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.