In the Maddox home, ham makes a regular appearance on the Christmas menu. Serving ham can be easy, because the ham you find in your local supermarket is almost always fully cooked and ready to serve. To add a bit more flavor and spruce up the presentation, some people decide to glaze to the ham.
One of the best tips I found about baking ham is to place the meat cut side down on the roasting pan and cover the ham with a foil tent. This preserves the moisture in the ham. The foil is removed for the last 15-20 minutes of cooking. To lightly caramelize the sugars in the glaze, turn your oven to broil for 5 minutes. Make sure to watch the ham carefully, because these glazes can burn very easily.
Bone-in hams tend to be more flavorful, but they are more difficult to carve. I prefer boneless hams, just because the presentation is nicer.
Spiral sliced hams are a newer invention and they happen to be my favorite. I buy mine from HoneyBaked Ham. These are fully cooked hams that are sliced using a special machine so the meat literally falls apart into thin slices. These hams usually have a glaze baked onto them so all you need to do is heat the ham according to directions that come with it.
Courtesy of Honey Baked
My Traditional Christmas Dinner Menu
*HoneyBaked Ham
*Scalloped Potatoes (I only serve it during the holidays)
*Strawberry and Pineapple Gelatin Salad. This is a tradition in my family. I love the colors and the sweet flavors that it adds to the meal.
*Homemade biscuits are a must at my house during the holidays. To make things easier, you can make them the day before Christmas and reheat them in the oven or microwave before serving.
*Green Beans. The fresh crisp texture and flavor of green beans make them the perfect side dish.
*Christmas Cookies. Fun Sugar Cookies, Fudge, Peanut butter balls and my favorite Toll house Chocolate Chip cookies.
• 1 1/4 quarts apple cider
• 3 tablespoons firmly packed light-brown sugar
• 7 whole cinnamon sticks, (6 sticks for garnish)
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• Ground cloves
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt
Directions:
In a medium saucepan, whisk together cider, sugar, spices, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Remove from heat, strain into pitcher, and serve in mugs.
Hope these family favorites get your creative juices flowing so you can create a fabulous Christmas meal.
Merry Christmas!
For Christmas dinner it was always Prime Rib and a roasted or poached whole salmon. I usually cooked along with my father and it was a traditional Charles Dickens Feast. Mulled wine, champagnes, caviar and smoked oyster appetizers, creamed corn, and the list goes on. I miss those days – Merry Christmas Sandra!