Ham Croquettes

With Easter coming, many of us will be looking for ways to use that left-over ham.
So here's a recipe my mom always used :

HAM CROQUETTES

After a baked ham dinner, Mom liked to make these tasty patties with the leftover ham. They were almost as good as the original meal.. As a child in those pre-food processor days, I loved to help grind the meat with an old-fashioned hand cranked meat grinder. I still own one just like it but it hasn’t been used in 20 years!

3 cups (or more) cooked ham, chopped
½ sleeve of Ritz crackers (Mom also occasionally used saltines.)
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 egg
3-4 Tbsp. spicy brown mustard
Black pepper, to taste

· Grind ham and crackers using a food processor or a blender set on “chop”. (If using a grinder, use the “fine” grinding blade.)
· Blend in egg, onion and mustard. Mixture should have a hamburger consistency. (If too dry, add more mustard or a little mayo, if you prefer.)
· Form into patties about ¾” thick and brown on both sides using a stovetop griddle or shallow non-stick fry pan.

Best served warm - either, alone or on a bun with condiments.

Add a little zing to the mixture with a dab of horseradish or Tabasco or a dash of BBQ rub or Southwest seasoning.