Can you freeze leftover ham?

Yes, you can! Baked ham should freeze for up to 3 months. But try to use that ham in soups like Creamy Ham & Potato Soup , stews, or casseroles — I just find defrosted cooked meat tends to lose some of its flavor if eaten alone.

How many people will an 8 pound ham feed?

As a general rule of thumb, at minimum I make 1/2 pound of meat per person. This same rule applies to turkey, baked ham, or any large piece of meat I'm prepping. During a holiday or large gathering, people tend to eat a little more than they normally would, hence the 1/2 pound per person. The 1/2 pound per person minimum has never steered me wrong yet! But I also tend to bump up what I buy by a couple pounds so I know I'll have leftovers for recipes like Quick Sautéed Collard Greens with Ham !

How long does it take to make a pre-cooked ham?

Since the ham is pre-cooked, the goal is to warm up the ham without drying it out. For an 8-ish pound ham, it'll take about 1 hour and 45 minutes total at 325 degrees F.

Can I cook the ham at a higher or lower temperature?

Yes, but... Cooking a pre-cooked ham is a bit of a balance. Cook it too quickly at a high temperature, and it'll get dry and tough . Set the temperature too low and you'll be waiting all day for that ham to heat through. The goal is a happy medium where the ham stays tender but heats down to the bone, just enough for the fat and tendons in the meat to start loosening up.

Baked Ham with Gluten Free Glaze

Description

Serve up citrusy-sweet glazed baked ham for your next holiday meal! With an orange sugar glaze and unique blend of spices to add warm flavor, this ham is perfect for holiday tables or big weekend get-togethers.

Ingredients

Units Scale

8-10 pound precooked spiral cut ham
1 cup light brown sugar OR coconut sugar
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons melted butter OR olive oil
2 tablespoons stone ground mustard
1 tablespoon coriander
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon clove
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt

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Instructions

Remove ham from fridge. Two hours prior to starting, take the ham out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. (Highly recommended! But if you forget this step, you may have to cook the ham for 20 minutes or so longer.)
Prep oven and ham. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place ham flat side down on a rimmed baking sheet or in a roaster pan. Using a sharp knife, score 1-inch deep diagonal slices across the top of the ham, working around the bone. Repeat going the other direction, creating diamonds in the top of the ham.
Prepare glaze. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the coconut sugar, orange juice, butter or ghee, mustard, coriander, cinnamon, allspice, clove, cayenne, and salt. Pour about half of the mixture over the ham, using a brush to make sure the glaze touches every side.
Bake ham. Cover the ham with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and peel the aluminum foil back to quickly baste the ham with the glaze and juices on the bottom with a basting brush. Cover and return to the oven, continuing to baste every 15 minutes, for another 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from the oven let the ham rest for at least 20 minutes.
Reduce glaze. While ham is resting, carefully pour the juices or use a ladle to transfer the juices to a saucepan. (Alternatively, remove the ham to a platter and cover with foil while it rests.) Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes or so, until the liquid has reduced by about half and has become syrupy.
Slice and serve. Slice the ham and drizzle with reduced glaze.

Notes

About 20 minutes before you pre-heat the oven, get the ham out of the fridge so it's closer to room temperature before going in the oven.
If your ham is smaller than 8 pounds, reduce the cook time by about 10 minutes per pound. If larger than 8 pounds, increse cook time by about 10 minutes per pound.
While you'd typically reduce a sauce into a glaze before cooking, I've found I prefer the results when simmering down after cooking. That way, you can drizzle the glaze over the ham just before serving and you get more meaty flavor since you're using the ham juices as well.