Amish Ham Loaf Recipe

This easy Amish ham loaf recipe is a great way to use up leftover holiday ham. Similar to a typical meat loaf with a smoother texture and hint of smokey flavor.

This Amish ham loaf recipe is a longtime favorite of mine for the winter months. It’s heavy enough to be considered a cozy meal but easy enough to throw together on a Wednesday afternoon.

It’s a great way to use up leftover holiday ham and freezes exceptionally well if you want to double or triple the recipe for the purpose of a ready-made freezer meal to pull out and defrost during busy school weeks.

You will most definitely find this on our dinner table during that weird time warp of a week inbetween Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Recipe Variations

One of the best things about the Amish ham loaf recipe is that it is meant to use up what you already have on hand. Don’t waste a trip to the store for special ingredients.

If you are missing something in the ingredients list, swap it out for variations listed below.

Ground beef: If you don’t have ground beef on hand, you can easily replace it with ground pork or sausage and it will turn out just fine.

Breadcrumbs: In lieu of breadcrumbs, you can crush up Ritz crackers, saltines, oyster crackers or any similar type of cracker to use as a substitute.

Pineapple Juice: If you don’t have any on hand, replace it with 2 tablespoons of mustard, 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 1/2 cup of water. Bring this to a boil and follow the rest of the instructions as written.

Sour cream: Omit the sour cream and ground mustard. Increase the milk amount to 1.5 cups. Soak the breadcrumbs as specified and add to the meat mixture along with 2 tablespoons of prepared mustard.

Ground mustard: I’ve come to realize that different kinds of mustard like dry powdered mustard and stone ground mustards aren’t always readily available in the standard pantry. Since most of my cooking brings forth my German roots, I tend to add it into almost everything from steak marinades to meatloaf. If you don’t have ground mustard, replace it with 2 tablespoons of whatever prepared mustard is available.

Clear Jel: Clear Jel is a wonderful thickening powder used in many Amish, Pennsylvania Dutch, and German recipes. If you’ve never heard of it or don’t have it, use cornstarch instead.

Loaf Pan: Use any oval or rectangular oven safe dish with high sides instead. Just make sure to grease it first.

Amish Ham Loaf Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of cooked ham
• 1 pound of uncooked ground beef
• 2 cups breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons ground mustard
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 2 tablespoons Clear Jel or cornstarch

Instructions:

Using a food processor or blender, process cooked ham until it is finely chopped and resembles the texture of ground beef.

Soak the breadcrumbs in milk while you mix the rest of the ingredients together. This is easiest done by adding the breadcrumbs to the measuring container which holds the milk. Give it a stir to moisten and soften the breadcrumbs. It will resemble crumbly sand.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease or line a loaf pan with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl, add the ground ham, beef, softened breadcrumbs, eggs, sour cream, and spices. Mix the ingredients together until evenly distributed.

Press the ham loaf mixture into the prepared pan until a uniform brick forms.

Bake the ham loaf for 45 minutes in the oven covered in foil.

While the ham loaf is baking, prepare the glaze. In a small pot, combine brown sugar, pineapple juice and Clear Jel (or cornstarch). 

Bring the glaze ingredients to a low boil whisking continuously to avoid scorching. When the glaze is smooth and thick, remove from the heat and set aside.

After 45 minutes in the oven, remove the ham loaf from the oven, take off the foil and drain the loaf pan drippings into the pot with the glaze. Stir the glaze and generously baste the ham loaf. 

Place the ham loaf uncovered back into the oven to bake for an additional 30 minutes at 350F until lightly browned. Let the ham loaf rest for 15 minutes before slicing to seal in the juices. 

Amish Ham Loaf Leftovers

Reheat leftovers in the microwave on 70% power for 90 seconds or in the oven at 350F until warm.

Any remaining leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for 5 days without an issue. The determining factor for how long it will remain fresh is dependent upon how long the cooked ham was stored before being repurposed into a ham loaf.

Ham loaf freezes beautifully as well. Wrap the entire remaining portion of the loaf unsliced in several layers of plastic wrap and store in a gallon sized freezer bag. If you happen to have a vacuum sealer, this is the best option. It will retain it’s quality in the freezer for about 4-5 months.

What to Serve With Amish Ham Loaf

Amish ham loaf is a versatile main course that can be paired with nearly any side dish.

Some of our favorites are warm German potato salad, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, air fryer Brussel sprouts, easy rice pilaf, or slices of fresh Rye bread.

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