Baked Ham Recipe

For some people, a baked ham is a rare treat reserved for a holiday like Easter or for a big dinner with friends or family gathered from afar. For others, baked ham is on the menu at all times. Now, we're not going to take sides on this one, exactly, but once you realize how easy it is to prepare a store-bought, pre-cooked ham at home — and one that tastes fresh and succulent at that — you're probably going to end up in the second category.

"I can't think of any mistakes that are easy to make save for the overcooking," says chef and recipe developer Erin Johnson of Probably in the Kitchen. "Ham is already cooked when you purchase it, you're just reheating it. So don't overcook the ham, as it can dry out." And the ease of making this delightful centerpiece dish is but one of its finest attributes. "The best part about ham is the leftovers," says Johnson. "They make great sandwiches or baked sliders, [you can] add it to eggs, cook with cabbage, add to pasta — the choice is yours!"

But before we get to those leftovers, let's get on with prepping the perfect ham.

Because you're dealing with a pre-cooked ham, what you're really doing here is warming up and flavoring the meat. And there's plenty of latitude when it comes to said flavoring. "I like the look and taste of stone ground mustard, but you can also substitute whatever kind of mustard you have on hand," says Johnson. "If you want a sweeter glaze, add more honey. If you'd like some spice, consider a kick of cayenne."

On the other hand, for your first foray into baked ham, go ahead and follow this exact recipe, which calls for a four-pound boneless, spiral-cut ham, a quarter of a cup of stone ground mustard, two tablespoons of honey, a quarter of a teaspoon of salt, an eighth of a teaspoon of ground cloves, and chopped fresh parsley.

Pre-heat your oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit for this baked ham, then place ham in a baking pan with the largest cut side down. Cover pan with foil, and then once the oven has warmed, pop it in on the center rack. Bake the ham for 15 minutes per pound, so for a four-pound ham, prepare to have your oven on for about an hour for the initial cooking period.

And note that Johnson says: "Although I opted to use a small boneless ham, you can substitute a bone-in spiral cut ham if you'd prefer. The cook time is the same regardless of weight or bone — it is consistently 15 minutes per pound."

To prepare a perfect glaze for your baked ham, one that's just the right blend of sweet and spice and salt, mix together the quarter of a cup of stone ground mustard, two tablespoons of honey, quarter teaspoon of salt, eighth of a teaspoon of ground cloves, and stir them together well in a small bowl.

You can prepare the glaze at any time and set it aside, but you won't need it until the hour of baking has elapsed, so you can also wait to prepare it until just before application. If you have a silicone brush, get it ready, as it will help spread the glaze.

Once the ham has baked at 275 degrees for an hour, remove the ham from the oven, take off the foil (and discard it), and coat the meat with the glaze, spreading it all over the ham. Now sprinkle the fresh parley on top of the ham.

Return the pan to the oven and bake the glazed (and herb-sprinkled) ham for an additional ten minutes. Then, remove the ham from the oven and allow it to sit for ten minutes, and then serve and enjoy it. (Though now we know that the best enjoyment may well come from those leftovers you get after tomorrow.)