Oh, Spam. You were once such a joke to me as a child. Every time I saw your rectangular can on the grocery store shelf I would laugh to myself and think, “Spam? Who eats Spam? What a bizarre creation. Just get regular meat!” This thought process followed me around through both middle and high school, always cracking a smile whenever the canned meat was brought up in conversation (which oddly happened more than you might think). Basically, for years Spam played like a running joke in my head, but oh, how wrong I was the whole time.
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Once I truly started my journey into all things food, I realized that Spam absolutely was not the tinned joke I thought for so many years. I was blown away when I learned how popular it is all throughout Hawaii, and when I finally took a bite of my first Spam musubi (not in Hawaii, unfortunately), I had to admit to myself that Spam was actually amazing. Holy cow, how was I so wrong? But, alas, I was, and now I always keep a can of Spam in the cabinet, and you’ll be surprised just how many cool things you can actually do with such seemingly mundane canned meat.
Spam Breakfast Hash
Let’s start with a nice and hearty morning meal, shall we? Trying to whip up a batch of breakfast hash and need something savory to give the potatoes a tasty sidekick? Spam works perfectly. Cube the meat and toss it right into the skillet alongside the taters and whatever else your breakfast hash recipe calls for and you’re off to the races with a savory morning meal that hits a grand slam.
Spam Burger
Slices of Spam are a perfect swap for a juicy burger and they also make a fantastic topping, as well. If you don’t have any bacon lying around the fridge but you want that salty punch atop your patty, a thin slice of the canned meat works wonders for packing on serious umami flavors. Of course, you can go full Spam patty for an extra savory bite. Add Spam to your next backyard barbecue and watch as your guests realize its delicious potential right before your eyes.
Spam Mac and Cheese
As delicious as macaroni and cheese is on its own, sometimes it just needs a push to truly become a beacon of amazing flavor. That’s where Spam puts on its cape and swoops in like a savory superhero to get the job done. Dice up the cube into savory morsels and watch its magic work in your next bowl of mac and cheese.
Spam Wellington
Now, if you’re trying to really get fancy one evening and whip up a Wellington dish, just know that instead of the classic beef, you can pop open a can of Spam and wrap the whole thing in puff pastry for an equally delicious dinner. It’ll also save you money, as well. Spam has never been known as a fancy food, but this is one way to dress it up to the nines and surprise your dinner guests.
Spam Tacos
Put a savory spin on your next taco night using Spam. Forget the expensive beef, pork, or fish. Fry up strips (or cubes) of the canned meat and lay it down in those taco shells for a dinner that screams savory flavor. The meat works with just about every taco topping, so you can keep taco night just the way you like it with one easy Spam swap.
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!