Ham Balls are a staple in Iowa. There are many versions so of course, I had to share This Iowa Girl’s Ham Balls recipe with you!
Ham balls? Yep, you read that right! If you have been in Iowa for any length of time, you have heard of and probably enjoyed the infamous ham balls. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, read on. 🙂
As I mentioned, there are many versions. Most are a delightful blend of ground pork and ground ham. However, I have seen some recipes with ground beef. And…if you are able to buy ham loaf at a Fareway Store you, my friend, have hit the jackpot!
Now I know you are thinking…why is ground pork and ground ham such a big deal? Well, that’s the foundation (as well as graham cracker crumbs, eggs, and milk). The real beauty is in the sauce. It’s actually quite magical. This Iowa Girl’s Ham Balls have a tangy-sweet sauce made of brown sugar, ketchup, mustard, vinegar, and water. Hold tight while I dry my tears of food happiness, LOL.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 lb ground ham
- or 2 lbs Ham Loaf in place of the ground pork and ham
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tsp mustard
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup vinegar
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine ground pork, ground ham, eggs, milk, and graham cracker crumbs.
- Using a 1/2 cup measuring cup, form ham balls, and place in a 9″ x 13″ baking pan.
- To prepare the sauce, combine brown sugar, mustard, ketchup, water, and vinegar.
- Pour the sauce on top of the ham balls.
- Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Baste the ham balls periodically with the sauce while baking.
Notes:
- I like to freeze the ham balls a few hours or overnight prior to baking as they hold their shape better.
- These are large ham balls but can be made into smaller ones if desired.
- The ham balls are best in the oven (the sauce will thicken) but can be cooked in a slow cooker.
- I only need half a recipe for myself and my husband so I put half of the sauce in the freezer as well as the extra ham balls. Ta-Da! Now I have an entree ready for a weeknight meal. Simply thaw the sauce and pour over the ham balls when ready to bake.
Wondering what to serve with ham balls? Anything cheesy! I typically make baked mac & cheese or Party Potatoes (that recipe is coming soon). 🙂 And, of course, you need bread! Bran Dinner Rolls are a perfect addition.
Oh man! All these visuals and writing about ham balls is making me hungry. I think I know what we are having for supper. 🙂
Until next time…Cheers!
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This Iowa Girl's Ham Balls
An Iowa favorite. Ham Balls give you the best of both sweet and tangy flavors. Enjoy them with your favorite potatoes or mac and cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 lb ground ham
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp. mustard
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine ground pork, ground ham, eggs, milk, and graham cracker crumbs.
- Using a 1/2 cup measuring cup, form ham balls, and place in a 9" x 13" baking pan.
- To prepare the sauce, combine brown sugar, mustard, ketchup, water, and vinegar.
- Pour the sauce on top of the ham balls.
- Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Baste the ham balls periodically with the sauce while baking.
Notes
You can substitute 2 lbs of Ham Loaf for the pork and ham if it is available at your local grocery store.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 10 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 341Total Fat 14gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 110mgSodium 664mgCarbohydrates 29gFiber 0gSugar 23gProtein 24g
Nutritional data is not always accurate.
I am an Iowa girl that left Iowa 23 years ago. If you weren’t born and raised in Iowa you have no clue about ham balls! I live in Florida.
My sister visited in September and brought me four packages of Fareway ham ball mixture and four packages of pork cutlets (they don’t understand those here either, Fareway now calls them temple cutlets!) I was thrilled!!!
I made this recipe tonight and I was immediately transported to Iowa!! Thank you!! ♥️
Hello fellow Iowan! So glad you were able to get hold of the ham ball mixture (ham loaf) to make this recipe. And a great choice in getting the mix from Fareway. No other compares!
Born & raised in Iowa. Left 8 yrs ago. Haven’t had ham balls in years but have been craving them for a few months. O fixn em for supper tonight Missourians have never heard of em, so therefore they don’t sell ground hamloaf. So decided to use the ground ham and ground pork.
Can I use this same recipe to make one ham loaf? Would it be same temp and longer bake time? Would glaze be the same proportions above?
Definitely! I have made this recipe into a loaf as well. All proportions would be the same.