• Home
  • Start Here
    • Contact Me
    • About Chrissy Miller
    • Our Books
    • Disclosure
    • Advertise/PR
      • Buttons
  • Recipes
    • Easy Recipes
    • Beverages
    • Bread Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Dessert
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Main Dish
    • Party Recipes
    • Side Dish
  • DIY
    • New House Series
    • Decor
    • Gift Ideas
    • Kids Activities
    • Essential Oils
      • Where to Buy Essential Oils
  • Travel
    • Family Travel
    • Disney
    • Cruises
    • Camping
  • Fun
    • Pets
    • Movies
    • Entertainment
  • Resources
    • How to Start A Blog
    • Blog Resources
    • Meal Plan Resources
  • Blake

The Taylor House

Iowa Blogger sharing Recipes, DIY and much more

Iowa Ham Balls

May 11, 2016   |   6 Comments

Iowa Ham Balls

By: Ally from Ally’s Sweet & Savory Eats

Florida has key lime pie, Maine has lobster rolls, Texas has chili, heck even Ohio has something they call a Buckeye.  Each and every state has “something” they are known for, and while everyone in that state knows what it is….those in the rest of the country may not.

My home state, the state of Iowa {heard of us?} is know for a lot of foodie finds.  Giant fried pork tenderloin sandwiches, giant turkey legs at the State Fair, loose meat sandwiches, a dessert we like to call Puppy Chow and these ham balls.

 Iowa Ham Balls

Yes, ham balls.

The most delicious dinner around with the most boring name.

Unfortunately we cannot change the name, as then everyone here would be confused and it would be a giant waste of time.

Iowa Ham Balls

This glorious “meatball” is a staple at potlucks, at Easter dinner and a must for many Sunday dinners.  The meat is a combination of ground pork and ham {sometimes beef is added, but not traditional} stuffed with ground graham crackers and brown sugar, then glazed with a tomato soup, sugar and vinegar combination.

I know!  Sounds all a bid ridiculous, but when it comes together it is awesome.  A 9×13 pan feeds a hearty crowd or can easily be split up into two dinners.  I made these over the weekend for Sunday night dinner and we enjoyed them again as leftovers for lunch the next day.

Now I purchase my “ham loaf” at the local Fareway grocery stores {it’s a staple there} and some other Midwestern grocers will carry it as well.  If not, you can ask your butcher to do it – simply 1.5 lbs of ground ham and 1.5 lbs of ground pork combined.  If you still cannot find it or your butcher gives you the crazy evil eye, you can do it yourself with a large food processor.  A bit more work, but so, so, so worth it.

Traditionally these are also served with a side of cheesy goodness, usually in the form of potatoes or pasta.  I threw in roasted broccoli for good measure, because, you know we all need some greenery not doused in cheese or carbs!

Make these once and I will firmly say you’ll be hooked.  Your family will love them.  Once your family is hooked they are a great meal to take to a new mom or someone who has been sick.  And they freeze well!  A great freezer meal to tuck away for a busy weeknight.

Iowa Ham Balls

Iowa Ham Balls

3 lbs. Ham loaf {1.5 lbs ground pork, 1.5 lbs ground ham}

1.5 c. ground graham cracker crumbs

2 eggs, beaten

1 c. milk

1 can tomato soup

¾ c. brown sugar

¼ c. vinegar

1 t. spicy brown mustard

 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 pan with cooking spray.
  2. In a bowl combine the ham loaf, graham crackers, eggs and milk. Using your hands, mix to combine.  Form into fist sized balls.  Mixture makes 15 balls.  Place in the greased dish.
  3. In another bowl combine the tomato soup, brown sugar, vinegar and mustard. Pour this over the ham balls.
  4. Bake for 1 hour. Turn the ham balls over halfway through to coat both sides with the glaze.  Serve warm.

Iowa Ham Balls

Sharing is caring!

4534 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
« Previous article:

Laundry Tips That Make Life Easier

Next Post: »

Homemade Strawberry Jelly Recipe

Leave a comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

6 Comments

  1. Amy says

    April 11, 2022 at 6:10 pm

    We love your recipe and have made it dozens of times. I have even had to substitute crushed Kix or Chex cereal when I didn’t realize I was out of graham cracker crumbs (yes two separate times…whoops). It still turned out great.
    We’re from near Burlington, IA.

    Reply
  2. Cheryl Beard says

    March 12, 2018 at 12:40 am

    Found you via Pinterest, Id been searching for a ham ball recipe!!!!! I’m sooo glad I found yours! Im saving it to make this for Sunday lunch but will put some in the freezer because I only cook for 2!
    ps………I’m from Iowa too……Winfield!

    Reply
  3. Susan Schultz says

    December 31, 2017 at 7:55 pm

    This recipe also makes a great hamloaf!

    Reply
  4. Darlene Monroe says

    December 15, 2017 at 9:50 pm

    These are delicious. It is what I’m serving for Christmas dinner

    Reply
  5. Linda duaz says

    May 12, 2016 at 10:46 am

    I now live in Fl. (Am a newbe), would u know where I could find GROUND Ham. (I left my daughter my food processor)
    Thank you

    Reply
  6. Kim says

    May 11, 2016 at 2:19 pm

    Iowa girl here – born and raised and still here! Ham balls are a must at all of our family gatherings. My husband doesn’t even like ham but will eat ham balls. My mom also gets the mixture from Fareway. Gotta love the comfort food of Iowa! (roast in the crock pot, maid rite/loose meat/beef burger/sloppy joe/etc, and ham balls 😉 )

    Reply

Hi Im Chrissy!

Welcome to The Taylor House!
Thanks for stopping by, take a minute to check out our recipes and be sure to follow along with us.

facebooktwitterinstagramgooglepinterest

Recipes Organizing Money Travel At Home Family

Free Ebook

Free Slow Cooker Ebook

Grab your free eBook of my best
Slow Cooker Recipes:

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Hi I’m Chrissy

Welcome to The Taylor House! Thanks for stopping by, take a minute to check out our recipes and be sure to follow along with us.

 

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Chrissy Taylor is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to www.amazon.com.

Categories

  • Recipes
  • DIY
  • Travel
  • Money Saving
  • Privacy Policy

Free Ebook

Grab your free eBook of my best Slow Cooker Recipes:

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Copyright © 2023 · The Taylor House · Website by Wordpress Barista

4534 shares