How to Warm Up a Honey Baked Ham

How to warm up a honey baked ham when it already comes fully cooked and ready to eat—that’s the question. The folks at Honey-Baked send their gently smoked, patently tender hams covered with their trademarked spicy sweet coating all over the world. The instructions included with the ham suggest that you simply leave it out on the counter for 30 to 45 minutes and serve it at room temperature. After all, it’s already cooked and you don’t want to overcook it and have it end up dry and tasteless. Some hosts prefer their ham toasty warm, however, so here are ways to “cook” your Honey-Baked Ham without having a culinary disaster.

Ham aficionados wax eloquent over the subtle flavors and crispy glaze, the spiral cut and the perfect tenderness of an official Honey-Baked Ham. Unfortunately, many a fantastic dinner party has turned into a fiasco when well-intentioned cooks have tossed the fully cooked ham into the oven or microwave as usual. The oven dries it out and the microwave melts the glaze far before the center is fully heated. Disappointed guests and a much lighter wallet are the results.

Here are some tried and true ways for how to warm up a honey-baked ham and boost your reputation as a cook at the same time.

• Whole Ham
  • Keep the Honey-Baked Ham in its original foil wrapper or remove the wrapper and wrap with your own foil to prevent drying out.
  • Maintain the oven [temperature] at about 275 to 300 [degrees] for no more than 20 to 30 minutes for a seven pound ham.

• Slices
  • Slice off just what you want to heat, wrap in foil or place in an ovenproof dish and cover with foil.
  • Heat at the same temperature as above for no more than 15 minutes

• Whole Ham
  • Not advised as the outside will melt and the inside will be cold.
• Slices
  • Slice off just what you need and heat on low for one to two minutes.
  • Eat immediately.

• Use a meat thermometer. Since the ham is already cooked, you only need it to be about 140 degrees in the center to be warm enough to eat.
• Avoid repeated heating. This dries out the ham.

They may have a secret recipe, but you’re on a strict budget. What’s a savvy cook to do? Try this family recipe for delectable and affordable honey glazed ham.

First, buy a quality spiral cut smoked ham. Hams in cans, packed in gel and water, will never taste the same.

• Seven pound ham (fully cooked)
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup peach juice
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Place ham in a glass 8 X 8 inch square baking dish, cut end down
3. Use a blender to combine the juices, honey, sugar and spices above.
4. Bake ham for approximately one hour, basting frequently with the glaze
5. Broil, watching carefully, for the last five minutes.
6. Goal internal temperature: 140°F

Whether you’re simply curious how to warm up a honey baked ham or if you want to create your own “trademarked” holiday feast, a little patience and tender loving care will produce a meal that others are unlikely to forget.

• Written by Cindy Savage

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