Chipped Ham BBQ Sandwiches

This is our notion of comfort food at its finest: an old family recipe, not-so-good-for-you ingredients, and something that we crave approximately once a year, usually always during the winter. This past weekend the craving set in, after not having these since last January. The recipe for these sandwiches comes from a family member on our mom’s side, Sara, although we are unsure of how we are related. Our mom just always referred to these as “Sara’s Ham BBQ Sandwiches”; she made them fairly frequently when we were kids, but then they disappeared out of her rotation. Last winter they suddenly popped into our head and we immediately had to have them, so we had our mom dig out the recipe. The craving was instantly satisfied and we were taken back to our childhood. They’re great for a Saturday or Sunday lunch, and especially good when you’re sitting down to watch sports, which might be why we're always craving them smack dab in the middle of hockey season, right near the Bowl. Our inner foodie/sports intuition at work, for sure ;-)

Now, “chipped ham” is a Pittsburgh thing, but we have found that in other areas of the country it is known as “chopped ham” or “chip-chop ham”. Basically, it’s deli ham meat that is almost shaved it’s so thin and in pieces. We usually always give it another coarse chop when we get it home since this sandwich is best when all of the pieces (ham, egg, and cheese) are cut into smaller, uniform pieces.

These are straightforward to throw together, which makes them reliable for serving a hungry crowd. Just mix together the sandwich ingredients, assemble them on the buns, wrap each one in foil and pop in the oven for 30 minutes. They come out warm, soft-centered thanks to the melted cheese, and with the buns having just a touch of crunch. They would be great for the Bowl, or any time you’re having some friends over and want something warm, but straightforward and casual.

Do you have any old favorite family recipes like this one? Maybe not a standby for you, but one you crave every once and a great while?

Four years ago: Perfection Pound Cake

• Yield: 12 sandwiches
• Prep: 15 minutes
• Cook: 30 minutes
• Total: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ( 907.18 g ) chipped ham, chopped
• 4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped small
• 8 ounces ( 226.8 g ) Velveeta cheese, diced small
• 12 ounces ( 340.2 ml ) chili sauce
• 12 sandwich buns

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl mix together the chipped ham, eggs, cheese, and chili sauce, ensuring that the sauce evenly coats all of the other ingredients.
3. Divide the chipped ham mixture evenly between all of the buns. Wrap each one in foil, place on a tray and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until hot in the middle and the cheese is melted. Serve with your favorite chips.