Farmhouse Ham Loaf

A traditional meal that I crave is this baked and juicy Farmhouse Ham Loaf. This is one of the BEST comfort food recipes that we make.

Smoked ham and ground pork are seasoned with onion and bound together with eggs and graham cracker crumbs. Add a magical pineapple and brown sugar glaze to create one of our farm family’s best meals!

Ham Loaf Recipe

Ham Loaf is absolutely amazing served over our Farmhouse Mashed Potatoes with Scalloped Country Corn or Jiffy Corn Pudding on the side. Top off the meal with Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake or Pina Colada Cake and you’ll be the most popular cook on the block!

My family has made these Farmhouse Ham Balls for generations. So when another farm family shared their ham loaf recipe I couldn’t wait to try it.

This best ham loaf recipe is unique. The graham cracker crumbs help bind the ground pork and ham together. The most unforgettable part of this recipe is the crushed pineapple that perfectly compliments the brown sugar in the glaze.

I’ve ordered a similar ham loaf at Amish and other homestyle country restaurants, but I love that it is truly EASY to make at home. Common ingredients with mild flavors come together for an excellent family meal that is anything but ordinary.

Sometimes ground ham can be hard to find. Growing up we would go to a local butcher and request some or use a food processor to grind our own. The past few years I’ve been able to find chubs of ground ham at Kroger. Ground ham is often with the other sliced and cubed ham or in the meat case with ground pork.

Ham Loaf Glaze

This brown sugar and pineapple glaze truly pull together all of the flavors in the ham loaf to make every bite taste like meat candy! One of my secrets is to bathe every piece in the glaze as I transfer it to dinner plates.

In the movie Elf, he loves adding syrup to everything. If the Elf ever tried this glaze he would add it to everything! I’m always tempted to make a double batch of glaze to ensure each piece can be properly covered.

Bake the ham loaf without any glaze, covered at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes. This gives the meat time to warm up and allows all of the flavors to meld together.

As the ham loaf begins to bake I like to mix up the glaze ingredients and begin to warm the mixture on the stove. Once the glaze boils for one minute it is ready to pour over the ham loaf.

Pour the glaze over the ham loaf 20 to 30 minutes into baking. This glaze recipe covers a three-pound ham loaf and fills up a 9 x 13 baking dish easily. If all of the glaze doesn’t fit in the baking dish some of it can stay in the saucepan with the heat turned off.

Use a baster or a tablespoon to re-apply glaze to the top of the ham loaf 2 to 3 times throughout the baking process. Since sugar burns be sure to cover the top with foil when the ham loaf looks done. Ham loaf is officially ready to eat when a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F in the center of the loaf.

Rootbeer Ham Glaze if one of our favorites to use when making ham the centerpiece of the meal. I love that there are typically plenty of leftovers.

Ham Can Be Ground Up for Ham Loaf

Use a food processer to grind small pieces or chunks of leftover ham after a big holiday meal. Ground ham can be frozen in an air tight bag or container for up to 3 months.

I like to grind ham within a day or two of cooking it so that the meat is fresh. I use the ground ham within 2 – 4 days of the ham being cooked or I like to freeze any extra ham.

It’s easy to make Ham Sliders, but we like to use other leftover ham other recipes too like Ham & Potato Soup, Deviled Ham Dip, Crock Pot Ham, Potato & Mushroom Soup or Ham, Egg & Cheese Casserole.

How Long to Cook Ham Loaf

Use a 350°F oven to bake ham loaf. A digital thermometer reading an internal temperature of 160°F helps ensure that ham loaf containing raw, ground meat, is fully cooked and safe to eat.

The size of the piece of meat affects baking time. This recipe calls for three pounds of meat and takes almost 1 hour and 30 minutes to bake in loaf form. This recipe could be shaped into ham balls or mini meatloaves like our Taco Mini Meatloaves or Pizza Mini Meatloaves.

I end up covering a three pound ham loaf with foil for about half of the baking time. This helps prevent the brown sugar glaze from burning on top of the loaf.

Tenting or creating a tent shape out of a piece of oversized foil will help prevent the glaze from burning to the foil.

How to Make Ham Loaf

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan or slightly larger lasagna pan.
2. I like to use my Kitchen Aid mixer to mix up the ham loaf ingredients. Place all ham loaf ingredients EXCEPT paprika in a mixing bowl and mix well.
3. Place meat mixture in baking dish and shape a loaf with your hands. Make sure to keep a fairly even width across the entire ham load and avoid tapering the ends. The center of the ham loaf needs to reach 160°F and an evenly shaped loaf will cook more evenly.
4. Sprinkle with at least 1 teaspoon of paprika over the top of the loaf. I probably use closer to 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F, cover and bake for 30 minutes. Please continue reading the glaze preparations and remaining baking instructions to finish the recipe.

How to Make Ham Loaf Glaze

1. Combine all glaze ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat. I like to use crushed pineapple in natural juice and include the pineapple juice in the glaze.
2. Stir often until the mixture boils. Boil for one minute.
3. Pour glaze over ham loaf and return to oven to bake uncovered for an additional hour. Baste with glaze 2 – 3 times over the hour.
4. Use a digital meat thermometer. The dish is done baking when the center of the ham loaf reaches 160°F. If the ham loaf has a perfect golden brown coat but needs to continue baking cover with foil and return to the oven.

Other Farmhouse Meals You May Enjoy:

• Sausage & Potato Skillet
• Hamburger & Noodle Casserole
• Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
• Loaded Broccoli Noodle Soup
• Crock Pot Spaghetti

Printable Farmhouse Ham Loaf Recipe