By Christmas blessing naming all: Mama, Reverend James, Joy, Will, the readers, the community, the chain unbroken, the cooking continuing. The week was the life. The life was the cooking. The cooking was the love. And the love was the week, and the week was one of the weeks that stack together to become the years, and the years become the life, and the life is the woman at the stove who cooks and writes and loves and does not stop.
I made she-crab soup on Sunday — the anchor, the constant, the practice. The soup was perfect. The perfection was the practice. And the practice continues, one Sunday at a time, one bowl at a time, one life at a time, the woman stirring, the roux thickening, the kitchen warm, the family fed, the love alive.
She-crab soup is the anchor, yes — but every anchor needs something alongside it at the table, something easy and generous that lets me stay present with the people I love instead of disappearing into the kitchen. This Ham Cream Cheese Spread has become exactly that for me: the thing I set out while the soup simmers, the thing Mama reaches for first, the thing that says we are fed, we are together, the week is behind us now. It requires almost nothing of me and gives everything back.
Ham Cream Cheese Spread
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 10 minutes | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup finely diced cooked ham
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Salt to taste
- Crackers, sliced baguette, or celery sticks, for serving
Instructions
- Soften the base. Allow the cream cheese to sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes so it blends smoothly without lumps.
- Combine. In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with a fork or hand mixer until smooth. Add the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and black pepper. Mix until fully incorporated.
- Fold in the ham. Stir in the diced ham and green onion until evenly distributed throughout the spread.
- Taste and adjust. Sample the spread and add salt as needed, keeping in mind that ham brings its own saltiness.
- Chill or serve immediately. The spread can be served right away or covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Chilling for 30 minutes allows the flavors to deepen.
- Serve. Transfer to a serving bowl and surround with crackers, baguette slices, or fresh celery sticks.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 145 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 12g | Carbs: 2g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 390mg