My aunt brought a huge tray of these to the Sunday potluck and they were the very first thing to disappear.

For a slightly richer biscuit without adding an extra ingredient, you can substitute part of the buttermilk with the rendered fat from the cooked country ham, if you have it; just make sure the fat is cooled but still liquid before stirring it in.

If you don’t have self-rising biscuit mix, you can make a quick stand-in by combining all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in advance, but note that would technically add ingredients beyond the core three. To keep the spirit of the recipe (and the headline) intact, I recommend buying a self-rising mix specifically for this.

You can also play with size: make tiny bite-size biscuits for cocktail parties, or cut them slightly larger for breakfast sandwiches. If your country ham is very salty, you can briefly rinse it under cool water and pat it dry before chopping to mellow the saltiness a bit.

For food safety, always start with fully cooked country ham from a reputable source and keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to use it. If you cook a whole country ham yourself, follow the producer’s instructions for soaking and cooking, and cool it promptly before chopping.

Leftover baked biscuits should be cooled completely, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and eaten within 3–4 days; rewarm them in a low oven (300°F/150°C) until heated through. Avoid leaving the ham biscuits at room temperature for more than 2 hours, especially at potlucks or buffets.