The best and easiest recipe for glazed ham for the holidays

Skip those expensive glazed hams and make your own instead!

Glazed ham is delicious, but not necessarily healthy. The ham itself isn’t terrible – roughly 289 calories and 15 grams of fat per 4-1 / 2-ounce serving – but the icings are usually made with pure sugar. In addition, glazed ham is much more expensive than regular ham. If you only knew how easy it is to make your own, you will never buy a glazed ham again! Our simple ham glaze recipe has just four ingredients. They’re all probably already in your pantry: honey, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and apple cider vinegar. They come together to create a people-friendly main course that is perfect for any holiday event.

What to look for when buying a ham

There are different types of hams and you want to make sure you choose the right one for your vacation get-together. They’re not very common so you probably won’t run into this problem, but make sure you don’t accidentally buy a fresh ham. These hams are raw (just like a pork loin) and take much longer to cook than indicated in the recipe below.

The desired hams have been cured and smoked and should be marked as “fully cooked” on the packaging. All you need to do is warm up the ham with the glaze, which usually takes between 2 and 2 1/2 hours. Notice that some ham has been topped up with water. Look for a product that doesn’t have “water added” or “natural juices” on the label.

Types of ham

We prefer uncut ham on the bone. These hams are completely intact and look like a roast. Cooking with the bone makes the meat tastier. If you hold them whole, the ham won’t dry out even when reheating. Also, you can use the bone to make Pea and ham soup later! You can also choose the thickness of the slices with this type of ham and cut them as thin or thick as you like.

Hams in spiral slices have the bone intact but are pre-cut for simplicity. All you have to do is place a slice along the bone to detach the slices from the roast, which makes serving it a lot easier. However, these spirally cut hams can sometimes dry out when reheated and they can also be pretreated with a glaze.

Finally, there is boneless ham. The bone is removed before the ham is hardened and smoked. A special process is used to compress the ham so that it does not contain a large hole. The texture of a boneless ham is a little different, but they still taste good. This is a good option if you need a smaller ham as it is usually available in smaller sizes.

How much ham do i need?

We recommend estimating 1/3 to 1/2 pound of boned ham per person or 1/4 to 1/3 pound of boneless ham per person. The nutritional information below is based on a 4.5-ounce serving of ham per person, or just over 1/4 pound.

A simple recipe for ham icing for the holidays

Our ham icing couldn’t be easier. You begin by reheating the ham in a 325 ° F oven. The heat is gentle enough to heat the ham in about two hours without drying it out. We also recommend covering the ham with foil to provide additional moisture insurance.

We recommend placing the ham on the grill of a frying pan. However, you have options when you don’t have any. You can put it on an oven-safe cooling shelf in a baking sheet. If you don’t have one either, don’t fret. Add a layer of chopped onions, carrots, or potatoes to the bottom of the pan to raise the ham. The vegetables taste great after being cooked in all the ham drops!

Then we score the ham so that the glaze can penetrate deeper into the meat. With a sharp knife, make 1/4-inch deep cuts in the top of the ham. The diamond pattern makes the ham very attractive, and you have the option of adding cloves to each diamond tip to give the ham a classic look.

After the ham has been heated to 30 ° C, it’s time for the glaze. We use honey to keep the sugar natural and use a little brown sugar to help the icing come together in a thick paste. The Dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar make for the perfect flavor to balance out the sweet flavors. Spread the glaze evenly on the ham and in about 15 to 30 minutes the ham will look absolutely gorgeous!

Serve this simple glazed ham recipe

Glazed ham is an excellent centerpiece for any feast. It’s also easy enough to have dinner for a weekend. When the ham is ready, take it out of the oven and let it sit for at least 15 minutes. Then, with a sharp knife, make several cuts vertically from the top of the ham down towards the bone, stopping when the knife reaches the bone. Then rotate the knife horizontally and run it along the bone to free the slices. Repeat the process on the other side of the ham.

After the ham is carved, serve it with your favorite side dishes! It goes well with any type of salad Spinach, lentil and beet salad with orange vinaigrette or a Garlic braised vegetables and chickpea salad. It’s also fantastic on its own with any number of vegetable side dishes, such as: Fried parmesan potatoes, Roasted Brussels sprouts with spicy charred corn, or Cauliflower and parsnip puree.

If you have leftovers, don’t be afraid to get creative. Glazed ham makes an incredible ham and cheese sandwich, but it can do so much more than just sandwiches. Use thin slices to make them baked breakfast cups or add large diced pieces Sweet Potato Hash. It’s also great for soup recipes like Chowder, Salads, casseroles and more!

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