Holiday Honey Baked Ham Recipe
I make this honey baked ham almost every Easter and always get rave reviews. Last year I made it alongside a turkey at Thanksgiving, because we just need to have a crazy amount of food – that’s how we roll. People think it tastes just like a ham from the Honeybaked Ham store – but it’s way less expensive! I just buy a spiral cut ham from the big box store and throw away the nasty glaze packet, which usually has gluten and soy in it. This is a very easy recipe. The hardest part may be finding pear juice at the store. You can usually find it on the shelf in the Mexican/Latin American/”Goya”/”ethnic” section of the grocery store. It’s funny how different stores label this aisle! Try this honey ham at your next holiday meal.
Holiday Honey Baked Ham Recipe
Ingredients:
8-10 pound smoked ham, fully cooked and spiral cut
3/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup pear juice
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup honey
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place the ham, cut end down, in a large baking pan with high sides. Don’t use a rack.
Combine the orange juice and pear nectar, and pour over the ham. Bake the ham for 15 minutes, basting often with the juices. (The photo to the right shows what this ham looks like while cooking – it sits in the yummy juices.)
In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and honey until it is well combined. Take the ham out of the oven but leave the oven on. Using a basting brush, brush the sugar mixture evenly onto the ham. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the ham reaches 140 degrees.
If you have a kitchen torch (like the ones used for creme brulee), you can torch the ham to make the glaze crusty on the outside. I don’t trust myself with an open flame so I don’t do that, but it still tastes great, without the risk of burning your house down.
Serve the honey baked ham on its side, on a platter on top of some leaves of green leaf lettuce (if you want to be fancy like that). Revel in the ooohs and ahhhs of your dinner guests.
