Today’s Holiday Ham for Two with Maple-Bourbon Glaze takes me back to the days of my youth and it may do the same for you. These days it is often just The Artist and me celebrating holidays and we always have fun and enjoy delicious foods. This Easter holiday ham certainly delivers!
When you look at the secular angle of the holiday, you wind up with lots of candy, beautiful flowers, the Easter Bunny, children with their Easter baskets, and a wonderful family feast.
Pearl Onions being sauted in a sweet/savory glaze
In our house Easter always meant a huge roast ham that we all looked forward to. My mom would buy the biggest bone-in ham she could find and we would slow roast it all day, filling the house with incredible aromas that had us all begging for dinner to be served.
We scored the fat cap into diamond shapes and inserted whole cloves at all the intersections and patted on brown sugar. Then we used toothpicks to secure pineapple rings all over the top and sides. If we were being fancy we added maraschino cherries in the centers of the pineapple rings. Into the oven it went to slowly warm through and develop amazing flavors. The fat cap would melt, basting the ham and giving us luscious bites. With the big hams she cooked, it would take 6 hours! No wonder we were hungry.
When it was time to eat the real fun began. Our family dinners, especially at the holidays, were filled with funny stories that had us crying from laughing so hard. Both my dad and oldest brother were the story tellers in our family and they always had the best ones to share with us! Oh how I miss those dinners.
Time with family is precious and fleeting. Too soon everyone gets busy or we lose them and traditions have a way of being overlooked or abandoned altogether. This makes me sad because the holidays of my youth were wonderful, filled with laughter and stories, and of course the most amazing foods!
These days with just The Artist and me (most of the time) I’ve scaled back and make simpler meals. A little ham is perfect for the two of us with a few side dishes to round out the meal. This year in addition to the bourbon glaze for the ham, I added glazed pearl onions, fresh asparagus, and dill-butter carrots.
This little ham is surprisingly similar to the large ones my mom made. Packed with luscious flavor and adding an incredible glaze/sauce that brings it all together. You can use either bone-in or boneless for this recipe. The baking time will be less for the boneless and longer for bone-in. Trust your instant-read thermometer (hopefully a Thermapen or Thermopop 2 from Thermoworks). Do not let the thermometer hit the bone or your reading will be off.
If you want, you can pre-cook the ham the day before and reheat it in the morning and make this dinner for brunch! It is a great way to start the day!
And don’t forget dessert! You can make my White Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting that I shared on Monday. So delicious and absolutely perfect for your Easter feast!
I hope you make this Easter Ham for Two with Maple-Bourbon Glaze for your holiday dinner. Depending on the size of your ham you may have some leftovers to make French ham sandwiches the next day or use the bone to make split pea soup. A breakfast ham frittata would be a wonderful way to start your week! So many ways to keep enjoying your holiday ham!
Try making this holiday ham with maple-bourbon glaze either for Easter, another holiday, dinner parties, or when you have weekend guests visiting. It is so satisfying and a true crowd pleaser. If you are cooking for a large number of people and are working with a big ham, you can double or triple the glaze recipe to be sure you have plenty. I hope everyone loves each delicious bite!
If you try this recipe, let me know! Please leave a star rating in the recipe card, comment below, and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it @theheritagecook on Instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day and I love hearing from you!
Ingredients needed for the Ham Dinner for Two with Maple-Bourbon Glaze:
- Ham: Cooked smoked bone-in ham – NOT spiral cut!
- Glaze: maple syrup, bourbon, brown sugar, butter (or oil + salt for dairy-free), apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard
PRO Tip:
You can use either bone-in or boneless for this recipe. The baking time will be less for the boneless. Trust your instant-read thermometer (hopefully a Thermapen or Thermopop 2 from Thermoworks!) and pull the ham out at the right temperature (usually 140°F; 60°C) for perfect ham every time.
How to make Ham Dinner for Two with Maple-Bourbon Glaze:
- Prep the Ham: Score the fat cap into diamond shapes and press whole cloves into the intersections of the cuts. Place in a roasting pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 325°F (163°C) until it reaches 140°F (60°C) in the center on an instant-read thermometer. A bone-in pre-cooked ham will be about 15 to 24 minutes per lb/kg.
- Make the Glaze: Combine all the glaze ingredients in a nonstick saucepan and bring to a boil stirring often. Reduce to a simmer and cook stirring often, until thickened and syrupy, about 25 to 35 minutes on low. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Finish the Ham: When the ham is about halfway done, remove the foil and brush some glaze over the ham. Return to the oven and cook until it reaches 140°F (60°C) in the center on your instant-read thermometer. Timing will depend on the size of your ham. Remove from the oven.
- Let the ham sit for about 15 minutes before carving. Serve ham slices with remaining glaze and sides of your choice. Enjoy!
PRO Tip:
Not all hams are pre-cooked, some are sold raw! If the label on your ham says, “cook before eating” then you can assume it is uncooked and will need longer in the oven. Still have the oven temp at 325°F (163°C) but cook the raw ham to 145°F (63°C) in the center, on your instant-read thermometer without touching the bone.
PRO Tip:
If you want to make a large ham you can double or triple the glaze ingredients. It will take longer to reduce more liquid, just be patient and don’t forget to stir the pot.
Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):
- Kitchen scale
- Roasting pan
- Instant-read thermometer
- Small saucepan, preferably nonstick
- Silicone whisk
- Long, sharp knife
Gluten-Free Tips:
* The major gluten-free organizations have declared that distilled alcohols are gluten free. But some distillers may use caramel coloring or flavorings which sometimes contain gluten. For some very sensitive people this may cause issues. If you are making this recipe for a very reactive person, or if they have Celiac disease, you can use potato vodka mixed with two teaspoons brown sugar in place of the bourbon called for.
** My preferred brand of kosher salt is from Diamond Crystal. If you use Morton’s or another brand you will likely not need as much because they are saltier.
You will get the best and most consistent results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking. And use grams, they are much more accurate than pounds and ounces.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Holiday Ham for Two with Maple-Bourbon Glaze (GF)
Today’s Holiday Ham for Two (or more) with Maple-Bourbon Glaze takes me back to the days of my youth and it may do the same for you. These days it is often just The Artist and me celebrating holidays and we make sure to make it fun and delicious. This holiday ham certainly delivers!
Ingredients
Ham
- 1/4 to 1/2 fully cooked* smoked preferably bone-in ham, NOT spiral cut
Glaze
- 1/2 cup (118ml) maple syrup
- 1/2 cup (118ml) bourbon** or water
- 1/4 cup (53g) firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 tbsp butter (or 2 tbsp oil + pinch kosher salt*** for dairy-free)
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
Instructions
1. Prep the Ham: Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Trim all but 1/4 to 1/2-inch (6.4 to 12.7mm) of the fat from the ham, and score the remaining fat in 3/4-inch (19mm) diamonds, just deep enough to reach the meat without cutting into it. Place the ham, fat side up, in a roasting pan. Insert whole cloves into the intersections of the diamond cuts. Cover the ham with aluminum foil, tucking it in around the bottom. Place in the oven and for bone-in pre-cooked ham, it will be 15 to 24 minutes per lb/kg.
2. Make the Glaze: In a small nonstick saucepan, mix together the glaze ingredients, whisking to blend. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often with a heatproof spatula. Reduce heat to med-low or low and simmer until thickened and syrupy, stirring frequently with the spatula. This will take about 25 to 35 minutes. Remember it will thicken as it cools, so take it off the heat a bit before you think it is ready. Remove from the heat and set aside. Stir well before using.
3. Continue Cooking the Ham: About halfway through the total baking time, remove the foil cover. Brush the ham with about 1/4 cup of the glaze. Bake the ham, brushing lightly with remaining glaze every 15 minutes or so, until heated to 140°F in the center on an instant-read thermometer, timing will depend on the size of your ham.
4. To Serve: Let the ham stand about 15 minutes before carving. Using a long, sharp knife, following the bone, carve downward to just before hitting the bone, repeating the slices to the end. Then run the knife horizontally through the ham, along the top of the bone, to release the slices.
5. Serve ham slices with any remaining glaze and the side dishes of your choice. Enjoy your holiday!
Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com
Notes
* For Uncooked Hams: If the label on your ham says, “cook before eating” then you can assume it is uncooked and will need longer in the oven. Keep the oven temp at 325°F (163°C) but cook the uncooked ham to 145°F (63°C) in the center, on your instant-read thermometer without touching the bone. For bone-in uncooked ham, it will be 18 to 25 min per pound. For boneless uncooked ham it will be 30 to 40 min per pound. Use your thermometer and cook to 145°F (63°C).
**The major gluten-free organizations have declared that distilled alcohols are gluten free. But some distillers may use caramel coloring or flavorings which sometimes contain gluten. For some very sensitive people this may cause issues. If you are making this recipe for a very reactive person or if they have Celiac disease, you can use potato vodka plus 2 tsp brown sugar in place of the bourbon called for.
*** My preferred brand of kosher salt is from Diamond Crystal. If you use Morton’s or another brand you will likely not need as much because they are saltier.
You will get the best and most consistent results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking. And use grams, they are much more accurate than pounds and ounces.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Ham adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe
Glaze adapted from an allrecipes.com recipe
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 280Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 205mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 0gSugar: 34gProtein: 2g
The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.
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