This oven-baked ham recipe is so simple, with no scoring and no studding with cloves. This recipe uses a moist heat cooking method for the first half, and the ham is finished with a blast of high heat to caramelize the surface. The result yields meat that is juicy, tender, and full of flavor. This baked ham recipe is perfect for entertaining!

A brown sugar glazed ham emerging from the oven. - 1

Last Christmas, I bought a half, bone-in ham from Dakin Farm . I scored it, studded it with cloves, and baked it as directed for 10 minutes a pound at 325ºF. During the last 15 minutes, I cranked up the heat and brushed it with a simple glaze, a mix of brown sugar, maple syrup, and freshly squeezed orange juice.

In my post Christmas after-action report, I wrote: “The ham was spectacular; the mustard sauce outrageously delicious.”

But I had questions still: Was scoring necessary? Were cloves necessary? Was a glaze even necessary?

And so I emailed Dakin Farm: To Score or Not? A man named Eric wrote me back and said, “My advice to everyone is to add a little water to the pan and cover with foil. This really helps in preventing the ham from being dry.”

He also noted that studding with cloves is not necessary, but it won’t dry the ham out either. And added that glazing is nice for visual purposes.

This all made sense to me, and the next time around, I followed his advice. I roasted my unscored, un-cloved whole ham (a 13-pounder) for an hour and 45 minutes at 325ºF in a pan with a little bit of water covered in foil. For the last 30 minutes, I removed the foil, cranked up the heat to 425ºF, and generously glazed the ham twice at 15 minute intervals.

The result? A beautifully burnished, glazed ham with super moist, tender meat. And no thanks to anything I did: the meat was super flavorful.

Let me explain …

The Secret to Baking A Good Ham?

… lies in the ham. If you buy a good one, you’ll bake a good one. If you buy a bad one, you won’t. No glaze or scoring or cooking technique will save a bad ham. You’re not marinating or brining a ham (and how nice! ) — you’re simply heating it through. And the glaze, while delicious, doesn’t penetrate beyond the outer layer.

As you can gather, I am a huge fan of Dakin Farm (no affiliation here! just a fan!) For as long as I can remember, my Vermont aunt and uncle always have had some sort of Dakin Farm ham product on hand when we visit, and it is always fabulous. I’ve purchased both their whole and half hams, and they never disappoint. A half ham will feed at least 12 people, making the cost per serving about $4.66.

My mother’s advice regarding ham is to never buy a spiral or frozen ham. One year, I bought just that: a frozen, spiral ham (from a highly regarded source). It looked beautiful emerging from the oven — and I thought: just this once, I’ll show her! — but in the end, it was dry and flavorless. Should have known.

Baked Ham Best Practices

  • Cook 10 minutes a pound at 325ºF.
  • Cook fat-side up in a roasting pan filled with about 1/2 inch of water covered tightly in foil for the bulk of the time.
  • During the last 30 minutes, remove the foil, crank the heat up to 425ºF, brush with a simple glaze at least twice.
  • Let rest 20 minutes before carving.

Brown Sugar Ham Glaze Recipe

A ham glaze recipe should include something sweet — brown sugar, sugar, honey, maple syrup, etc. — which will promote good caramelization in the oven. There is no need to glaze the ham throughout the entire cooking process — during the last 30 minutes (with the oven cranked up to 425ºF) will suffice and will leave the ham beautifully burnished.

To make this glaze, stir together:

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Halve the recipe if you are making a half ham.

How to Roast a Whole Bone-In Ham

Here’s the play-by-play: Place ham, fat side up, in a large roasting pan. Add 2 cups of water, roughly, or enough water so that it reaches 1/2-inch up the sides of the pan.

A ham, fat side up, in a roasting pan with a little bit of water. - 2

Cover the pan with foil and transfer to a 325ºF oven.

A roasting pan holding a ham, covered in foil. - 3

Meanwhile, stir together the glaze: 1/4 cup each freshly squeezed orange juice, brown sugar, and maple syrup.

The ingredients to make the brown sugar maple glaze for the ham. - 4 Brown sugar-maple glaze. - 5

Transfer it to a small liquid measure for easy brushing (if you wish):

Brown sugar glaze in a measuring cup. - 6

Thirty minutes before the ham is cooked (see recipe box for timing notes), remove the ham from the oven, remove the foil, and increase the oven temperature to 425ºF.

A whole bone in ham in a roasting pan after 1.75 hours in the oven. - 7

Brush the ham with the glaze, and return it to the oven for 15 minutes:

A ham glazed with a brown sugar-maple glaze. - 8

Remove the ham and give it another brush with the glaze. Return it to the oven for a final 15 minutes.

A glazed whole roasted bone-in ham. - 9

Remove it from the oven:

A brown sugar-glazed ham, just roasted in roasting pan in the oven. - 10

Transfer the ham to a board to rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.

A roasted, brown sugar glazed ham resting on a platter. - 11

Remove as many large lobes from the ham as possible; then carve into slices:

A carved ham on a board. - 12

Transfer to a serving platter:

A carved brown sugar glazed ham on a platter. - 13

Don’t forget the ham sauce ! It’s so, so delicious.

Gramma's mustard sauce in a Weck jar. - 14 A carved brown sugar glazed ham on a platter. - 15

Tend to the ham bone (and removing as much meat as possible from it) after dinner:

A carved ham bone. - 16

Save the bone for split pea and ham soup. Or freeze for up to 3 months.

A ham bone in a ziplock bag on a countertop. - 17

Description

This is a very simple baked ham recipe. There’s no scoring and no studding with cloves, because neither of those steps is necessary. Using a moist heat cooking method for the first half of the process, followed by a blast of high heat at the end to caramelize the surface will yield a beautifully burnished ham with moist, tender meat.

Ham : I am a huge fan of Dakin Farm hams (no affiliation here … truly just a long-time fan since my VT aunt and uncle introduced me to their products years ago.) I think the secret to making a good ham lies in the quality of the ham itself. Regardless of what brand you use, you need a cooked ham. All you’re doing here is reheating it.

Notes:

  • Dakin recommends estimating 1/4 lb per person buffet style or 1/2 lb per person for dinner, depending on appetites.
  • Cook 10 minutes a pound at 325ºF.
  • Cook fat-side up in a roasting pan filled with about 1/2 inch of water covered tightly in foil for the bulk of the time.
  • During the last 30 minutes, remove the foil, crank the heat up to 425ºF, brush with a simple glaze at least twice.
  • Let rest 20 minutes before carving.

For the ham:

  • 1 bone-in whole ham ( 11 – 13 lbs.) or half ham ( 5 – 6 lbs), see notes above
  • water
  • foil, heavy-duty is nice here

For the glaze (halve this recipe if making a half ham):

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice

For serving:

  • my grandmother’s mustard sauce , aka “the ham sauce”
  1. Heat oven to 325ºF.
  2. Calculate your ham’s cooking time. For this recipe, you’re going to roast your ham for 10 minutes a pound total, but you’re going to crank the oven temperature up to 425ºF during the last 30 minutes, during which time you’ll glaze it twice. So, calculate your ham’s total cooking time; then subtract 30 minutes to calculate how long the ham will be in the oven for the first portion of the cooking period. (For example, if your ham weighs 13.69 lbs, you’ll roast it for 1 hour and 45 minutes at 325ºF; then 30 minutes at 425ºF.)
  3. Place ham, fat side up, in a roasting pan large enough to fit it. Add 2 cups of water or enough so that the water reaches about 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan. Cover the pan tightly with foil and transfer to the oven. Set the timer for the amount of time you calculated in step 2.
  4. Meanwhile, make the glaze: whisk together the brown sugar, maple syrup, and freshly squeezed orange juice. Set aside.
  5. After the first portion of the cooking is complete, remove the ham from the oven, and increase the oven temperature to 425ºF. Remove the foil. Brush the ham all over generously with the glaze and return the ham to the oven for 15 minutes. Brush the ham again generously all over with the glaze and cook for another 15 minutes. (If you have any leftover glaze, dump it over the ham during the last 5 minutes of cooking time.)
  6. Remove ham from the oven and let rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.
  7. Carve by removing large chunks of meat and slicing up those chunks. See video for guidance . Don’t worry too much about the ham bone — save that for after dinner. Remove as much meat as possible. Save the bone for soup.
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

This oven-baked ham recipe is so simple, with no scoring and no studding with cloves. This recipe uses a moist heat cooking method for the first half, and the ham is finished with a blast of high heat to caramelize the surface. The result yields meat that is juicy, tender, and full of flavor. This baked ham recipe is perfect for entertaining!

A brown sugar glazed ham emerging from the oven. - 18

Last Christmas, I bought a half, bone-in ham from Dakin Farm . I scored it, studded it with cloves, and baked it as directed for 10 minutes a pound at 325ºF. During the last 15 minutes, I cranked up the heat and brushed it with a simple glaze, a mix of brown sugar, maple syrup, and freshly squeezed orange juice.

In my post Christmas after-action report, I wrote: “The ham was spectacular; the mustard sauce outrageously delicious.”

But I had questions still: Was scoring necessary? Were cloves necessary? Was a glaze even necessary?

And so I emailed Dakin Farm: To Score or Not? A man named Eric wrote me back and said, “My advice to everyone is to add a little water to the pan and cover with foil. This really helps in preventing the ham from being dry.”

He also noted that studding with cloves is not necessary, but it won’t dry the ham out either. And added that glazing is nice for visual purposes.

This all made sense to me, and the next time around, I followed his advice. I roasted my unscored, un-cloved whole ham (a 13-pounder) for an hour and 45 minutes at 325ºF in a pan with a little bit of water covered in foil. For the last 30 minutes, I removed the foil, cranked up the heat to 425ºF, and generously glazed the ham twice at 15 minute intervals.

The result? A beautifully burnished, glazed ham with super moist, tender meat. And no thanks to anything I did: the meat was super flavorful.

Let me explain …

The Secret to Baking A Good Ham?

… lies in the ham. If you buy a good one, you’ll bake a good one. If you buy a bad one, you won’t. No glaze or scoring or cooking technique will save a bad ham. You’re not marinating or brining a ham (and how nice! ) — you’re simply heating it through. And the glaze, while delicious, doesn’t penetrate beyond the outer layer.

As you can gather, I am a huge fan of Dakin Farm (no affiliation here! just a fan!) For as long as I can remember, my Vermont aunt and uncle always have had some sort of Dakin Farm ham product on hand when we visit, and it is always fabulous. I’ve purchased both their whole and half hams, and they never disappoint. A half ham will feed at least 12 people, making the cost per serving about $4.66.

My mother’s advice regarding ham is to never buy a spiral or frozen ham. One year, I bought just that: a frozen, spiral ham (from a highly regarded source). It looked beautiful emerging from the oven — and I thought: just this once, I’ll show her! — but in the end, it was dry and flavorless. Should have known.

Baked Ham Best Practices

  • Cook 10 minutes a pound at 325ºF.
  • Cook fat-side up in a roasting pan filled with about 1/2 inch of water covered tightly in foil for the bulk of the time.
  • During the last 30 minutes, remove the foil, crank the heat up to 425ºF, brush with a simple glaze at least twice.
  • Let rest 20 minutes before carving.

Brown Sugar Ham Glaze Recipe

A ham glaze recipe should include something sweet — brown sugar, sugar, honey, maple syrup, etc. — which will promote good caramelization in the oven. There is no need to glaze the ham throughout the entire cooking process — during the last 30 minutes (with the oven cranked up to 425ºF) will suffice and will leave the ham beautifully burnished.

To make this glaze, stir together:

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Halve the recipe if you are making a half ham.

How to Roast a Whole Bone-In Ham

Here’s the play-by-play: Place ham, fat side up, in a large roasting pan. Add 2 cups of water, roughly, or enough water so that it reaches 1/2-inch up the sides of the pan.

A ham, fat side up, in a roasting pan with a little bit of water. - 19

Cover the pan with foil and transfer to a 325ºF oven.

A roasting pan holding a ham, covered in foil. - 20

Meanwhile, stir together the glaze: 1/4 cup each freshly squeezed orange juice, brown sugar, and maple syrup.

The ingredients to make the brown sugar maple glaze for the ham. - 21 Brown sugar-maple glaze. - 22

Transfer it to a small liquid measure for easy brushing (if you wish):

Brown sugar glaze in a measuring cup. - 23

Thirty minutes before the ham is cooked (see recipe box for timing notes), remove the ham from the oven, remove the foil, and increase the oven temperature to 425ºF.

A whole bone in ham in a roasting pan after 1.75 hours in the oven. - 24

Brush the ham with the glaze, and return it to the oven for 15 minutes:

A ham glazed with a brown sugar-maple glaze. - 25

Remove the ham and give it another brush with the glaze. Return it to the oven for a final 15 minutes.

A glazed whole roasted bone-in ham. - 26

Remove it from the oven:

A brown sugar-glazed ham, just roasted in roasting pan in the oven. - 27

Transfer the ham to a board to rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.

A roasted, brown sugar glazed ham resting on a platter. - 28

Remove as many large lobes from the ham as possible; then carve into slices:

A carved ham on a board. - 29

Transfer to a serving platter:

A carved brown sugar glazed ham on a platter. - 30

Don’t forget the ham sauce ! It’s so, so delicious.

Gramma's mustard sauce in a Weck jar. - 31 A carved brown sugar glazed ham on a platter. - 32

Tend to the ham bone (and removing as much meat as possible from it) after dinner:

A carved ham bone. - 33

Save the bone for split pea and ham soup. Or freeze for up to 3 months.

A ham bone in a ziplock bag on a countertop. - 34

Description

This is a very simple baked ham recipe. There’s no scoring and no studding with cloves, because neither of those steps is necessary. Using a moist heat cooking method for the first half of the process, followed by a blast of high heat at the end to caramelize the surface will yield a beautifully burnished ham with moist, tender meat.

Ham : I am a huge fan of Dakin Farm hams (no affiliation here … truly just a long-time fan since my VT aunt and uncle introduced me to their products years ago.) I think the secret to making a good ham lies in the quality of the ham itself. Regardless of what brand you use, you need a cooked ham. All you’re doing here is reheating it.

Notes:

  • Dakin recommends estimating 1/4 lb per person buffet style or 1/2 lb per person for dinner, depending on appetites.
  • Cook 10 minutes a pound at 325ºF.
  • Cook fat-side up in a roasting pan filled with about 1/2 inch of water covered tightly in foil for the bulk of the time.
  • During the last 30 minutes, remove the foil, crank the heat up to 425ºF, brush with a simple glaze at least twice.
  • Let rest 20 minutes before carving.

For the ham:

  • 1 bone-in whole ham ( 11 – 13 lbs.) or half ham ( 5 – 6 lbs), see notes above
  • water
  • foil, heavy-duty is nice here

For the glaze (halve this recipe if making a half ham):

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice

For serving:

  • my grandmother’s mustard sauce , aka “the ham sauce”
  1. Heat oven to 325ºF.
  2. Calculate your ham’s cooking time. For this recipe, you’re going to roast your ham for 10 minutes a pound total, but you’re going to crank the oven temperature up to 425ºF during the last 30 minutes, during which time you’ll glaze it twice. So, calculate your ham’s total cooking time; then subtract 30 minutes to calculate how long the ham will be in the oven for the first portion of the cooking period. (For example, if your ham weighs 13.69 lbs, you’ll roast it for 1 hour and 45 minutes at 325ºF; then 30 minutes at 425ºF.)
  3. Place ham, fat side up, in a roasting pan large enough to fit it. Add 2 cups of water or enough so that the water reaches about 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan. Cover the pan tightly with foil and transfer to the oven. Set the timer for the amount of time you calculated in step 2.
  4. Meanwhile, make the glaze: whisk together the brown sugar, maple syrup, and freshly squeezed orange juice. Set aside.
  5. After the first portion of the cooking is complete, remove the ham from the oven, and increase the oven temperature to 425ºF. Remove the foil. Brush the ham all over generously with the glaze and return the ham to the oven for 15 minutes. Brush the ham again generously all over with the glaze and cook for another 15 minutes. (If you have any leftover glaze, dump it over the ham during the last 5 minutes of cooking time.)
  6. Remove ham from the oven and let rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.
  7. Carve by removing large chunks of meat and slicing up those chunks. See video for guidance . Don’t worry too much about the ham bone — save that for after dinner. Remove as much meat as possible. Save the bone for soup.
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This is a very simple baked ham recipe. There’s no scoring and no studding with cloves, because neither of those steps is necessary. Using a moist heat cooking method for the first half of the process, followed by a blast of high heat at the end to caramelize the surface will yield a beautifully burnished ham with moist, tender meat.

Ham : I am a huge fan of Dakin Farm hams (no affiliation here … truly just a long-time fan since my VT aunt and uncle introduced me to their products years ago.) I think the secret to making a good ham lies in the quality of the ham itself. Regardless of what brand you use, you need a cooked ham. All you’re doing here is reheating it.

Notes:

  • Dakin recommends estimating 1/4 lb per person buffet style or 1/2 lb per person for dinner, depending on appetites.
  • Cook 10 minutes a pound at 325ºF.
  • Cook fat-side up in a roasting pan filled with about 1/2 inch of water covered tightly in foil for the bulk of the time.
  • During the last 30 minutes, remove the foil, crank the heat up to 425ºF, brush with a simple glaze at least twice.
  • Let rest 20 minutes before carving.

For the ham:

  • 1 bone-in whole ham ( 11 - 13 lbs.) or half ham ( 5 - 6 lbs), see notes above
  • water
  • foil, heavy-duty is nice here

For the glaze (halve this recipe if making a half ham):

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice

For serving:

  • my grandmother’s mustard sauce , aka “the ham sauce”
  1. Heat oven to 325ºF.
  2. Calculate your ham’s cooking time. For this recipe, you’re going to roast your ham for 10 minutes a pound total, but you’re going to crank the oven temperature up to 425ºF during the last 30 minutes, during which time you’ll glaze it twice. So, calculate your ham’s total cooking time; then subtract 30 minutes to calculate how long the ham will be in the oven for the first portion of the cooking period. (For example, if your ham weighs 13.69 lbs, you’ll roast it for 1 hour and 45 minutes at 325ºF; then 30 minutes at 425ºF.)
  3. Place ham, fat side up, in a roasting pan large enough to fit it. Add 2 cups of water or enough so that the water reaches about 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan. Cover the pan tightly with foil and transfer to the oven. Set the timer for the amount of time you calculated in step 2.
  4. Meanwhile, make the glaze: whisk together the brown sugar, maple syrup, and freshly squeezed orange juice. Set aside.
  5. After the first portion of the cooking is complete, remove the ham from the oven, and increase the oven temperature to 425ºF. Remove the foil. Brush the ham all over generously with the glaze and return the ham to the oven for 15 minutes. Brush the ham again generously all over with the glaze and cook for another 15 minutes. (If you have any leftover glaze, dump it over the ham during the last 5 minutes of cooking time.)
  6. Remove ham from the oven and let rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.
  7. Carve by removing large chunks of meat and slicing up those chunks. See video for guidance . Don’t worry too much about the ham bone — save that for after dinner. Remove as much meat as possible. Save the bone for soup.
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2021/03/26/simple-baked-ham-with-brown-sugar-glaze/

A carved brown sugar glazed ham on a platter. - 35 A brown sugar glazed ham in a roasting pan in the oven. - 36 A carved brown sugar glazed ham on a platter. - 37 A brown sugar-glazed ham, just roasted in roasting pan in the oven. - 38

Friends, my three parents are now vaccinated, and so next weekend, we’ll head to Connecticut to spend Easter with them. It’s been nearly a year since we saw them last, and we can hardly wait. I hope you all may be having similar reunions in the weeks and months ahead.

Below you will find my favorite Easter recipes, from baked ham and mustard sauce to scalloped potatoes and punch to buttermilk pull-apart rolls and hot cross buns . The recipes are organized as follows:

  • Hot Cross Buns

  • Easy-To-Peel Hard-Boiled Eggs

  • Easter Brunch Punch

  • Easter Brunch (Sweet)

  • Easter Brunch (Savory)

  • Easter Dinner

  • Scalloped Potatoes

  • On the Side

  • Dessert

  • Bread

Hot Cross Buns

A pan of freshly baked hot cross buns. - 39

Made with a mix of brown sugar and white and a dash of nutmeg, these Hot Cross Buns are perfectly sweet and subtly spiced. Halved and spread with butter, they are so, so delicious. Easy too: Assemble the pan of buns the night before and stick it in the fridge. On Good Friday morning, simply pop the pan in the oven.

Easy-Peel Hard-Boiled Eggs

If you’re dying eggs for Easter and are dreading the post-holiday peeling process, dread no more! Here are two easy-to-peel egg-cooking methods: stovetop and Instant Pot . In both, the eggs are steamed, which makes the shells slip right off. Whichever method you choose, I highly recommend turning those hard-cooked eggs into this egg salad sandwich . It’s become a favorite.

Six Perfect Instant Pot hard-boiled eggs, halved - 40 Six Perfect Instant Pot hard-boiled eggs, halved - 41

Easy 5-Minute Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs

Easter Brunch Punch

If you’ve never made a “house” punch, I highly recommend it, and I highly recommend this one: Philadelphia Fish House Punch , a mix of brandy, cognac, rum, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup.

Ingredients to make Philadelphia Fish House Punch. - 42 A vintage punch bowl. - 43

Punch bowl!

Brunch (Sweet)

Brioche Cinnamon Buns

Prep these buns on Easter Eve. Rise to frosted brioche bliss … (and to very happy humans).

Simple Baked Ham Recipe with Brown Sugar Glaze - 44

Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake

Ten years after posting this recipe, buttermilk blueberry breakfast cake continues to be one of the most popular recipes on the site:

Simple Baked Ham Recipe with Brown Sugar Glaze - 45

Overnight French Toast

This is the easiest French toast you will ever make, and I believe it’s one of the best, too. It’s crisp on the exterior and custardy on the interior. It emerges from the oven piping hot, ready for syrup, fruit, powdered sugar, or all three. Recently I made it with homemade brioche , and it was exceptional.

Simple Baked Ham Recipe with Brown Sugar Glaze - 46

Blueberry Scones, Blueberry Muffins

A blueberry scone on a plate. - 47 A blueberry scone on a plate. - 48

Fresh Lemon-Blueberry Scones

An overhead shot of a dozen blueberry muffins on a cooling rack. - 49 An overhead shot of a dozen blueberry muffins on a cooling rack. - 50

The Best Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

Baked Steel Cut Oatmeal, Oatmeal Muffins

A bowl of freshly baked steel cut oatmeal with almonds. - 51 A bowl of freshly baked steel cut oatmeal with almonds. - 52

Baked Steel Cut Oatmeal

An oatmeal muffin on a board. - 53 An oatmeal muffin on a board. - 54

Oatmeal Muffins

Brunch (Savory)

slice of sausage, spinach and egg casserole - 55 slice of sausage, spinach and egg casserole - 56

Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Casserole with Spinach

A piece of bread topped with baked (shirred) eggs. - 57 A piece of bread topped with baked (shirred) eggs. - 58

Herb and Gruyère-Topped Baked (Shirred) Egg

Croque madame — croque monsieur topped with a poached egg — on a cutting board. - 59 Croque madame — croque monsieur topped with a poached egg — on a cutting board. - 60

How to Make Croque Monsieur and Croque Madame

A slice of potato-crusted quiche. - 61 A slice of potato-crusted quiche. - 62

Tartine’s Quiche, Potato Crusted

Dinner

If you’ve ever toiled over a roast turkey — from the brining to the basting to the carving — a baked ham feels like a complete dream. For one, there’s no marinating or brining. Second, you can’t overcook it, because it’s already cooked! You’re simply heating it through. Find all of my baked ham tips here .

As I noted above, we’ll be baking a brown sugar glazed ham this year and serving it aside my grandmother’s mustard sauce (the best). If you make a ham, be sure to save the bone and make this split pea and ham soup with it afterward.

A brown sugar glazed ham emerging from the oven. - 63 A brown sugar glazed ham emerging from the oven. - 64

Simple Baked Ham Recipe with Brown Sugar Glaze

Gramma's mustard sauce in a Weck jar. - 65 Gramma's mustard sauce in a Weck jar. - 66

My Grandmother’s Mustard Sauce (AKA: “The Ham Sauce”)

The best and easiest recipe for rack of lamb. It takes five minutes to prepare. It's foolproof. And if you enjoy gnawing on bones as if they were lollipops, this recipe is for you. Make it. // alexandracooks.com - 67 The best and easiest recipe for rack of lamb. It takes five minutes to prepare. It's foolproof. And if you enjoy gnawing on bones as if they were lollipops, this recipe is for you. Make it. // alexandracooks.com - 68

Easiest Rack of Lamb

broiled lamb chops with Nigella Lawson's mint sauce - 69 broiled lamb chops with Nigella Lawson's mint sauce - 70

Broiled Lamb Chops with Nigella’s Mint Sauce & Roasted Asparagus

A platter of roast chicken with dates and artichoke hearts. - 71 A platter of roast chicken with dates and artichoke hearts. - 72

Spatchcocked Roast Chicken with Dates & Artichoke Hearts

A plate of Dorie Greenspan's oven-roasted spatchcocked chicken with za'atar and lemon. - 73 A plate of Dorie Greenspan's oven-roasted spatchcocked chicken with za'atar and lemon. - 74

Spatchcock Chicken Recipe with Za’atar & Lemon

Roast chicken with clementines. - 75 Roast chicken with clementines. - 76

Roasted Chicken with Clementines

A platter filled with one-pan roasted chicken thighs and potatoes. - 77 A platter filled with one-pan roasted chicken thighs and potatoes. - 78

One-Pan Chicken with Potatoes & Tarragon

A sheet pan of broiled lamb meatballs. - 79 A sheet pan of broiled lamb meatballs. - 80

Keftedes (lamb meatballs) & Roasted Cabbage

Made with shallots, bread crumbs, olive oil, capers, anchovies, parsley and thyme, this bread crumb salsa could be served with anything from pan-seared lamb chops to grilled steak. Yum. // alexandracooks.com - 81 Made with shallots, bread crumbs, olive oil, capers, anchovies, parsley and thyme, this bread crumb salsa could be served with anything from pan-seared lamb chops to grilled steak. Yum. // alexandracooks.com - 82

Pan-Seared Lamb Chops with Toasted Bread Crumb Salsa

If you’re making lamb, here are two nice condiments:

A platter of tzatziki, drizzled with olive oil aside pita. - 83 A platter of tzatziki, drizzled with olive oil aside pita. - 84

Tzatziki (Greek Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce)

olive tapenade with capers and parsley - 85 olive tapenade with capers and parsley - 86

Olive Tapenade with Capers & Parsley

Alice Waters’s Potato Gratin (Scalloped Potatoes)

As with Thanksgiving and Christmas , Easter dinner isn’t Easter dinner without Alice Waters’s potato gratin . It’s a dish my mother has served at nearly every big holiday gathering for as long as I can remember. It often steals the show no matter what it’s beside, turkey, ham, lamb, or otherwise.

Alice Waters's Potato Gratin. - 87

More Sides

With so many rich foods on the Easter table, a simple green salad on the side is nice. I love using a mix of Boston lettuce, endive, arugula, or whatever looks good at the store, and I love dressing these greens with a favorite variation of my shallot vinaigrette recipe: citrus-shallot vinaigrette. In this version, the shallots soak in both vinegar and fresh-squeezed orange juice, the addition of which makes the dressing a little fresher, a little brighter, and a little lighter.

If you’re looking for a heartier salad, here are a few more ideas:

Dessert

A half-eaten slice of lemon-ricotta cheesecake - 88 A half-eaten slice of lemon-ricotta cheesecake - 89

Lemon-Ricotta Cheesecake

How to Make Tiramisu - 90 How to Make Tiramisu - 91

Tiramisu

A slice of almond torte on a plate. - 92 A slice of almond torte on a plate. - 93

Chez Panisse Almond Torte

This rich chocolate Easter egg nest cake is festive and fun, puffing way up when it bakes and sinking when it cools, a crackly meringue-like layer forming a perfect base to house dozens of colorful candy eggs. // alexandracooks.com - 94 This rich chocolate Easter egg nest cake is festive and fun, puffing way up when it bakes and sinking when it cools, a crackly meringue-like layer forming a perfect base to house dozens of colorful candy eggs. // alexandracooks.com - 95

Flourless Chocolate Cake

rhubarb custard cake cooled and ready to eat. - 96 rhubarb custard cake cooled and ready to eat. - 97

Rhubarb Custard Cake

Just-baked Torta Caprese. - 98 Just-baked Torta Caprese. - 99

Flourless Chocolate-Almond Cake (Torta Caprese)

A slice of orange and olive oil cake. - 100 A slice of orange and olive oil cake. - 101

Orange and Olive Oil Cake

Sliced focaccia on a board. - 102

Bread

Though I am partial to rolls on the holiday table, it’s hard to beat this overnight, refrigerator focaccia in terms of effort-to-reward ratio. It’s truly so easy and so delicious.

But if you’re up for making rolls, both of the recipes below are no-knead, and each dough can be made ahead of time and stashed in the fridge until you are ready to bake. At Christmas last year, I made the buttermilk pull-apart rolls slightly larger — I divided the dough into 20 portions as opposed to 24 — and the larger size was perfect for leftover ham sandwiches.

Find a few more ideas below and here → Favorite Bread Recipes

On the left: No-knead Buttermilk Pull-Apart Rolls : slightly sweet, soft and squishy, these pull-apart rolls resemble Parker House rolls in both taste and texture. On the Right : No-Knead Thyme Dinner Rolls : buttery and crisp on the exterior and soft and tender on the interior.

Tender and flaky, these buttermilk cheddar biscuits are the perfect vessel for housing slices of ham or turkey or roast beef, handfuls of arugula, and a slathering of mustard sauce, a must-have recipe if you're making ham this holiday season. // alexandracooks.com - 103 Tender and flaky, these buttermilk cheddar biscuits are the perfect vessel for housing slices of ham or turkey or roast beef, handfuls of arugula, and a slathering of mustard sauce, a must-have recipe if you're making ham this holiday season. // alexandracooks.com - 104

Cheddar Biscuits

I always forget how easy butter milk biscuits are — one bowl wonders, ready in a snap! With soup and stew season upon us, this biscuit recipe, with maple and sea salt, is a good one to have on hand. // alexandracooks.com - 105 I always forget how easy butter milk biscuits are — one bowl wonders, ready in a snap! With soup and stew season upon us, this biscuit recipe, with maple and sea salt, is a good one to have on hand. // alexandracooks.com - 106

Joanne Chang’s Buttermilk Biscuits

Description

In my family, this mustard sauce is as essential as the ham on the holiday table. It takes no time to whisk together, and it is so nice to have on hand for leftover ham sandwiches.

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  • 4 tablespoons dry mustard
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  1. Place a strainer over a medium-sized bowl (able to hold about 2 cups of liquid). Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil while monitoring closely and stirring often. As soon as the mixture comes to boil, pour it through the strainer into the bowl. Let cool, then cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Category: Sauce
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American