There’s a little can with a red devil on it that used to sit in nearly every American pantry. Your grandmother almost certainly had one in hers. Deviled ham — that spicy, spreadable, weirdly addictive meat paste — was once as common as peanut butter. People ate it on crackers at card parties, smeared it on white bread for school lunches, and scooped it straight from the tin with a butter knife when nobody was looking. And then, somewhere around the turn of the millennium, we just… stopped.
I think that’s a mistake. Not everything old-fashioned deserves to stay buried. Some things fell out of favor not because they stopped being good, but because we got distracted by something shinier. Deviled ham is one of those things. And I’m going to make the case that it belongs back in your kitchen — not as a nostalgia project, but because it’s genuinely one of the easiest, cheapest, most satisfying sandwich spreads you can make at home.
What Even Is Deviled Ham?
If you’ve never had it, deviled ham is basically a ham spread — finely ground cooked ham mixed with mayonnaise, mustard, and spices until it hits a smooth, almost pâté-like consistency. The “deviled” part isn’t about the devil. It’s an old English cooking term that meant something was prepared with hot spices — “like in hell,” as the original expression went. Deviled eggs, deviled ham, same idea. Heat and spice.
The most famous version came from the William Underwood Company, founded in Boston in 1822. They started out making condiments and pickled vegetables, but the deviled ham is what put them on the map. That little devil mascot debuted in 1870, making it one of the oldest food trademarks still in use in America. Union soldiers ate the canned version during the Civil War. President John F. Kennedy apparently had a thing for it too — you can see cans of it on display in the kitchen at the Kennedy National Historic Site in Massachusetts.
For decades, it was everywhere. Then it wasn’t. The canned version is still on shelves at most grocery stores, tucked away near the Spam and the Vienna sausages, but you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone under 40 who’s bought a can on purpose.
Why It Disappeared (And Why That’s Not a Good Reason)
Deviled ham faded for the same reason a lot of old-school sandwiches did — it got lumped in with mid-century processed food and written off as something your weird uncle eats. The canned version, while perfectly fine, doesn’t exactly scream “Instagram-worthy lunch.” And let’s be honest, the name doesn’t help. “Deviled ham” sounds like something you’d find in a survival bunker, not on a menu board at a trendy café.
But here’s what people forget: you don’t have to eat it from a can. Homemade deviled ham is a completely different animal. You control the salt, the fat, the spice level, everything. And when you make it with real leftover ham — the kind sitting in your fridge after Easter or Christmas or a random Tuesday night dinner — it’s shockingly good. Think of it like tuna salad or egg salad, but with ham. That’s really all it is. A savory mixture of finely chopped ham bound with mayo and mustard, seasoned however you like.
The Sandwich That Makes Itself
Here’s what I love about a deviled ham sandwich: there is almost nothing to do. You chop ham. You mix it with stuff. You spread it on bread. That’s the whole operation. No cooking, no heating, no assembly that requires a diagram. It’s a five-minute lunch that tastes like you spent way longer than you did.
The texture is key. You want the ham finely chopped — not puréed into baby food, but fine enough that it holds together as a spread. A food processor pulsed a few times does this perfectly. If you don’t have one, just chop it by hand on a cutting board until the pieces are about the size of a grain of rice. The mayo and mustard bring it together so it’s scoopable and spreadable, not crumbly.
Spread it on soft white bread or saltine crackers. That’s the classic move. But it’s also great on toasted rye, stuffed into a squishy sandwich roll, or served as a dip with celery sticks and potato chips on the side. One person I came across mentioned their mom and aunt used to make it for baby showers, ordering bread dyed pink and blue from the bakery and spreading this stuff on it. That’s the kind of food memory that sticks with people.
Getting the Flavor Right
The base is simple: ham, mayonnaise, and mustard. But the details matter. For the mustard, I like a mix — a little yellow mustard for that classic tang, plus a spoonful of Dijon for sharpness. The Underwood canned version uses mustard flour and turmeric in their seasoning, which gives it that distinctive warm, golden flavor. You can get close by adding a pinch of turmeric to your homemade version.
Hot sauce is non-negotiable for me. A few dashes of Tabasco or Frank’s RedHot keep it honest — this is deviled ham, after all, not just ham salad. You want enough heat to notice, not enough to dominate. A little sweet pickle relish adds a briny sweetness that rounds everything out. Some people use dill relish instead. Both work.
Where people go wrong is skimping on the seasoning. Ham is already salty, so you don’t need much salt, but it absolutely needs black pepper, a touch of onion powder, and something acidic. A squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of pickle juice wakes the whole thing up. Without acid, it just tastes flat.
Variations That Actually Work
Once you have the basic spread down, there are a few directions you can take it. Mix in a tablespoon of cream cheese for a richer, smoother texture — this makes an incredible cracker spread for parties. Add finely diced celery for crunch. Throw in a spoonful of horseradish if you want something with real bite.
You can also toast the sandwich. A deviled ham melt with a slice of Swiss cheese on rye, run under the broiler for two minutes, is unreasonably good. It’s in the same family as a tuna melt — warm, gooey, salty, satisfying — but with a completely different flavor profile. If you’ve never tried it, do that before anything else.
For something closer to how they served it in the South decades ago, try it on saltines with a thin slice of sweet onion on top. That’s it. That’s the snack. You’ll eat about forty of them before you realize what happened.
Choosing the Right Ham
This is a great recipe for leftover ham. If you roasted a bone-in ham for a holiday and you’ve got chunks of it sitting in the fridge getting drier by the day, this is the move. The drier pieces actually work well here because the mayo and mustard add moisture back in.
No leftovers? Deli ham works fine. Grab a half pound of thick-sliced ham from the deli counter at your grocery store. Black Forest, honey ham, whatever you like. Avoid the ultra-thin sandwich slices — they’re harder to chop into the right texture. You want something with a little substance.
Some old-school sandwiches fell out of fashion because the main ingredient became hard to find or expensive. That’s not the case here. Ham is at every supermarket in America, year-round, at every price point. There’s no barrier to entry. You just have to decide to make it.
Tips for Storing and Serving
Homemade deviled ham keeps in the fridge for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. It actually gets better after a few hours as the flavors meld together, so making it the night before is a smart play if you’re packing lunches.
Don’t freeze it. The mayo breaks down when frozen and thawed, and you’ll end up with a grainy, watery mess. Just make a batch that you can eat within a few days.
Serve it cold or at room temperature. On bread, on crackers, on celery — it doesn’t matter. If you’re making sandwiches for a crowd, white bread is traditional and still the best match. The softness of cheap white bread against the salty, creamy spread is one of those combinations that just works. Sometimes the simple choice is the right one.
A Sandwich Worth Remembering
Look, I’m not saying deviled ham is going to become the next big food trend. Nobody’s going to open a deviled ham pop-up restaurant in Brooklyn. But that’s kind of the point. This isn’t a trend food. It’s a real food — cheap, quick, satisfying, and completely unpretentious. It fed soldiers and presidents and your grandmother and a couple generations of kids who turned out fine.
If you’ve got leftover ham in your fridge right now, you’re ten minutes away from one of the best sandwiches you’ll eat this month. Give it a shot. The worst thing that happens is you eat a really good sandwich.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is homemade deviled ham the same thing as ham salad?
A: They’re close cousins, but not identical. Ham salad is usually chunkier with bigger pieces of ham and often includes chopped hard-boiled eggs, celery, and sometimes pickles mixed in. Deviled ham is ground or chopped much finer — almost to a paste — and leans heavier on the mustard and spices. The “deviled” part means it should have a noticeable kick of heat that ham salad typically doesn’t.
Q: Can I use a food processor to chop the ham?
A: Absolutely, and it’s the fastest way to get the right texture. Cut the ham into rough 1-inch chunks first, then pulse the food processor 8 to 10 times in short bursts. You want finely chopped, not puréed. Check after every few pulses. If you go too far, you’ll end up with a paste that’s closer to cat food than sandwich filling.
Q: What kind of mustard works best for deviled ham?
A: A combination of yellow mustard and Dijon gives you the best of both worlds — the familiar tangy flavor of yellow plus the sharper, more complex bite of Dijon. If you only have one, use Dijon. Spicy brown mustard is another solid option. Avoid anything sweet like honey mustard, which will throw off the balance and make it taste more like a glaze than a spread.
Q: How is homemade deviled ham different from the canned Underwood version?
A: The canned version has a smoother, more uniform texture — almost like a pâté — and a very specific spice blend that includes mustard flour and turmeric. Homemade deviled ham has more visible texture, fresher flavor, and you can adjust the salt, spice, and heat to your liking. You also control what goes in, which means no preservatives or mystery ingredients. Both are good, but homemade is better.
Homemade Deviled Ham Sandwich Spread
Course: LunchCuisine: American4
servings10
minutes280
kcalThis five-minute deviled ham spread turns leftover ham into the best sandwich you forgot existed.
Ingredients
2 cups finely chopped cooked ham (about 3/4 pound)
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
1 teaspoon hot sauce (Tabasco or Frank’s RedHot)
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 slices soft white sandwich bread
Directions
- Cut your cooked ham into rough 1-inch chunks. If using deli ham, stack the slices and cut them into small squares. You want pieces small enough to fit easily into a food processor or to chop by hand.
- Add the ham chunks to a food processor and pulse 8 to 10 times in short bursts until finely chopped but not puréed. Check the texture between pulses — you want pieces roughly the size of a grain of rice. If you don’t have a food processor, chop the ham by hand on a cutting board until very fine.
- Transfer the chopped ham to a medium mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise, yellow mustard, Dijon mustard, sweet pickle relish, hot sauce, onion powder, and black pepper. Stir everything together until well combined and the mixture holds together as a spreadable consistency.
- Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning. Ham is already salty, so you likely won’t need salt, but add more hot sauce for heat, more mustard for tang, or a squeeze of lemon juice if it tastes flat. The flavors should be punchy and well-balanced.
- For the best flavor, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This lets the flavors come together and makes the spread easier to work with. You can also make it the night before.
- Lay out your bread slices. Spread a generous layer of the deviled ham mixture onto four slices — about 1/3 cup per sandwich. Spread it edge to edge so every bite has filling.
- Top with the remaining four slices of bread. Press down gently so the sandwich holds together. Cut diagonally or straight down the middle — your call.
- Serve immediately with potato chips, coleslaw, or a simple green salad on the side. For a deviled ham melt, skip the plain bread and instead spread the mixture on rye toast, top with a slice of Swiss cheese, and broil for 1 to 2 minutes until the cheese is bubbly.
Notes
- This spread keeps in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Do not freeze — the mayonnaise will break down and the texture will become grainy and watery when thawed.
- For a richer, creamier spread, mix in 2 tablespoons of softened cream cheese along with the mayonnaise. This version works especially well as a dip served with crackers or celery sticks.
- Leftover holiday ham, thick-sliced deli ham, and even a spiral-cut ham all work here. Avoid ultra-thin deli slices — they don’t chop well and can turn to mush in the food processor.
