Recipe For Baked Ham With Easy Brown Sugar Glaze
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This recipe for baked ham features the easiest 3-ingredient brown sugar glaze. You’re going to want to keep reading to discover the secret ingredient that makes this glaze so tasty!
This recipe for baked ham is from my great-grandmother Lela. Her easy 3-ingredient glaze includes brown sugar, yellow mustard, and… coke! Yep, there’s no , , or used in this . The addition of coke makes this glaze so tasty and ham so succulent everyone will be going back for seconds.
A good and simple baked ham makes the perfect main course for any meal and any occasion, including Easter and Christmas dinner. The added bonus is that once you bake a juicy ham, you usually have the leftovers to make at least three more meals. The hambone in and of itself is a goldmine for the best pot of pintos you could ever hope to eat or you can use it to flavor a comforting pot of senate bean soup.
One of my favorite things to do with baked ham leftovers is to reheat some Jordan rolls the next morning, split them in two, and layer warmed slices of ham in between them for a quick, easy, and darn good breakfast. Coffee washes it down just right. There are already several recipes on SouthernPlate.com using leftover ham. So glaze that ham and get it baking, but be sure to save the ham bone with a little meat still on it! Just pop it in a gallon size bag and stick it in the freezer.
Okay, now that I am sufficiently hungry, let’s get this show on the road!
There is another great ham recipe in my cookbook so be sure and check it out! It is one of many which are exclusive to my cookbook, so they will never be on SouthernPlate.com.
Recipe Ingredients
- Smoked ham
- Yellow mustard
- Brown sugar (either dark or )
- Coke of choice
In a small bowl place your brown sugar, mustard, and coke.
Give that a good stir.
It will become a lot more liquified than you expect it to.
On the off chance it doesn’t (you know, atmospheric pressure, leprechaun interference, whatever) you can always add another tablespoon of coke.
Line a rimmed (or sided) baking pan with aluminum foil, heavy-duty if you have it.
If you don’t have heavy-duty, just use regular. No sense in spending extra money when you don’t have to.
Place ham in the middle of the foil-lined pan.
Brush half of your glaze over the ham (just the parts that you can get to).
If you don’t have a brush just use a big spoon and put gobs of the glaze on the ham and then smear it around a bit.
Most of the gadgets we have in the kitchen are pretty much space taker-uppers anyway.
Seal that up well and roast ham in a 350-degree for 1 hour.
After your ham is baked it will look like this.
Peel the tin foil back and baste ham with the remaining glaze.
Return to oven and bake ham for 30 minutes more uncovered, or until lightly browned.
Remove the from the and allow it to sit for 10 minutes before slicing. Slice ham how you like and enjoy!
If you need to serve it later you can cover it with foil to keep it warm and let it sit on your stovetop. I suggest cutting your within half an hour of removing it from the oven because that is about as long as you’ll be able to stand waiting once you smell it!
This glaze is delicious!
Feels good when people like your cooking, doesn’t it?
Storage
- Store leftover ham in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Serve cold or quickly reheat in the microwave.
- You can also store glazed ham leftovers in a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Recipe Notes
- You can use any coke you like in this , whether that’s diet coke, diet Dr. Pepper, or a simple can of Coca-Cola.
- I definitely recommend using a baking dish with sides. It’s inevitable that the ham juice will leak out and if it gets in the bottom of your oven you will have quite the smell in your house.
- I use an electric knife that I got for about $25 (like the one pictured HERE*) to slice my glazed ham, but a nice sharp regular knife will work just fine.
- You could also substitute the coke for if you prefer a more traditional . Another option is , if you dare!
- Decorate your with for a festive touch!
- There are many different cuts of : , , bone-in … I recommend the latter for this .
Recipe FAQs
What do you serve with this baked ham recipe?
You can serve your baked ham in so many different ways. For the main meal (if this is a holiday or ), serve it alongside side dishes like mashed potatoes (we also have a sweet potato version) and fresh green beans. Another option is to serve it for lunch on a sandwich or with your favorite salad.
You may also enjoy these ham recipes:
Ham Egg and Cheese Casserole (Insta Pot or Oven!)
Ham Salad (Recipes SHOULD be easy!)
Smoked Ham and Veggies Pasta Salad
How to Cook A Ham & Get At LEAST 4 Meals Out Of It!
Ingredients
- 1 approx 8-lb. smoked, ready-to-cook, bone-in ham
- 1 cup packed brown sugar light or dark, whatever you have
- 2 tablespoons coke or your favorite carbonated soda
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
Instructions
- Line a large pan with a lip around it with aluminum foil. Place the ham in the center of the foil.1 approx 8-lb. smoked, ready-to-cook, bone-in ham
- In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, coke, and mustard to make your glaze. Brush half of the glaze over the ham. Wrap the entire ham well in foil. Place in a 350-degree oven for 1 hour.1 cup packed brown sugar, 2 tablespoons coke, 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- Remove the ham from the oven and peel back the foil, but don't move the ham. Brush the remaining glaze over the ham and return to the oven, uncovered, for another 30 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Allow it to sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes or so before cutting. If you need to serve it later you can cover it with foil to keep it warm and let it sit on your stovetop. I suggest cutting it within half an hour of removing it from the oven because that is about as long as you'll be able to stand waiting once you smell it.
Nutrition
*And by the way, if you purchase that knife through Amazon, Southern Plate gets a very small commission from Amazon that goes towards helping us keep up the site.
Never be afraid to try. Remember, amateurs built the ark.
Professionals built the Titanic.
My mother was a good cook, (for a yankee, giggle), My best sunday meal was pan fried chicken, with skin on, mashed potatoes, gravy, and biscuits.
Hubby and I only eat skinless chicken breasts now, so I miss mom’s fried chicken really bad. Some day, maybe I’ll give in and fix it for myself.
Oh how I loved those Sunday dinners after church. Fried chicken, smooth and buttery mashed potatoes, green beans cooked all day on Saturday, ambrosia with oranges, pineapple, coconut and cherries, either fresh corn on the cob or fried creamed corn and my grandmother’s flaky biscuits. Her name was Nannie and she was known to all her friends as a wonderful cook and a lovely Southern lady. She continued to have luncheons with the same ladies for years and years. A Southern luncheon is another wonderful memory. I miss them.
I make my ham ’bout the same way you do, only I use Mexican Co’Cola (made with real sugar). It’s the most requested item for holidays.
Hello Christie,
I was a teenager during the 1950’s. My Grandmother lived with us and did most of the cooking since my divoraced mother worked. We always attended church on Sunday. We never ate out because there was no money for that. Nana usually made a nice beef pot roast for Sunday dinner. We would make mashed potatoes, a vegetable and gravy when we returned home. Nana loved to make Jello molds with lots of fruit in it. They were beautiful and sometimes held so much fruit that they would crack in half! Dinner was in the dining room on Sunday. We all helped get things together and sat down together. My brother and I were expected to use our best manners. After dinner, Nana was excused from helping clean up. I would help my mother with the leftovers and doing the dishes. The remaining afternoon and evening were spent doing what we wished as long as the work was done. Sunday supper often was a Denver sandwich. Something simple and easy to clean up. Good memories of happy times. Susan
My Grandma would come and we would have roast beef, yorkshire pudding, veg and roast potatoes, with a pudding afterwards. At the time believe it or not chicken was a luxury food and only served on special occasions whilst beef which is now incredibly expensive was relatively affordable. How things change!
We’d alternate between Granny and Pa’s one Sunday, then the next we’d eat at Grandmomma and Granddaddy’s, at least as long as they were able to handle a BUNCH of grandkids! Both grandmothers were good cooks….my favorite dishes were Mac-n-cheese (NOT the box kind!), fried chicken and chicken and dressing. We always found an adventure to get into and were always tempted to “prowl” around! Fun and yummy times!
When i was growing up, we had Sunday dinner at our house every Sunday after church. It was so normal to me and I thought this is what everyone did. I know that i loved every minute with my parents, brother, sister, grandparents and great grandparents. My Nanny and Granddaddy lived next door when i was growing up. My Mother was, and still is, the very best cook in the world. She can cook anything. We would have chicken or ham or roast, potatoes, fresh vegetables from my great grandfathers garden, home made cornbread, rolls, gravy, etc……We would always have dessert, a pie, banana pudding, pound cake…We were not rich as far as money, but there was so much love around that dining room table. I can remember a bowl with cucumbers and onions in the middle of the table in vinegar and water. I did not like them then, but love them now. ( I recently made and loved the Fire and Ice Salad, oh how wonderful!!!)
My husband told me several years after we had been dating, that he loved that about my family and was always welcome around the table on Sunday. Sundays were family days. Those memories are precious and priceless to me now. My Mother is the only one left aside from my sister, brother, me and our families. I am sad to say that the tradition died a few years ago. My Nanny got sick with alzheimer’s and my mother was her care giver. My sons were old enough to remember the tradition. We have our own traditions now and try to get together with the rest of the family as much as we can.
I am sad that life can seem so hectic and you can get away from family time if you are not careful. That is why we must make sure to keep these things going. Family, love, and security are what children hunger for. Life may not be perfect, but when you have these things and the good Lord up above, you can make it through anything.
Christy, that is one of the many things that I love about you and so many do. You are hanging on to family, good southern cooking, taking the time for the things that really matter. Wonderful family times!!!
My mom is going to move into an apartment sometime this year. It is next to my sister and her husband. The house that I grew up in is the house that my Mother grew up in. My bedroom growing up was her bedroom growing up!! Isn’t that wonderful? She is 75 and very active and can make the best pound cakes and fudge. She is known for her fudge, pound cakes and creamed corn!!!!! The house will be sold. I will be getting that precious dining room table that was my Nanny and Granddaddy’s. It will be sad to see the house go, but the memories will live on for many years!! What love has been in that house through the years.
Thank you for sharing with us and for letting us share with you!!!
Love, Pam