Thanksgiving in the United States has come and gone and we are now firmly into the Christmas season. For a homemaker, the holiday season is a delight – baking scrumptious treats of all manner, trying new recipes, and creating menus for gatherings large and small. Of course, all of this cooking usually means one thing…leftovers!

Leftovers and our national holiday of unabashed gluttony go hand-in-hand. Even though we didn’t host Thanksgiving this year we still had leftovers – dearest sister-in-law graciously sent us home with an abundance of ham. While I don’t mind eating leftovers for several days in a row, the Mister will only abide the same meal for so long before the components absolutely must be transformed into a new dish. And that is precisely where we found ourselves last week. 

Normally, my absolute favorite leftover ham dish is Scalloped Potatoes and Ham but sadly lack of both preparation and energy meant that it was not a possible solution this time. Instead, I got out my 1944 Good Housekeeping Cook Book and selected a recipe that I thought would be excellent to try this time of year – Ham and Olive Spread. This recipe not only uses up leftover ham but is perfect for entertaining! Exactly the kind of budget-saving trick a good 1940’s homemaker would have employed during the rationing years and one we need to return to in these days of obscene inflation.

The spread came together very quickly with nothing but ingredients I always keep on hand (excepting, of course, the ham). The Mister diced the ham whilst I tackled the olives and we were ready to eat in no time flat. Obviously, this recipe was intended to be served as an appetizer and not a main course, but we chose to enjoy it as our dinner along with a few other leftover odds and ends. 

As to the taste?

The Worcestershire sauce was most certainly a predominant flavor in this dish. While the mayonnaise acted mostly as a binder, the Worcestershire sauce gave the spread a rich flavor that enhanced the ham. My husband and I both had the same assumption as we took our first bite: between the ham and the olives we expected this spread to be extraordinarily salty. And it wasn’t. At first. However, the more we ate, the saltier it got. The Mister commented that he could not eat this spread on a sandwich the way he would an ordinary ham salad. I agree. The recipe indicated it should be served with crackers and buttered bread. We tried both and it was definitely more enjoyable with the bread. 

If I were to serve this to guests, I would prepare it as a canape and serve it on a buttered, toasted baguette or rye or pumpernickel bread.

Overall, it was an easy and economical way to use leftover ham and I would consider making it again if I was entertaining and had an abundance of ham in the refrigerator. The saltiness of this spread means it’s not particularly enjoyable in large quantities but it would make a lovely addition to any cocktail party.

Bon appetit!