Tangy Holiday Ham Dinner Makes a Great Turkey Alternative

Celiac.com 11/18/2022 - While turkey gets all the attention on Thanksgiving, ham is a strong contender.  Many families can't imagine Thanksgiving without a baked ham. Ham is easier to cook, easier to carve, moister and more flavorful than turkey. And its hardwood smoke and sweet honey glaze are perfect with the flavors of fall side dishes. Ham is also a great choice for smaller families. 

One of the great things about ham is that you really don’t need a recipe. Most hams are sold pre-cooked so they need only be warmed in the oven. Other hams come with their own rich glaze already baked in. You can find great baked hams in traditional bone-in form, easy-to-carve spiral-sliced, or the super-convenient boneless spiral-sliced. Be sure to read our article on how to find a gluten-free ham, and be careful and read labels and avoid gluten ingredients, especially in glazes for packaged hams.

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So this Thanksgiving, consider making ham the centerpiece of the celebration. This recipe can be made a day ahead. It requires a bit of love to get ready and some baking time, but you can make it the day before and heat it just before dinner.

Side Dishes for Ham
What goes with turkey generally also goes with ham. That's true of dressing, too, but southern-style cornbread dressing is especially good with Thanksgiving ham dinner.

Serve classic fall sides like Brussels sprouts or other roasted vegetables, green beans (especially green bean casserole) sweet or savory baked squash, mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes, and cranberry sauce are naturals with any glazed ham. 

Some people like to attach pineapple slices to the ham with a cherry in the middle of each hole. Others cook down the pineapple juice with brown sugar and spices to make a pineapple glaze.

Tangy Holiday Ham Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 (10 pound) fully-cooked, bone-in gluten-free ham
• 1 ¼ cups packed dark brown sugar
• ⅓ cup pineapple juice
• ⅓ cup honey, or more to taste
• ⅓ large orange
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice, or to taste (Optional)

Directions:
Heat the oven to 325F (165C). Place ham in a roasting pan.

Bake ham, uncovered, at 325F for 2 hours.

While the ham is baking, combine brown sugar, pineapple juice, and 1/3 cup honey in a saucepan. Zest orange into the saucepan, then squeeze in the juice. Add Dijon mustard and ground cloves; whisk mixture over medium-high heat as it comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until glaze thickens slightly, 5 to 10 minutes.

Taste glaze and adjust seasonings. Add lemon juice for more tang, or honey to make it sweeter. Set aside.

Remove ham from the oven after it has baked for 2 hours. Brush with glaze. Bake for an additional 30 to 45 minutes, brushing ham with glaze every 10 minutes.

Tip:
Add leftover glaze to the pan drippings along with a little cornstarch or potato starch to make a nice sauce for the meat.