SPAM recipes your Family will love is not a misnomer, you will truly come to love the flavors. These recipes have been tried in our family for generations and the SPAMburger recipe is one that my grown sons both demand when they have been gone for a while. They even asked for the recipe when on active duty to expose their friends to the variety of meals one can subsist on when away from home. Note that we are not saying it is the healthiest of foods, but it is a comfort food.
History of Spam
As a child growing up in Southern Minnesota, SPAM is a must learn about food. It originated in Austin, MN a border town to Iowa. Going back to 1937, Hormel Foods held a contest in naming this delicious canned goodness, it seems an actor of the day by the name of Kenneth Daigneau gave it the moniker of SPAM, a combination of SPiced hAM. For over 80 years it is a proven staple in economic downturns. In our home, we thought it was a treat!
While so many people misunderstand the ingredients of SPAM as a mystery meat. It is far from that with only 6 ingredients: Pork with ham, salt, water, potato starch, sugar and sodium nitrite. If you compare that with other processed foods, SPAM is much easier to understand what is in it than even some fruit juices!
Spam Recipes Your Family Will Love
The following SPAM recipes are tried and true in my own home. Our sons (now 24 & 22) still request these recipes to be made. While the boys were growing up, they were active in Boy Scouts. One of their responsibilities was to plan and shop for the weekend camping meals in Boy Scouts. Our oldest finally convinced the Cooking Merit Badge Counselor to let him add SPAM burgers to the menu choices for his patrol. A few of the adults cringed about the recipe, but our sons stood firm. It actually became a favorite of the boys in troop and we even got the adults to eat them! If you have Ham in your recipe, this can be used in its place.
Basic Spam and Cheese sandwiches
Can of SPAM
4 cheese slices
Bread
Butter
First open the can of SPAM and slice into 4 “patties”. Heat up a pan and place SPAM in the pan. We prefer to get some browning on the each side.
Second spread butter on the outside of the bread slices like you would for Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. Using the pan from cooking the SPAM, place one slice of bread butter side down. Now place the cheese and a “patty” of SPAM, top with another slice of Bread, butter side up. Finally brown the bread over medium heat just as you would for a grilled cheese. ENJOY!
Family Favorite – SPAMburgers
1 can of SPAM
2 cups of meltable shredded cheese (be daring!)
Miracle Whip – do not use Mayonaise
Yellow mustard – 1 tsp
1 small dill pickle – chopped
1/2 cup of finely diced onion – optional
1/2 tsp of horseradish – optional
12 Hamburger buns
tinfoil
- Cube the SPAM (about 1/4″-1/2″ cubes)
- Next chop the pickle into small cubes – as tiny as you can.
- Mix the together SPAM, pickle, cheese, mustard, onion and horseradish until well blended.
- Add enough Miracle Whip to hold the ingredients together maybe 1/2 C to 3/4 C.
- Fill buns with mixture. Usually about 2 tablespoons
- Finally wrap buns individually with tinfoil and place on cookie sheet
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until cheese is melts. I tend to open up one or two sandwiches to check them.
- Refrigerate any leftovers – no containers needed since they are already in tinfoil. Microwave to reheat them later.
SPAM Macaroni Hotdish
I did say I was from Minnesota and nothing is truer Minnesotan than a SPAM macaroni hotdish. This is a winter warm-me-up dish that is way better than Mac N Cheese! Best is that it doesn’t come from a box and it only uses 1 pan.
Can of SPAM
1 Can of Cream of Chicken or Mushroom soup
1 Can Fiesta Nacho Cheese Soup
Milk – 1 can
1/2 box of Elbow Macaroni – Creamette brand is best
1-2 cups of shredded cheddar or taco cheese
- Cook Macaroni until tender. Then drain and rinse with cool water.
- In the meantime cube the SPAM (1/4″-1/2″ cubes)
- Next mix all ingredients back into Sauce pan used for boiling the macaroni.
- Finally bring to a boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes to blend all the flavors
- Usually serves 4-5 people
If you ever get to Minnesota be sure to visit the SPAM museum in Austin Minnesota. In the meantime we Minnesotans are a prideful bunch and are known for being Minnesota Nice. Come in and say you have eaten our delicacy of this canned meat and that you like it, you will be welcome to the Family!
Thank you for visiting my page and for trying our SPAM recipes. Be sure to check out the following pages too: