Ham is a classic main entrée for many holiday meals.
To cook a ham properly takes a couple of hours, though fortunately, most of that is not spent on hands-on cooking time. Still, the savory scent of this smoky meat will fill your house as it cooks. Your family will associate it with holidays and special occasions. Is there anything more welcoming when you arrive at someone’s house and it smells like delicious food?
Even though cooking a ham takes a couple of hours, it’s definitely worth the wait. You can make a plain ham, of course, and we still think it tastes good that way. But it’s even better when you have a delicious topping that enhances its flavor.
The glaze for this fruity baked ham takes it from delicious to truly magical. Fruit is well known for being an excellent accompaniment to pork. The flavors complement each other so well, you’ll wonder why you ever made ham any other way.
Baked Ham
Baked ham is easy to make. In fact, few other recipes have quite the payoff as baked ham. It tastes as if you put in a lot of effort to make such a delicious tasting meal.
Ham is impressive both because of how good it tastes, but also because it’s such a large cut of meat. As a large cut of meat that weighs several pounds, it often tends to be more expensive. This is probably the biggest reason that most families save ham for dinners on special occasions.
Of course, a large cut of meat like ham is perfect for serving a crowd—such as hosting your extended family for a holiday dinner. But another good thing about having such a large piece of meat is that even when serving a crowd, you’re still likely to have leftovers.
Sometimes the flavor of meat changes when reheated, but ham is an exception. Leftover ham still tastes just as good when it’s reheated, which means you won’t have to struggle to choke it down. Leftover ham works well in a variety of other delicious dishes.
First, leftover ham makes for a yummy sandwich, whether for lunch or dinner. Because the slices of a baked ham tend to be thicker than deli ham, it will be a more filling sandwich. You can also use leftover ham in a variety of casseroles and soups. Just knowing that you have a couple of pounds of ham leftover from a previous dinner makes your week’s meal planning a lot easier. And while the initial cost of ham can be a bit substantial, it actually works out to be a good deal when you consider how many meals you can make out of it.
Baked Ham with Fruits
Baked ham with fruits is always a good combination. This recipe calls for apples and cherries, their sweetness cut with the tangy flavor of orange juice. Because it uses preserves, it’s about as easy as it gets to make the fruit topping for this recipe.
But there are plenty of other fruits that go well with ham, as well. Pineapple and ham are a classic combination that always complements each other. Whether you just put canned pineapple rings on top of the ham as it bakes or make a pineapple puree to serve on top, it’s sure to be a hit.
Cranberry is another fruit that goes well with ham. You might be surprised by this since it isn’t the most common combination. But the only real surprise is how good it tastes! A homemade cranberry chutney, with coarsely chopped fresh cranberries, is a star-studded addition to your meal ideas.
Nutrition experts are always saying that families need to do better about consuming more fruits and vegetables. But this can often be difficult in reality, especially if you have kids who are picky eaters. Adding fruit to your dishes is a sneaky but effective way to get them to eat more fruit. Consider making baked ham with or without fruit—your family will love you for it!
Sides to Serve With Fruity Baked Ham
If you're making this ham, chances are it's for a large crowd. That means you'll also want to make multiple sides to go with it. There are many sides that you can choose from, but we'll highlight a few great ones here.
We can't talk about sides for pork without at least mentioning mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes are often on the table at Thanksgiving, but this excellent side dish can be paired with a Christmas or Easter ham as well. Make your own homemade gravy if you can, as it's always a lot better than store bought.
Green beans are a great vegetable choice. Add some salt and pepper for additional flavor, as green beans tend to be fairly light-tasting. This won't be a popular side with the kids, but if this is a holiday dinner it's one of the few times when they can pass on the veggies.
If you happen to be making this dinner for just your family, sometimes simple sides can do just fine. Applesauce will go great with this recipe, since it already uses fruit. Applesauce offers plenty of nutrients, and is well-liked by children. Throw a little cinnamon into everyone's serving and enjoy!
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Fruity Baked Ham Recipe
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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- Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Description
The glaze for this fruity baked ham takes it from delicious to truly magical. Fruit is well known for being an excellent accompaniment to pork. The flavors complement each other so well, you’ll wonder why you ever made ham any other way.
Ingredients
- 1– 3 to 4 pounds cooked boneless ham
- 1/2 cup apple preserves
- 1 cup cherry preserves
- 1/4 cup orange juice
Instructions
- Place ham in a shallow roasting pan. (If desired, score ham by making diagonal cuts 1-inch apart in fat in a diamond pattern).
- Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer.
- Roast, uncovered, in a 325°F oven for 1½ to 2¼ hours or until thermometer registers 135°F.
- Let stand for 15 minutes before carving.
- In a saucepan combine apple and cherry preserves and orange juice.
- Heat through and serve over ham.
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 3 Hours
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American