Name: Cheesy Country Ham Dip
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT0H30M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT1H0M0.000S
Yield: 10 to 12 servings
Ingredients: One 10-ounce package sliced country ham, such as Smithfield; Two 8-ounce blocks cream cheese, at room temperature; 1 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar; 1 cup sour cream; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 large shallot, grated (about 1/3 cup); Freshly ground black pepper; 1 cup pecans, chopped; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted; 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce; Butter crackers, corn tortilla chips (not too thin) and sliced celery, for serving

Directions

Watch how to make this recipe.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the ham slices on a microwave-safe dish lined with paper towels. Cover the ham with a damp paper towel and microwave on low heat until the ham is slightly crisp on the edges and the fat is absorbed in the paper towels, 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove the ham from the microwave and discard the paper towels. Using two forks, shred the ham into small bite-size pieces. Place the ham into a large mixing bowl.
Add the cream cheese, Cheddar, sour cream, garlic powder, shallot and 1 teaspoon black pepper to the mixing bowl and stir to combine. Spread the ham and cheese mixture into a 9-inch pie plate. Set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the pecans, butter and Worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle the seasoned pecans over the ham and cheese dip.
Bake the dip until hot and bubbly around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm with butter crackers, corn tortilla and celery.

Cook’s Note

For this recipe, it is best to render some of the salty fat out of the country ham. This is usually done in the oven, baked low and slow for over an hour! In this recipe, we used a shortcut and rendered out some of the fat in the microwave instead!