Honey-Glazed Ham with Fresh Pineapple Chutney
Ham was always the meat of choice for my family’s Christmas dinner. I remember fondly all of the delicious leftovers – favorite sandwiches such as ham and cheese, ham salad, pineapple and ham on Challah, as well as ham and eggs in the morning (I drove my poor mother crazy begging her for green eggs and ham!).
If ham is on your holiday menu, try one of these stunning recipes:
For a perfectly cooked centerpiece ham, follow these tips:
Plan 1/2 to 3/4 pound per serving for a bone-in ham.
Plan 1/4 to 1/2 pound per serving for a boneless ham.
Let the ham sit at room temperature for about an hour before cooking.
To score the skin of the ham, cut 1/4 inch deep crosswise into 1 to 2-inch squares to create classic diamond shapes.
Remember, to avoid burning, don’t coat the ham with glaze until the last hour of cooking.
Don’t baste the ham with pan drippings as these can be very salty. Try basting with pineapple juice instead.
If you use cloves to spice your ham, be sure to remove the cloves before slicing and serving.
Once cooked, ham can be served warm or at room temperature, but it’s not as flavorful when cold straight from the fridge.
One advantage to buying a bone-in ham is to be able to use the hambone for flavoring soups and bean dishes.
Ahhhhh…the leftovers. Here are just a few delectable ways to serve up leftover ham:
Make our Double-Stuffed Deviled Eggs with Ham.
Make ham and vegetable soup. Try Lentil Soup with Smoky Ham. Or try a hearty dish like Black Beans with Kale and Ham.
Add to a quiche or a frittata, like this Ham, Mushroom and Fontina Frittata.
Make ham salad as you would tuna or chicken salad. Serve on crusty bread or over leafy greens. Try our new Ham Salad with Artichokes recipe. Use any leftover ham you have on hand.
Repurpose slices for easy appetizers, like these Ham and Pineapple Pops or Ham and Roasted Pear Crostini.
Form an Old Fashioned Ham Loaf from ground leftover ham and plenty of veggies.
Remember when you choose a ham from Whole Foods Market, you can rest assured that it comes from pigs raised to meet our high standards. The pigs are raised without narrow gestation or farrowing crates. They are never administered antibiotics or growth hormones (federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones in raising pork), and their feed never contains animal byproducts. Once processed, our hams contain no artificial ingredients or preservatives. No water is added, so they are very flavorful, and of course, they are always free of nitrates and nitrites.
Are you serving a ham this holiday? What recipe will you use? I’d love to know.
From carving with confidence to pouring with pride, our online Holiday Cheat Sheet means more of your best for less stress. Order holiday meals online too; we'll do the work, you'll take the credit.
Blog Updated on 2/20/2015.
