Easter is finally in a few days. And this is one of those Holidays that I ABSOLUTELY love. There is just so much meaning in Easter Sunday! Church Services, Easter Dresses, Bunnies, Easter Egg Hunts, Families Gathering Everywhere…and Ham. Lots and Lots of Ham.
Yep! I admit it. Ham is one of my favorite things about Easter. I could eat Baked Ham for almost every single meal. And luckily after Easter “Ham” Dinner…I’ll at least enjoy it for an entire week!
Baked Ham is really so easy and versatile that ANYONE can cook it. Glazes, rubs, marinades…so many options to try. And so few ways to mess it up! This year, I have decided that I want to use Oranges. And Maple Syrup. And Brown Sugar. And…
First thing you want to do is clean & trim the Ham. Wash any excess juices off & trim any fat or skin down to no more than 1/4″ thick. Next, preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
While your oven is preheating, score the Ham in a criss-cross or diamond pattern. This will help the glaze/marinade/rub or whatever, really get down into the meat. Once it’s scored, place whole cloves into the Ham where each criss-cross meets.
Now, whisk up your marinade/glaze well. Place the Ham in a large roasting pan and pour half of the marinade over it. Make sure to baste the whole thing well. Cover loosely with aluminum foil then bake for about 1 1/2 hours. Or 10 minutes per lb. You’ll want to make sure you baste this every 20 minutes with the pan drippings/marinade/glaze mixture.
Once this is done, take the Ham out of the oven & crank up your temperature to 425 degrees. Uncover the Ham and pour the rest of the marinade on top. Make sure this time you baste it again with the pan drippings until it’s totally covered with the marinade/glaze. Bake uncovered for about 30 more minutes basting one last time after 15 minutes. Take the Ham from the oven, cover & let rest for about 10-15 minutes. Hopefully it will look like this….(My. Mouth. Is. Watering.)
Pour some of the juices from the pan on top of the Ham and start slicing! Depending on your cut…slice it thin, slice the spirals, or just slice up some ham steaks! However you want to savor this beautiful feast! Garnish it with oranges once you are done…and you are ready to serve!
This ham will make a lot of servings. Which really makes it cost effective to cook several more meals. You can freeze it for later, make some sandwiches or whip up a ham & cheese pasta bake! I’m already craving that pasta bake….
Let me know how yours turns out or what you do different! Hope Everyone has a Blessed & Happy Easter! 🙂
Orange & Maple Glazed Ham
Credit: Country Living & Simple Southern Living
1 Fully Cooked 8-10 lb Ham (Whole Bone-In or Bone-In Spiraled)
1/2 c. Sprite
1 c. Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
2 Tbsp Orange Zest
2 Tbsp Whole Grain Mustard
1/2 c. Maple Syrup
1/2 c. Dark Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Black Pepper
Whole Cloves
Orange Wedges for Garnish
1. Preheat Oven to 325 Degrees.
2. Rinse & clean the ham to remove any excess juices. Trim the skin & fat around ham to no more than 1/4 inch.
3. Score the ham in a criss-cross or diamond pattern.
4. Insert cloves into the ham where the criss-cross meets at each point. Then place into a large roasting pan.
5. Whisk together the next 7 ingredients, mixing well.
6. Pour 1/2 of the mixture over the entire ham.
7. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 12 minutes per lb. And basting with the pan juices every 20 minutes.
8. Remove ham from oven and turn up the heat to 425 degrees.
9. Pour the rest of the basting mixture over the ham making sure to fully cover it.
10. Bake for 30 more minutes uncovered, basting after 15 minutes.
11. When ham is done, remove from the oven, cover & let rest for 10 minutes.
12. Spoon pan drippings over the ham before serving.
Simple Southern Living 
I’m not a maple fan but do tell on the ham and cheese pasta bake. Is is a throw together or a recipe? My fav thing to do with leftover baked ham is, well you know those ham rolls originally made on dinner twins but now on Hawaiian rolls? Make that mustard poppy seed concoction and spread it on both sides of a split deli roll (I love Sara Lee center split), add said leftover ham and some swiss, wrap in foil and stick in fridge. Warm slowly in toaster oven, to die for. I have to make 18 at a time, 6 for my son, 6 for my son-in-law and 6 for my house.
Sounds and looks delicious, by the way.
Thanks for sharing, regards, Aquileana 😛