This Maple-Mustard Glazed Spiral Ham is perfect for any holiday dinner or gathering. The sweet caramelized glaze is the perfect complement to the moist, salty, smoky ham, and it’s sure to be enjoyed by everyone!
Since Easter is just a few short days away, I wanted to share my super easy recipe for glazed ham. The cooking method keeps it moist and juicy, using a spiral-sliced ham makes carving and serving a breeze, and the homemade glaze makes it absolutely delicious!
Whether it’s Easter, Christmas or Thanksgiving, a ham is always on my dinner table (even if I’m also serving a turkey). It’s made with just a few basic ingredients, requires only a few minutes of prep time (the oven does the rest of the work), and it’s always a crowd-pleaser.
Using a fully-cooked spiral-sliced ham makes things super easy. Since it’s already cooked and sliced, all you have to do is reheat it, glaze it, and it’s ready to serve. And all of those spiral cuts allow the glaze to seep down into the meat, making it extra-flavorful.
Oh, yes…the glaze. It’s all about the glaze for me. I combine maple syrup, dark brown sugar, Dijon mustard, ground ginger, and ground cloves to make the most delicious sticky-sweet glaze that turns a basic store-bought ham into something truly special.
Not only does the glaze coat the outside of the ham, but some of it ends up in the bottom of the foil along with the juices from the ham. I save those yummy drippings for anyone who might want to drizzle some on their slices of ham (A-MA-ZING!).
This ham isn’t just for holiday meals. It’s a great main dish for any gathering, and it also makes a wonderful Sunday dinner too. I bake one up every now and then, even if it’s just the two of us, because we’ll have it for dinner, and then we have lots of leftover ham (you can even freeze it for later!).
Leftovers are awesome for sandwiches, breakfast (fry it up with some eggs, put it in an omelet or my Ham and Cheese Egg Muffins), or you can turn it into a brand-new dinner like my Cheesy Ham and Scalloped Potato Casserole.
Ingredients you need:
- Spiral-sliced ham (bone-in, fully-cooked)
- Pure maple syrup
- Dark brown sugar
- Dijon mustard
- Ground ginger
- Ground cloves
Here’s a look at how to make Maple-Mustard Glazed Spiral Ham:
Tips & Tidbits:
- Make sure you get a bone-in, fully-cooked ham. Bone-in ham has the best flavor and texture, and a fully-cooked ham means all you need to do is reheat it before glazing.
- Bring the ham out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about an hour before baking to take the chill off. This will help it reheat more evenly.
- The key to a moist ham is reheating it completely wrapped in foil so that the juices get trapped and keep the meat moist.
- To make a piece of foil large enough to wrap the ham without leaving gaps for the juice to leak out, I join two long pieces of foil together. Place one sheet of foil on top of the other and then fold one of the long sides over on itself 2 to 3 times (the folds should be about ½ inch wide). Then you can open it up like a book, and you’ve got one big piece.
- I always put an extra piece of foil on the bottom of the wrapped ham just in case.
- The foil also makes for easy clean-up!
- Store leftover ham in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container, for 3 to 4 days.
- To freeze leftover ham slices:
- Divide the slices into serving sizes that you would want to thaw out and use at one time. Wrap each serving tightly in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil (this helps keep the ham from drying out and getting freezer burn), then place in a sealed freezer bag and freeze.
- If you have a vacuum sealer, no need to wrap; just place each serving of ham slices in a bag and seal.
- Use frozen ham within 2 months.
I must repeat that saving those pan juices and drizzling them over your ham slices is soooo good!
Happy Easter, everyone (and if you don’t celebrate Easter, then have a happy Sunday)! I hope your day is filled with joy, hope, the love of family and friends, and good food!
See you next week!
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Maple-Mustard Glazed Spiral Ham
Ingredients
- 1 8 to 9-pound bone-in, fully-cooked spiral-sliced ham
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Remove the ham from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for an hour to take the chill off.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place the rack in the lowest position of the oven.
- Make a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil that will be able to completely wrap the ham without leaving gaps for the juice to leak out by joining two long pieces of foil together. Place one sheet of foil on top of the other and then fold one of the long sides over on itself 2 to 3 times (the folds should be about ½ inch wide). Then open it up like a book, and you've got one big piece.
- Remove the ham from the packaging. If there is a piece of plastic protecting the bone, remove it. If there is a glaze packet, discard it.
- Place the ham, cut-side down, in the center of the foil. Bring up the two longer sides of foil together over the top of the ham and roll the foil down to the ham (make sure it is closed, but don't make it too tight because you will need to open it later on to glaze the ham). Then roll up the two shorter sides of foil so the ham is completely enclosed. Note: Just to be absolutely sure no juices leak out, I always put a regular-sized piece of foil on the bottom of the wrapped ham.
- Place the wrapped ham on a rack in a large roasting pan. Bake the ham until it is heated through (internal temperature of 140°F). This usually takes about 15 minutes per pound (so about 2 hours for an 8-pound ham).
- While the ham is baking, make the glaze. Combine the maple syrup, brown sugar, mustard, ginger, and cloves in a small pot. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved (don't walk away from this, you need to keep an eye on it so it doesn't boil, bubble over, or burn). Remove from the heat and set aside.
- When the ham is done baking, unroll the foil at the top and pull the foil apart to expose the ham (be careful, there is hot steam in there). Slowly pour the glaze evenly over the ham, spreading it with a spoon or brush, if needed, to cover any bare spots.
- Leave the foil open and return the ham to the oven. Increase the heat to 400°F.
- Bake for an additional 30 minutes or just until the glaze is caramelized.
- Allow the ham to rest for 15 minutes, then transfer to a serving platter.
- Optional (but highly recommended): pour the cooking juices from the foil into a bowl or gravy dish to serve drizzled over the ham slices.
Notes
- Estimated calories are for a 3-ounce serving of ham.
Diane Salak
Made your ham recipe exactly how you did, and it is by far the best ham I ever had!!!!
Michelle
Hi, Diane…WOW, thank you so much!!! Hope you all have a very Happy Easter!