second only to Cheddar. I always served with bread and butter pickles, my favorite.

Comments

Gone-ta-pott said…
I love your cole slaw recipe, it's so different. My sister-in-law is the cole slaw queen but I think I can beat her this Easter with your recipe. I'm looking forward to trying it.
Unknown said…
Please let me know how it turns out!

The original recipe did not call for green pepper, but I added mine as a salute to my mother.

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