Ham and Cheese Salad with Homemade Ranch Dressing

April 8, 2016

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What do you like to make with your left over baked ham? I usually toss it in scrambled eggs or omelets, add it to a sandwich or on occasion I’ll make ham fried rice with it, but one of my favorite things to do it with it is to make this easy yet delicious Ham and Cheese Salad. It may not seem like much but with good quality ham (preferably from a left over baked ham) and homemade ranch it it really is incredibly delicious!

Ham and Cheese Salad with Homemade Ranch | Cooking Classy

Normally I always chop up (/basically shred up) the leftover ham in a food processor for this salad, as mentioned in the recipe, but for picture purposes I thought the tiny diced cubes might look just a little better (not the food processor version looks bad by any means just not as clean cut I guess).

Ham and Cheese Salad with Homemade Ranch | Cooking Classy

The food processor method is soooo much faster and strangely enough I think it even tastes a little better that way, but if you don’t have a food processor you can chop it up like so (I don’t however recommend buying the packages of tiny ham cubes at the store though I’ve tried those before and didn’t like them).

Ham and Cheese Salad with Homemade Ranch | Cooking Classy

Really the eggs are optional here but it’s a great way to make this more of a main dish salad, making it more filling. Plus, ham and eggs just go together so why not together in salad? If you don’t plan on having a baked ham anytime in the near future your next best option would probably be a ham steak.

Also, you can definitely make this salad into a cobb salad, simply add chicken and tomatoes as mentioned in the notes below the recipe. I hope your family loves this salad as much as my family does!

Homemade Ranch Dressing | Cooking Classy

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Ham and Cheese Salad with Homemade Ranch Dressing

A main dish salad that you'll crave again and again! It's the perfect use for left over ham. Layered with crisp iceberg lettuce, shredded cheeses, hard boiled eggs and a simple homemade ranch dressing. So delicious!
Servings: 4
Prep20 minutes
Ready in: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups shredded or cubed ham*
  • 4 large eggs, hard boiled, peeled and sliced
  • 24 oz iceberg lettuce blend
  • 3/4 cup (3 oz) mozzarella cheese
  • 3/4 cup (3 oz) medium or mild cheddar cheese

Homemade ranch dressing

Instructions

  • For the ranch dressing: Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Add additional buttermilk if needed 1 Tbsp at a time to reach desired consistency (it should be somewhat thick, not very runny). Store in an airtight container in refrigerator.
  • For the salad: Divide lettuce among 4 large salad bowls. Top with ham and cheese. Add one sliced egg to each salad. Drizzle with ranch and serve immediately after adding dressing.

Notes

*My favorite way which I normally always make this salad is to chop the ham up into tiny pieces in a food processor, it really just tastes better this way. I chop a leftover baked ham (not honey glazed, just a regular picnic ham) into chunks or slices then toss into a food processor in batches and pulse until it's evenly shredded up into small bits. If you don't have a food processor you can slice it into tiny cubes like that pictured.
Nutrition Facts
Ham and Cheese Salad with Homemade Ranch Dressing
Amount Per Serving
Calories 544 Calories from Fat 369
% Daily Value*
Fat 41g63%
Saturated Fat 16g100%
Cholesterol 266mg89%
Sodium 1570mg68%
Potassium 631mg18%
Carbohydrates 10g3%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 30g60%
Vitamin A 1925IU39%
Vitamin C 9.1mg11%
Calcium 390mg39%
Iron 2.5mg14%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.