How to Cook Spiral Ham Without Drying It Out

For many, the big holiday feast wouldn't be complete without a glossy, baked spiral ham sitting in the middle of the dining table. There's no reason to be nervous about making this holiday staple either, because it's actually pretty easy to learn how to cook spiral ham, because technically they come pre-cooked. Spiral ham tastes best warm and fresh out of the oven, but it tastes even better when it's covered in a rich, sweet glaze. Whether you have a holiday gathering or a special occasion coming up, learn to master this tradition of cooking a delicious spiral ham in the oven so you can share the delicious custom with your friends and family.

Ingredients

• 1 (5-7 pound) spiral-cut ham
• 1 lemon, sliced thin
• 1 cup water

Glaze

• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Steps

• 1

  Preheat oven to 325°F. In a roasting pan, place sliced lemons and pour water in the bottom of the pan. Place spiral ham cut-side down on the lemons and cover loosely with foil.

  

• 2

  Bake the ham for about 10 minutes per pound until it is just warmed through. Spiral ham is completely cooked already (so you can even serve it cold if you want).

• 3

  Meanwhile, combine glaze ingredients in a small saucepan and heat until ingredients are mixed. Let the glaze bubble and simmer for 5-10 minutes until the glaze starts to thicken. Then let it cool.

  

• 4

  When ham is done, uncover it and drizzle glaze over the top.

  

• 5

  Serve ham slices warm.

Expert Tips

• tip 1

  Adding a glaze to spiral ham is an easy way to add extra flavor and moisture.

• tip 2

  While brown sugar and honey are used in this particular recipe, other common glaze ingredients include maple sugar, bourbon, citrus, mustard, pineapple and fresh herbs.

• tip 3

  Leftover ham is perfect for next-day sandwiches or served for breakfast alongside eggs.

• tip 4

  Spiral hams can also be cooked in the slow cooker for an easy alternative if the oven is occupied cooking other holiday dishes.

• tip 5

  Since spiral ham is sold pre-cooked, it's important not to overcook it, otherwise you'll end up with a dried-out ham.

Nutrition Information

629.6 Calories, 29.3g Total Fat, 56.6g Protein, 33.4g Total Carbohydrate, 19.8g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving

Total Fat

29.3g

45%

Cholesterol

193.9mg

65%

Sodium

3891.4mg

162%

Potassium

1000.4mg

29%

Total Carbohydrate

33.4g

11%

Dietary Fiber

4.7g

19%

Sugars

19.8g

Protein

56.6g

Vitamin C

29.30%

29%

Calcium

8.80%

9%

Iron

20.10%

20%

Exchanges:

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

More About This Recipe

• Spiral hams are the tricksters of the holiday meal. They look intimidating because they can weigh 7 pounds and be bulky. But they're deceptively easy to prepare. The trick is to take the doctor's approach. First rule of spiral hams: Do no harm. What you might not know about spiral ham is that you actually don't need to cook them at all. They're completely ready to eat right out of the packaging, so you could literally just open the ham and serve it without touching it. But that's not very fun, right? Also, cold ham is good in sandwiches but definitely not for your holiday guests. We can do better than cold by thoroughly warming the ham and coating it in a glossy, moist and flavorful glaze.

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How to Cook Spiral Ham Without Drying It Out

Source: https://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/how-to-cook-a-spiral-ham/697d796e-86d5-45e5-8a00-128754c07289

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