The house smelled as if I were cooking bacon, but actually I had just roasted and glazed a ham for the pot luck wine dinner.  A couple years ago, a group of us had made a barrel of Cabernet Sauvignon together at a local wine making facility (something I chronicled here, commencing with the crush of the grapes). This time — five years later — we gathered to share any leftover bottles of our wine and lots of memories.

By the time my guest arrived, I was adding the glaze to my ham — something I prefer to do at the end, so it doesn’t burn. I do, though, cut a diamond pattern into the top of ham before baking to ensure the favor of the glaze gets into the ham. If desired, you can decorate the ham with cloves or slices of pineapple.

The best part about cooking a ham is the leftovers. I always make a pot of split pea soup from the leftover ham bone and then start thinking about what I want to make next. A strata? Monte Cristo? Fried rice? I’ve shared 21 suggestions below.

Glazed Ham
One 8- to 10-pound ham
Glaze ONE
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
or
Glaze TWO
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/2cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
or
Glaze THREE
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
or
Glaze FOUR
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoon dry mustard

Preheat oven the 350 F. Place the ham, fat side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil to  make cleanup a lot easier! Using a sharp knife, score a 1-inch-wide diamond pattern about 1/4 inch deep over the entire ham.

Insert a meat thermometer into the ham so the tip is in the center, not resting on the bone — if there is one.  Bake until internal temperature registers 130 F, about 10 – 12  minutes per pound.

Meanwhile, whisk together all ingredients of one of the glazes until well blended.

When the ham reaches 130° F, remove the pan from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 425° F. Using a basting or pastry brush, apply a generous layer of the glaze to the ham.Return the ham to the oven and continue to bake until the coating is glazed, nicely browned, and the internal temperature is 140° to 145° F. Remove the ham from the oven and let it rest at least 15 minutes before slicing.  If desired, during the last 4 to 5 minutes of baking, turn on broiler to really caramelize the glaze.

Twenty-one suggestions for leftover ham:

  • Add to the dough of homemade biscuits or cheese puffs
  • Add to omelets or stir into scrambled eggs
  • Add to potatoes au gratin or scalloped potatoes
  • Add to a favorite bean soup
  • Sandwich in a biscuit
  • Make a ham and cheese sandwich
  • Make a Monte Cristo, a ham and cheese sandwich dipped in a egg batter and fried
  • Make ham salad
  • Make a strata
  • Use in a chef’s salad
  • Use in quiche Lorraine
  • Use in fried rice
  • Use in hash browns
  • Use in baked beans
  • Use in eggs Benedict
  • Use on a pizza
  • Use in a classic ham sandwich
  • Use in a classic Cubano sandwich
  • Use in a muffuletta sandwich
  • Use in macaroni and cheese or other noodle casserole
  • Use in split pea

– bonnie
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