How do I cook a HAM for Christmas dinner???

Question

This will be my first ham dinner since we always go to the mess hall on base for Christmas dinner. We have decided to stay home this year...so I am cooking! I purchased an 8.99 lbs frozen spiral sliced, glazed and fully cooked ham. When do I thaw? How long and at what temp. do I cook the ham? Should I "season" it with anything (ex. pineapple slices, brown sugar, etc)? Thanks so much for your help!!!

Answer 1

Ham. My favorite meal. Defrost in your fridge for a couple of days before you plan to cook it. Ham is good cooked just about any way at all.

What I do is this ... place heavy duty tin foil like Reynolds Wrap in the bottom of the pan you use (a cake pan is fine) - use enough foil to completely cover the ham & make a "tent" over the top of the ham. The foil makes clean up very easy plus it keeps the moisture to the ham.

As you prepare to bake, try not to "open" the sliced areas. Keep the ham as intact as you can.

Now ... put pineapple slices on top of the ham (you can put toothpicks thru the slices to hold it on to the ham), stick cloves in the ham at random places - as many or as few a you want, put brown sugar on top of the ham and then pour Coke over it. Yes. Coke. This keeps the ham moist & give a bit of a different flavor than water or other liquids - although any liquid that you like would be good.

If there are other additives you want such as a bit of honey, by all means use them. Make it your ham. The possibilities are endless.

Fold the foil over the ham to keep all the moisture to the ham.

Bake only to warm not to cook since it is precooked. Bake for about 2 hours at 325. Remove the cloves and serve!

Enjoy!

Answer 2

Since it is already cooked, the most important thing is to heat it, not cook it again. If it's overcooked it will be dry. Thaw it in your refrigerator for 1 - 2 days, depending on the size. Do NOT thaw at room temperature. Wrap the thawed ham in foil and place in a pan to catch any juices. Heat at 350 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours (8 to 10 minutes per pound). Use an instant read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the ham. It should be 140 degrees (for a precooked ham). If it has a glaze packet included, after the ham is heated spread the glaze over it and between the slices and bake for ten more minute at 425 degrees (watch it so the glaze doesn't burn - the sugar in it burns easily).

If you want, you can make your own glazes and/or sauces to serve on the side. Try some of the links below for recipes.

Answer 3

1 boneless fully cooked ham ( 5-6 pounds)
3/4 cups of water that will be used in parts
1 cup of packed brown sugar
4 1/2 teaspoons of soy sauce
4 1/2 teaspoons of ketchup
1 1 /2 teaspoons of ground mustard
1 1/2 cups of crushed undrained pineapple
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of cornstarch
What you do:

Take heavy duty aluminum foil and line a shallow roasting pan. This will make clean up easy and fast. Place the ham on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/4 to 2 hours or until the meat thermometer reads 140 degrees and the ham is heated through.
In a saucepan, combine a 1/4 cup of water, brown sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, mustard and pineapple. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Mix the cornstarch and remaining water until smooth. Stir this into the pineapple sauce. Bring this to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with the ham.
Ham Glazes
Many people like to serve ham for their holiday meal. After choosing a cook-before-eating, fully cooked, or canned ham selecting a glaze for the ham adds a very special touch.

Answer 4

I have made this recipe and it is great and very easy.
Slow Cooker Ham
Submitted by: LITTLEMSTXTHANG
Rated: 5 out of 5 by 63 members Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 8 Hours Ready In: 8 Hours 15 Minutes
Yields: 24 servings
"For a delicious, no-fuss ham that is juicy and good, try this slow cooker sensation with only two ingredients!"
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 (8 pound) cured, bone-in

picnic ham
DIRECTIONS:
1. Spread about 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar on the bottom of the slow cooker crock. Place the ham flat side down into the slow cooker - you might have to trim it a little to make it fit. Use your hands to rub the remaining brown sugar onto the ham. Cover, and cook on Low for 8 hours.

Answer 5

Thawing:
Allow 3 days in refrigerator

Check for any instructions on package, enclosed glaze mix, etc.,...otherwise you can

Warm:
1. Pre-heat oven to 300° F.
2. Remove the ham from all of its original packaging. (I would place pineapple rings and cherries on ham, why not; it's CHRISTMAS!)
3. Wrap the ham in tin foil to retain moisture and the maple-glaze.
4. Place the wrapped ham in a roasting pan in the center of the oven. 5. Gently warm the ham for approximately 10 minutes per pound or until warmed through.
6. Check ham frequently to ensure that the slices do not become dried out.
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Season the ham with glaze mix, the last 15 minutes of warming or make one. The recipe below can also be used as a dipping sauce.

SUE's CRANBERRY GLAZE SAUCE:
1 (16 oz.) can jellied cranberry sauce
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Mix all ingredients together. Cook in a saucepan on medium heat until smooth and heated thoroughly. Spoon or brush glaze over the ham.
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Final Preparation:
Bone-In Spiral Sliced Ham - The spiral slices will release most easily if you make a final cut on the three seam lines of the ham (see illustration on link). With a sharp knife make the cut perpendicular to the bone on each seam line. You may also want to make a small circle cut around the bone. After the final cuts are made, you or your guests will be able to lift perfect slices off the ham with ease.

Boneless Spiral Sliced Ham - To serve, simply loosen the slices with a sharp knife and cut through the center of the meat where the slices are joined.

Answer 6

You don't really need to add anything to a fully cooked ham that is already glazed.. Just put it in a glass pan and pour some crushed pineapple over it with the juice and wrap it in foil and warm on 350 for an hour...(you can ck it once in a while and baste it with the juices)...It will be yummy!!!

Answer 7

You can put that sucker in a roasting bag and put it in the oven for a couple hours. After it's done, decorate it with pineapples, cherries, and honey or brown sugar. Stick it back in the oven for 30 minutes and serve. (thaw the ham 2 days in the fridge before cooking it) and cook it on 350 degrees.

Answer 8

I'm sorry to hear about the situation. It's great you're being so responsible, both in keeping your word about the dinner and your attitude about the job situation. My first recommendation would be to contact the others and ask if they'd mind bringing a dish - a pie, a side dish of some sort, a beverage, etc. If you don't want to do that, here's a few suggestions; they're kid-friendly, easy and should run you between 50-75, if that. As has been mentioned, you have the priciest items, so that's great news! Potatoes are inexpensive and go a long way. They also go with both ham and turkey, and (personally) taste a lot better than boxed dressing. The absolute easiest would be mashed potatoes. You can either go for the instant kind (not my fave) or, even more cheaply, buy a ten pound sack of potatoes, peel, rinse and cube them, and put them into a pot. Cover them with water and boil until they smash when you press a fork into them. Drain, mash, add a small amount of hot milk and butter/margarine and salt to taste. Mash some more or until smooth enough for your tastes. Kids generally like green bean casseroles. (I don't, but I've yet to see a holiday party where I was the only one not eating these). Again, it's inexpensive and very easy. To make, combine 1 can of cream of mushroom soup, 1/2 cup milk, 1 tsp soy sauce, 4 cups of green beans and 1 1/3 cups of French's French Fried Onions. For the green beans, you can use a 16-20 oz package of frozen green beans or 2 16 oz cans. To prepare, mix the first four ingredients and 2/3 cup of the onions in a baking dish and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees or until hot. Sprinkle the remaining onions on top. Total cost, about 5 dollars. Buy some pre-made rolls. There's plenty that are sold inexpensively. Another fast kid-favorite (and adult favorite for us) is 5 cup salad, which is: 1 cup mandarin oranges (canned), 1 cup pineapple tidbits, 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup miniature marshmallows and 1 cup coconut. Stir. Honey glazed carrots are also a good and inexpensive add. Get a pound bag of baby carrots, 1/4 cup honey, 2 tbs of butter or margarine. Measure out about 3 cups of carrots. Bring 3 inches of water to a boil; add carrots, bring back to a boil, reduce to medium heat, cover and cook until the carrots are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes (check with a fork until it's the consistency you want). Drain, add the honey and butter, and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the carrots are glazed. You can dust it with some dried parsley if you've got it; if not, don't worry. You can also make deviled eggs with a dozen eggs (makes 24), and that just requires some mayo, mustard, a dash of worcestershire sauce, a touch of vinegar and salt and some sweet pickle relish if you like that. Throw a dash of paprika on top when you're done. This can be done the night before and refrigerated. If you need hors d'oeuvres, think of a vegetable platter, or just buy another bag of baby carrots and get one of those bags the grocery store puts together for vegetable soup - usually has broccoli and cauliflower cut up in it. Add a package of grape tomatoes and a dip, and you're set. There's a superb spinach dip recipe on the back of the Knorr's vegetable soup box, or you can just buy a mix. For dessert, pick up a couple of pies. If you're feeling adventurous, I've got a recipe for key lime pie that makes several pies and takes about 25 minutes to make (20 of which is baking time). Takes 1 graham cracker crust, 3 egg yolks, 1 can of Eagle Brand condensed milk and a bottle of key lime juice (not regular lime juice). Just combine the egg yolks, Eagle Brand and 3-4 oz of lime juice in a bowl, stir until combined, pour into pie shell, bake at 350 for 20 minutes. The bottle of lime juice has enough to make 3-4 pies; just get as many graham cracker crusts as you need, and pick up a can of Reddi-Wip if you want to top it with some whipped cream. However, desserts are pretty inexpensive, especially if you hit the bakery at the right time. So: Mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, honey glazed carrots, 5 cup salad, store bought rolls and a key lime (or other) pie, with an option of a vegetable plate for appetizers. If you have to spend even $50 for that combination, I'll be surprised, and you and your wife will probably have leftovers for a day or two, if not longer, thus making the grocery dollar stretch that much farther. Good luck to you and have a great holiday. :)

Answer 9

All you do is just cover the ham with a lillte honey and stick it in the oven for about 2 hours at 350 degrees, and there you have it, ready for dinner..☺

Answer 10

I place a very small amount of water in the pan, then I put honey brown sugar and pineapple slices on top. Bake it at about 350 for about an hour.