Is ham going to be on your holiday table this Easter? Of course it is! If you’re looking for ways to spice up your holiday ham, look no further. Just add Coca Cola. Or toss it outside. (We’re not kidding.) Check out the slideshow for 6 inventive ways to make your Easter ham super-scrumptious:
6 Inventive Ways to Make Your Ham Super-Scrumptious
Soak it in Coca Cola
No, seriously. Nigella Lawson boils ham in Coca Cola for a couple hours prior to baking. She notes, “No one who cooks it, cooks it just once.” The Coke imparts an irresistible sweetness; slightly different from the honey flavors we’ve all come to love that pair with ham.
Get Nigella Lawson’s Ham in Coca Cola recipe
Slow Cooker Ham
Set it and forget it. Brown sugar and pineapple are all you need for a perfect ham made right in your slow cooker. The Crockin Girls provide 3 simple steps to make this.
Ham a bit too big for your slow cooker? The Crockin Girls suggest just cutting off a section and tucking it in on the side.
Just add booze.
Bourbon, orange marmalade, mustard and maple syrup…we can’t think of a tastier way to spice up a ham. The adults in your holiday crowd will love it.
Get the Bourbon Orange Glazed Ham recipe at Fine Cooking.
Try a mustard tasting station
Set out a selection of 6 (or more!) mustards and let your guests mix, match, and dip their way to the perfect ham-and-mustard pairing. Our suggestions? We love grainy mustards, honey mustard, dijon, sweet Bavarian mustard, and Russian mustard for those who like it hot!
Grill it
You’re probably baking 100 other things this holiday. Unless you’ve been blessed with an industrial kitchen, oven space is at a premium. If you’re lucky enough to live in a place where it’s not STILL 20 degrees below zero (sorry, Midwesterners), take your ham to the grill and free up that oven for another pie (or 3). Get the recipe for Grilled Holiday Honey Ham from The Neelys.
Pair it with the right wine
Miss Jane Nickles, AKA The Bubbly Professor, has some crucial tips for pairing your ham with the perfect wine this season. She remarks, “A wine with a touch of sweetness will be a great match, especially if your ham is honey-baked or brown sugar-glazed. This is important: sweetness in food makes wine taste less sweet and more acidic. So…if your ham is coated with a sugary or sweet glaze, this rule cannot be ignored!” Read up on her 5 rules to the perfect wine pairing for ham .