Ham Balls
You read that right, Ham Balls! These are not your average meatballs, they’re made up of ground beef, ground pork, and of course, ground ham. There’s something about the texture from these that you cannot get in another meatball, I think it’s the ham!
This recipe is a take on my mom’s ham loaves. You could make these into mini meatloaf muffins too, or just form into little loaves. Meatballs are just easy, especially if you’re going to serve these as an appetizer. I made a few edits to the original, but they are very similar. These meatballs are unique in a couple ways, one is obviously the ground ham, you just don’t see that very often. (I get my ground ham from a local butcher shop) The other is the crushed graham crackers as the bread crumbs. It adds such yummy sweet flavor!
Using a food processor works best for crushing the crackers, but if you don’t have one, just use a plastic bag and a rolling pin to crush them into crumbs.
This recipe makes 3 pounds which is great if you’re serving a family crowd, but they also freeze really well if you just want to make for a single meal. These are perfect for a cocktail party appetizer. The sauce is simple, condensed tomato soup is the base, plus some tangy vinegar and spices for that sweet and tangy perfect bite!
I can’t eat just one…they’re one of my favorite meatballs! These ham balls have such great flavor and have the perfect texture! You’ve got to try them!
Let me know what you think! Love a good meatball?! Check out ALL my meatball recipes!
Ham Balls
Not your average meatball! A crazy delicious twist on a classic cocktail meatball.
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1 lb ground ham
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups crushed graham crackers
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tsp ground mustard
- 1 tsp black pepper
For the sauce
- 1 10.75 oz can tomato soup
- 1/3 cup brown sugar or equivalent sugar substitute*
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and lightly spray a large baking sheet (12×17) with non-stick cooking spray.
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Combine sauce ingredients in a saucepan, and heat over medium. Once bubbly and heated through, reduce heat to low, simmer for 5-10 minutes stirring occasionally to avoid burning. Remove from heat, and cover to keep warm.
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In a large bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients. Mix well until combined. Using a scooper, scoop meat mixture and form into balls. Place meatballs on prepared baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Baste meatballs with about half of the sauce. Bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and baste and serve with the remaining sauce.
Recipe Notes
I buy frozen, cooked ground ham at my local meat market. You may need to ask your store’s meat counter if they have it, or if they can grind some ham for you.
I use a brown sugar substitute to save calories. If you go this route, make sure to read the package measuring equivalents.
These make a tasty party appetizer, or main meal! They freeze and re-heat very well too.
