Just think, no more laborious scoring and sticking cloves in each little criss-cross and mixing up whatever glaze I once used. So much Sunday time wasted on the ham. Good grief.
A word about bone-in, fully-cooked hams. You can buy them in three ways:
- A whole ham: Works great if you are feeding a lot of people.
- The butt portion: Offers more meat and less bone. Slightly more expensive per pound than the shank portion.
- The shank portion: The bone runs through the middle of the ham and there is less meat than the butt portion. Some people feel that the shank meat is “sweeter”. Costs less than butt portion.
The butt portion costs a little more than the shank because there is less bone and more meat. It is my preferred cut. However, in the pictures below, I used the shank portion because, theoretically, I have a nice bone left over to make ham and bean soup. That’s a post for another time maybe in November or January or the end of October. I don’t know; you’ll just have to wait for it.
I used a Smithfield® brand ham and it was excellent. I am not promoting one brand of ham over another, but I want to pass along that this is great ham. Generally there have been two brands of ham from which to choose at my local grocery stores–Cook’s® or Hormel®. I have never been able to bring myself to pay Hormel® prices, so I have always bought Cook’s®. Now, though, Smithfield® hams are available here at local grocery stores and I have come to prefer them.
And one more thing. I realize that I am probably going to step on a lot of toes with this next statement, but I don’t buy spiral sliced hams. To me, they don’t taste as good and seem to be dryer after baking.
If you are a spiral sliced ham fan, give this recipe a try on a ham that has not been spiral-sliced and see how amazing a ham can be. The flavor is going to be outstanding no matter how you slice your home-baked, home-carved ham! You just wait and see.
Baked Ham with Brown Sugar Mustard Glaze
Ingredients
- bone-in, fully-cooked ham, any size (also referred to as 'ready to eat')
- yellow mustard or mustard of choice
- brown sugar
Instructions
- Wrap the ham in aluminum foil and seal tightly. Place in a baking pan and bake in a 325-degree oven for 15 minutes per pound of ham. To figure out how long to bake your ham, divide the weight of the ham by 4 (because there are 4 fifteen minute segments in an hour). Example: a 12 pound ham will bake for a total of 3 hours. 12 divided by 4 = 3
- Unwrap ham for the last hour of baking and glaze with the yellow mustard/brown sugar glaze (See Glaze instructions below). Bake for 30 minutes, uncovered. Re-glaze and bake for an additional 30 minutes, uncovered. Note: The internal temperature of the ham should be 140-degrees F.
For the glaze:
- Mix yellow mustard and brown sugar in a 1:2 or 1:3 ratio. That's one part mustard to two or three parts brown sugar. Start with the smaller ratio and adjust as needed. Taste the glaze before applying to ham to make sure that it is as sweet or tart as you prefer. The ham that I used for this recipe weighed between 6-7 pounds. I used 1 cup of yellow mustard and 3 cups of brown sugar. Your glaze should be kind of soupy, but still thick enough to stick to the ham while baking, about the consistency of lightly warmed honey.
Finishing
- After the ham has baked, allow it to rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing. The ham does not need to be covered while resting.
I double-wrap my ham in aluminum foil to ensure that it is completely encased. This helps to hold in the cooking juices and gives a moist ham. I usually place the ham in a 9″ x13″ baking pan. Bake in a 325-degree oven for 15-20 minutes per pound or for however long the label recommends. Did you know that the baking time is generally on the label? Depending on the brand of ham you are using, the directions may either be on the front or the back of the label.
Hey, you’re going to have some leftover ham and a great ham bone. Here are some ways to make good use of it:
Refried Beans
Split Pea Soup with Ham
Ham Fried Rice
You may also like:
Corn Fritter Casserole
Roasted Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
Super Easy Glazed Carrots
Hey, Mom. you wrote “Mix yellow mustard and brown sugar in a 1:3 ratio. That’s one part mustard to four parts brown sugar.” I think you meant “one part mustard to three parts brown sugar.” Love ya!
oops, thanks honey!
That sounds great! I’m going to use this recipe this year for our Thanksgiving ham. Thanks so much!
Anonymous–I just used this recipe again on Sunday of this week, and it is still my hands-down, super easy favorite. I hope that you enjoy it, too.
Thanks for this recipe. I had not baked a ham before and this recipe for glaze was great!
This information is so useful. Thank you so much.
Liz, you’re welcome.
After applying the glaze do you cover it again with the foil, or leave it open for the last hour?
Hi, Allison. Leave the ham uncovered after glazing. The glaze will bubble and start to caramelize a little bit. I’ll update the instructions to be more specific. Thanks for asking and have a good day. ~Terri
Thank you! It was excellent!
Great! Glad you enjoyed it. ~Terri
I been doing this for years….but I do one other step….I buy one large frozen apple juice and dilute with water and add the ham to the juice….overnight and turn it after twelve hrs……..it makes the ham so moist and for some reason my ham is not that salty….I have been doing this for years…thanks to a hint from The Food Maven…Arthur Schwartz….
Apple juice on ham sounds great!
I do this same thing with a small can of pineapple juice. I have been using the brown sugar/mustard glaze forever, and I still say nothing beats it!!
Hey this was such a relief when I read ur post…I hv no brown suger.So Im heating applesauce..a little mustered..A lil maple syrup..2tablespoon margerine and a cup if suger(applesauce is unsweeten..And lastly A pinch of salt..After Pre-Cook Smoked Ham in oven 45min..Lightly pour my Applesauce Glaze(About 4to6 lines)Across the top…then I pray it taste ok..after Put bck w the glaze in oven uncovered..Maybe 30 min more…
I made this for the first time this thanksgiving and it was a hit. I couldn’t believe how well it turned out, and so easy. I think I found a new tradition for the holidays.
Wahooooo! I’m so happy for you. I’ll pass your good news on to my son in-law, who taught me how to make this ham. Thank you for taking the time to leave such a nice comment. ~Terri
I bought a shank portion today that I plan on having for Christmas. I’m ham-impared so this will be the recipe I’ll be using. Since I won’t have to buy cloves, molasses, etc, I won’t get confused. Thanx for this easy recipe and for letting me know that the shank portion is sweeter. I never knew that.
Hi Ginny. Merry Christmas and I hope that you enjoy your ham! This really is the easiest recipe and it works well. It is my go-to method for baking ham, thanks to my son in-law. ~Terri
Okay, I made the glaze for my ham shank this morning. It’s better than I thought. I used 1 cup mustard and 3 parts light brown sugar. Simple yet delicious. But this morning I took a closer look at the label on the ham, and it says “Hickory Smoked.” Will the glaze still work? And after I remove the packaging from the ham, do I rinse the ham and pat it dry or do I just pat dry? Sorry for all the ?’s but I wanna cover all my bases. Thanx for your response.
Hickory smoked is perfect. The glaze is very flavorful on a smoked ham. Patting the ham dry is fine, no need to rinse. Don’t worry–your ham is going to be great! ~Terri
You are truly heaven sent. Thank you.
I was correct: You are heaven sent. Your recipe was a great hit. I got so many compliments. Everyone loved it. Even later on the night people wanted to make a ham sandwich but they were still full. I’ll be using this recipe forever. And the 1:3 ratio of glaze was more than enough for an almost twelve pound ham shank but I used it all anyway. Thanks again.
Ginny, I’m so happy for you! Thank you for letting me know that you were a rock star with the ham! haha I’ll be sure to pass along your success story to my son in-law since he was the one who showed me how to make this super easy ham. He acts like a proud, happy papa whenever I tell him that someone likes his ham recipe. 🙂 ~Terri
And please tell your son in law that he’s sent from heaven also. Your daughter is a very lucky woman. I don’t know many men who can bake a ham. May you and your family have a Happy New Year!
I’m 73 Years old, and I grew up with this receipt for ham every Easter, but with a small twist. My mother added a pineapple ring with a cherry in the middle, one for each person at the dinner table. She stuck them to the ham with toothpicks during the last hour the ham was uncovered and the glaze was being done. Nothing better than a roasted pineapple ring to go with the glazed ham at dinner. The cherry was always a favorite with the little kids also. We always used the butt portion of the ham, more ham for a larger family. It was fun to read about something you had as a tradition when you were a kid that many years ago and it is still a tradition with others today. Enjoy it, we always did.
Frank, I agree–roasted pineapple is excellent and would go especially well with this ham glaze. My grandkids love roasted pineapple so I’ll have to add it to our Easter ham this year. Thanks for sharing your story. Happy trails! ~Terri
Going to cook one of these today (butt portion) I’m thinking maybe that I’ll add some ground cayenne to the glaze for a lil’ kick though and maybe some fresh grated nutmeg. Should be pretty tasty along side some scalloped potatoes and green beans with pearl onions!
Great idea on the cayenne! Your sides are always winners with ham. Let me know how everything works out.
I am going too try to smoke a couple butt hams using this recipe. Any idea what temp. I should set me pellet smoker to and how long per pound it should take to reach an internal temp. of 140 degrees. They are both 8 pound ham’s. Thank you for the great recipe.
Sorry, Chris. I don’t really know anything about using a smoker. I’m sure that you can find the information you need by doing an internet search on the subject. Best wishes. ~Teerri
I am going to do this today, but I am going to use a trick that my mother used stick 8-10 cloves around the ham and pineapple also.
That will make a great tasting ham as well as looking beautiful. Happy Thanksgiving, Don. ~Terri
I have used this recipe before and it is delicious, but someone told me once that if you put the ham in a cooking bag with a can of Pepsi and nothing else, it gives the ham a moist sweet flavor and it really works. I have a Double G smoked whole ham for Christmas and I will make your recipe this year. Happy holidays.
Joyce, I will definitely have to try the can of Pepsi trick with the next ham that I bake. The baking bag sounds like a great idea, too.
I’m glad that you like this recipe. I’ll pass your compliments along to my son in-law since he was the one that introduced it to me! ~Terri
I was seriously just looking for a new spin on My Christmas Ham when I came across your recipe. Can’t wait to try it! Thank you in advance!
You’re welcome, Jen. This one has been a winner in our family for about ten years, thanks to my son in-law. Happy Christmas and blessings on your Christmas ham. 🙂 ~Terri
Terri…..I totally agree with your comments….I would never buy a Spiral Ham….too dry…..and I love your recipe….I will be making this for Christmas dinner tomorrow with homemade lasagne, big salad, roast asparagus, hot Italian bread…and homemade cheesecake and lots of love and games with my family. Thank you for this great recipe and your valuable comments….Marie Merry Christmas
Marie, you must be Italian! My Italian friends always serve either spaghetti or lasagna with everything. 🙂 Your meal sounds delicious! We’re having roasted asparagus, too. It’s ridiculous how many pounds of asparagus six adults and 3 kids can put away. lol Along with the asparagus we’ll be having a prime rib roast (Tyler Florence recipe), rosemary potatoes, apple salad with apple cinnamon vinaigrette, sourdough bread. For dessert, my daughter is making creme brulee. I might throw together some tomato-artichoke soup with roasted garlic — I said “might” — to go along with the meal. We tend to get a bit fancy with our Christmas dinner. It is the ONLY meal of the year where we go overboard.
this sounds great, and east too. Can you make this a day before. My time is limited on Easter sunday and 2 1/2 hours in the oven might cut into eating time. I have an 11 pound butt. How would reheating be the next day. would I dry it out? thinking I could slice it up, put it back in the baking dish with all the juices, covered up and then reheat to may be just warm on sunday. Don’t want to dry the ham out. What do you think. I’m no cook…..so all the help I can get is appreciated.
Hi Donna. Those are good questions, but a little bit tricky to answer. 1) The ham can be cooked a day ahead and will taste great the second day. 2) I feel that the ham should be left whole after baking. Allow it to cool, then wrap it well and refrigerate it. 3) On serving day, rewarm the ham and then slice it. 4) There are several reasons that I do not recommend slicing the ham a day ahead: first, there will tend to be moisture loss when reheating the ham; second, and this is completely an aesthetic reason, the glaze will stain the ham slices a yellowish color wherever it touches them. It won’t effect the flavor of the ham, just the appearance. 5) If you want to slice the ham on serving day and then reheat it, I feel that it should work fine. Reheating it with the juices will help to keep it moist; be sure to cover the ham with foil to help retain moisture while cooking. 6) For such a theoretically easy thing to make, a ham can sure make us crazy nervous. 🙂 ~Terri
Used your recipe for my ham this year and it was absolutely amazing. I used spicy brown mustard instead if yellow and it was a hit. Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Woot, woot! Congrats on your success! There is nothing better than making a crowd pleaser for a holiday meal. 🙂 ~Terri
This recipe made the most moist, delicious ham I have ever made for Easter!!!!! Thank you, Thank you! I always boiled my ham with carrots, onions, peppercorns and celery as my Mum always did for over 30 years (we are New Englanders bland food rules). Last year my family said “can we try a Baked Ham next year?” I said yes and searched the Web and up popped your posted. I have been bragging for days. Sooo Sooo Easy and just plain perfect. YOU ROCK and made me a star this Spring. Me and my girl are going to try your rolls next. We are hooked.
Yay, Violet! I am so excited for you and your success. We had this ham as well for Easter dinner. Even after all these years of making ham from this recipe, I am thrilled each time with how the ham turns out. 🙂 Have a good day and thanks for leaving such a great comment. ~Terri
This was the best ham ever!! I did use lest Brown sugar. Thanks for sharing.
Woot, woot! Glad you liked it. 🙂 ~Terri
Thank You for publishing your recipe! I was undecided about whether to buy a spiral honey glazed ham or just an unsliced ham. The difference in price sold me on the Smithfield butt ham. Not knowing exactly how to prepare it, of course I googled it and found your recipe. Your step by step pictures are such a help and and the taste is awesome! It was a hit at a luncheon today!
I have done this for my Easter ham for many years I also make a gravy from the drippings, everyone abosulety loves it!
Love your recipe ! It is basically like mymother-in-laws but she added three tablespoons of peanutbutter and man it is fabulous !
Thank you! I’m glad that your ham turned out well. Peanut butter sounds so interesting. I’ll have to give that one a try next time around.