Glazed Ham
Nothing says “holidays” or “home-cooked meal” as much as a delicious glazed ham with all the fixings. We take all the stress out of baking a ham with an easy make ahead method to get it ready for the table. No guess work, no dry meat, no worries. Just a simple, yummy meal your family will ask for over and over again. Plus, leftovers!
Okay, I have to admit with the size of our family, we don’t always have leftovers when ham is on the table, but when we do — omelets, baby! It’s just one more way that using freezer meal prep makes my family life so much easier with all that we have going on. If you don’t have the Freezer Meal 101 Club membership yet, be sure to check it out for more recipes like this. If the slow cooker is your friend, you may also like these freezer-to-crockpot recipes.
Glazed Ham Recipe
Ingredients
- smoked ham (half ham) – note: it can be old fashioned, black forest, etc. (approximately 650-700 g)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp. dry mustard
- 1 tsp. horseradish
- 2 tbsp. Pepsi
Add on the Day of Cooking
- 2 tbsp. Pepsi
How to Make Glazed Ham
Assembly Instructions
- Place the ham (the whole thing, unsliced) in a large resealable freezer bag.
- Mix together the other ingredients in a small bowl.
- Pour over the ham and rub over the ham to fully cover.
- Remove excess air from the bag, seal, and freeze.
Cooking Instructions
- Thaw the ham overnight in the fridge.
- Place it in the slow cooker, pour two more tablespoons of Pepsi on top and cook on low for 3 hours.
- Slice and serve.
How do I know when my glazed ham is ready?
Ham is pre-cooked, so your goal is to make sure it is heated through. If its hot in the center when you put a temperature probe in, it’s ready. 140ºF is safe to eat heat since this is pre-cooked smoked ham. For the size we have listed on the recipe, the time we have stated is pretty accurate.
What is the best way to slice a ham?
An electric knife can make shaving off thin slices much easier. If you don’t have an electric knife, a good sharp chef’s knife will work. Be sure to work on a flat surface and brace the ham carefully. A cutting board with a way to collect the meat’s juice as you slice it helps prevent a huge mess.
Can I use a diet soda to glaze ham?
I do not recommend using a diet soda since the artificial sweetener would create an off-putting flavor in the glaze. You can use other sodas besides Pepsi though – Dr. Pepper is popular, as is Coke.
Glazed Ham Recipe Ideas
If you want to save time, you can buy a pre-mixed ham glaze in a jar for convenience. There are as many different ham glaze recipes as there are cooks, so feel free to experiment and use this same method with other glazes too!
Try adding jelly to your ham glaze for a fun twist. Cherry jelly goes well with Pepsi or Dr. Pepper. Raspberry jelly would also work. A “Christmas” jelly is a fun seasonal variation for the glaze and introduces new spices and flavors.
When you take the ham out of the slow cooker, you can move the drippings and glaze in the bottom to a sauce pan, bring it to a boil, and then use it as a dipping sauce for the ham or just pour it over the top on your platter for an extra ounce of flavor.
Use leftover diced ham to fry up and sprinkle on salads or baked potatoes. Save some to run through a grinder and make ham salad for lunch. Freeze some to use in omelets, soups, stews, breakfast casseroles, mac and cheese, and beans. Slice leftover ham and make hot or cold sandwiches. It’s even nice to toss a handful of ham in a pot of green beans on the stove.
Rest your ham before slicing it. If you can let it rest for fifteen to twenty minutes, ham will keep more of its moisture and every slice will be tender and juicy. Just wrap it in foil and let it sit.
How do I store Glazed Ham?
Leftover ham must be refrigerated or frozen in an airtight container and will keep for up to a week in the fridge. Frozen, ham will keep for several months. I like to dice up leftover ham, freeze it loosely on a sheet pan, move it to a large freezer bag, and use it as needed in future recipes.
What to Serve with Glazed Ham?
The beautiful thing about ham is that it can be served as the main entree alongside almost any collection of side dishes to form a delicious meal. Traditional sides would include any form of potato (mashed, fried, baked) and green beans or corn. Salads are always a welcome addition to the plate. Biscuits or cornbread work perfectly, as would any other freshly baked bread. Casseroles like broccolli cheddar casserole or tater tot casserole work well.
If you’re making this for a holiday meal, you can also make the side dishes ahead in the freezer. I recommend our corn casserole, make ahead stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes, homemade creamed corn, and maple roasted carrots.
- smoked ham (half ham) – note: it can be old fashioned, black forest, etc. (approximately 650-700 g)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 1 tsp horseradish
- 2 tbsp Pepsi
- 2 tbsp Pepsi
-
Place the ham (the whole thing, not sliced) in a large resealable freezer bag.
-
Mix together the other ingredients in a small bowl.
-
Pour over the ham and rub over the ham to fully cover.
-
Remove excess air from the bag, seal, and freeze.
-
Thaw the ham overnight in the fridge.
-
Place it in the slow cooker, pour two more tablespoons of Pepsi on top and cook on low for 3 hours.
-
Slice and serve.
