Spiral-Cut Ham with Honey Glaze

Five ingredients and about an hour of hands-off oven time give you a glazed ham that looks and tastes like you fussed all day. The spiral-cut does the hard work for you. Every slice is pre-cut and ready to separate, and those cuts let the glaze seep deep between the layers.

Basting with a mix of pear nectar and orange juice during the first 15 minutes keeps the ham moist and adds a subtle fruity sweetness to the meat. Then the honey and brown sugar glaze goes on, caramelizing into a sticky, burnished crust as the ham finishes baking.

Place the ham cut-side down so those slices fan out slightly and the glaze runs between them. An instant-read thermometer to 140°F (60°C) tells you it’s done.

Kitchen Tips

• Bring the ham to room temperature for 30 minutes before baking. A cold ham from the fridge takes longer and cooks unevenly.
• Baste with the pan drippings every 20 minutes during the final hour. The juices in the bottom of the pan are liquid gold.
• Tent with foil if the glaze starts to darken too quickly. You want caramelized, not burnt.
• Let the ham rest for 15 minutes after pulling from the oven. The juices redistribute and the slices separate cleanly.

Variations

• Mustard glaze: Mix Dijon mustard into the honey-brown sugar glaze for a sharp, tangy crust.
• Pineapple studded: Press pineapple rings onto the ham with whole cloves before glazing for a retro holiday presentation.
• Bourbon honey: Replace the pear nectar with bourbon for a deeper, smokier glaze with a Southern kick.