[1] Holiday SPAM Musubi (photos © Hormel Foods).

[2] Classic SPAM.

[3] Figgy Pudding SPAM for the holidays.

[4] A spiced Dutch Baby pancake with Figgy Pudding SPAM and cranberry butter. Here’s the recipe.

Fans of SPAM will get a kick out of this holiday SPAM® Musubi recipe.

For the uninitiated: What is SPAM?

It’s brand of luncheon meat from Hormel Foods, a combination of ground pork and ham mixed with water, salt, sugar, and sodium nitrite (for the pink color).

During the Great Depression (1929-1939), SPAM helped to fill the need for inexpensive meat products, which added protein to the diet (and yes, fat, salt, and sugar).

Today, SPAM is often used in place of bacon or ham in everything from breakfast meat, sandwiches, and stir-fries to tacos and quesadillas. Search online for “SPAM recipes” and you’ll find mac and cheese with SPAM, spaghetti and meatballs (the latter made from puréed SPAM), loaded baked potatoes, and international dishes like pad Thai.

For the holidays, SPAM enthusiasts will relish the following recipe: SPAM glazed in cranberry sauce and served in a bed of leftover stuffing wrapped in nori.

You may want to double or triple the recipe. One slice per person is hardly enough (so say we).

There are more SPAM holiday recipes below.
 
 
RECIPE: HOLIDAY SPAM MUSUBI

You can make this recipe with leftover cranberry sauce and stuffing, or start anew.
Prep time is 10 minutes, and cook time is 20 minutes.
 
Ingredients For 8 Servings

 
Preparation

1. COOK the SPAM slices in a large skillet over medium-high heat, for 3 to 5 minutes or until browned.

2. ADD the cranberry sauce and cook 1 to 2 minutes, frequently basting with cranberry sauce, until the slices are glazed. Remove from the skillet.

3. PLACE 1/3 cup stuffing into a musubi press or plastic lined SPAM can on top of nori strip; press down. Place a glazed SPAM slice on top of the stuffing. Remove from the press or can.

4. PRESS a sheet nori around each slice. Moisten one end slightly to fasten together.
 
Optional Dipping Sauce

While not part of SPAM’s recipe, we created a dipping sauce from the extra cranberry sauce.

Simply mix cranberry sauce with Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, or sour cream, to taste.
 
 
MORE ABOUT SPAM

> July 31st is National SPAM Day.

> August 8th is National SPAM Musubi Day.

> The history of SPAM Musubi.

> The history of SPAM and SPAM trivia.

> The original SPAM Musubi recipe.

> 25 more SPAM Musubi recipes.
 
 
MORE SPAM HOLIDAY RECIPES

These recipes are made with limited edition flavor SPAM Figgy Pudding (photo #3).