Holiday parties. Weddings. Potlucks. Tailgate shindigs. You name it and, if you’re in certain regions, ham biscuits are probably on the menu. This catch-all comfort food may not be well known outside of the South, but pretty much anyone can get behind this. We’re talking about ham piled on either a biscuit or a roll with mustard and Swiss cheese—it’s simple but perfect, and it’s the pride of Virginia. According to Virginia Living, the ham biscuit sandwich is believed to date back to colonial times and has since become a way for people to connect across the South as people pass down their particular recipes through the generations.
Depending on where you are in Virginia, there are different “right” ways to make a Virginia ham biscuit. For the most part, it goes something like this: layer slices of Virginia country ham inside a biscuit or a roll—yes a roll—and that’s that. Toppings like mustard and cheese are optional, but we love options around here. So here’s our roundup of all the best ingredients for a Virginia ham biscuit in the (Southern) comfort of your own kitchen.
- Boar’s Head Cooked Uncured Ham
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Before angry Virginians come at us in the comments, we know: The best ham for an authentic ham biscuit is real-deal, freshly carved Virginia country ham. Well, if you aren’t up for baking an entire ham, you could certainly do worse than this Boar’s Head ham from the grocery store deli. It’s salty and a little bit sweet, just like Virginia ham, and has excellent marbling which gives it the appeal of fresh-baked ham. When you can’t have the real deal, try this.
Read the full ranking of the best ham
Credit: Ryan Martin / Pavilions
- Rhodes Thaw, Rise & Bake Dinner Rolls
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Yes, it’s called a Virginia ham biscuit, but some people prefer them on rolls. Before you bake your own, try these Rhodes dinner rolls, which are about as close as you can get to homemade. They come raw, so you have to let the dough rise before you bake. Time consuming? A tad. Worth it? Very. These are super soft and squishy inside with a nice bit of bite on the outside. They’re so authentic, you can trick people into believing you made them from scratch. We don’t usually encourage lying, but this seems harmless enough.
Read the full ranking of the best dinner rolls
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- Pillsbury Grands! Southern Homestyle Buttermilk Biscuits
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If you’re going the biscuit route for your Virginia ham biscuits, give these Grands! a go. They have a crusty exterior, a fluffy interior, and a wonderfully buttery flavor that’s a perfect complement to the salty ham. Serve these warm and just see how many ham biscuits you can put away in one sitting.
Read the full ranking of the best store bought biscuits
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Maille Honey Dijon Mustard
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While there is no true consensus on how to dress a Virginia ham biscuit, the two most popular flavor profiles seem to be spicy and sweet, so people typically use either honey mustard or dijon mustard. Well…we say get you a girl (named Maille) who can do both. Besides being an amazing honey mustard with a symphony of sweet, tangy, zesty flavors, this dijon mustard has bite, too. You’ll never have a “blah” ham biscuit again.
Read the full ranking of the best honey mustard here!
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Sargento Sliced Swiss
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Not all ham biscuit recipes call for cheese, but if you are of the opinion that no sandwich is complete without cheese, we see you. Swiss is a good move. It’s melty without being too greasy. It’s nutty and subtle—and everyone knows this stuff goes great with ham. We taste tested a lot of Swiss in two separate taste tests, and were pleased to discover that Sargento, perhaps the most widely available cheese in the U.S., makes the best Swiss you can buy. Use it on your Virginia ham biscuits and even the purists won’t complain.
Read the full ranking of the best swiss cheese
Credit: Merc / Walmart
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!