Great For Easter–Brown Sugar Dijon Glazed Ham

Ham is traditional for Easter dinner. There’s so many great glaze flavors, it’s often hard to choose which one to use. I usually make Virginia ham for Easter, but I got to thinking out of the box on this.

If you want to get away from the usual cherry and pineapple flavored glazes, this brown sugar Dijon glaze may be what you’re looking for. It’s sweet but that’s cut a lot with the mustard. It’s a very interesting flavor and one I really like.

My suggestion is to make up a small batch of the glaze so you can taste it and decide whether your guests or family will like it. I don’t think it’ll go oe=ver big with very young children. This appeals more to adult tastes.

Cooking The Ham

Most hams sold are fully cooked so all you have to do is reheat them. That’s what I used here.

So the choice of how you reheat it is up to you. What I do is put the ham face-side down in a roasting pan with 1 cup of water added. I cover the pan with foil then set it in a 325F/160C oven for 2 hours.

You can also reheat in a slow cooker or Instant Pot provided the appliance is large enough to hold the ham.

When the ham is heated to the proper temperature–at least 140F/70C–just pop it in a roasting pan, face-side up and paint with the glaze. Preheat your oven to 400F/200C and let that glaze caramelize on the ham. I usually do about 20 minutes basting every 5 minutes or so.

For The Mustard Lovers

The Dijon in the glaze gives a nice zing to the ham, but I know many folks who like mustard as an additional condiment at the table.

I suggest a whole-grain imported mustard for the table. The seeds give a great crunchy texture and the taste is outstanding.

The Recipe

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Brown Sugar Dijon Glazed Ham

Great glaze for a ham

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Easter ham dinners, Ham glaze with dijon mustard, holiday ham glazes

Servings: 10

Calories: 71kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 1 shank or butt portion ham

Glaze:

• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 tbs Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup orange or pineapple juice
• 1 tsp butter

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Heat ham by desired method. My method is in the post.
• Heat the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan too boiling. Reduce heat to low and simmer until glaze is slightly thick and syrupy; about 5-8 minutes.
• Heat oven to 400F/200C. Bush ham with some glaze and cook ham until glaze begin to caramelize, basting frequently with more glaze during cook time. Ham should cook about 10-15 minutes basting periodically.

Notes

Nutrition information is for glaze ONLY

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 71kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 41mg | Potassium: 34mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 15IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg

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Simple And Delicious

Asparagus seems to be available year round now. In the past, this was only available when in season which is around Easter time. After it was gone from the markets, it was a one-year wait to get this beautiful veggie. Of course it was always available frozen or canned (BIG YUCK). However nothing ever beat fresh.

I’ve always served this simply steamed. No sauces, butter, nada. Lately though I’ve been simply roasting it with a bit of olive oil sprayed on which is simple and delicious too. It’s only very recently that I’ve gotten, which for me, is a bit adventurous with asparagus.

Hints Of Flavor

As I mentioned before, I love the taste of asparagus itself so for my tastes it never needed any embellishment.

Lately, I’ve seen interesting things to do with it that don’t actually take anything away from it’s own great flavor. So I decided to experiment a bit.

My first foray was making some Butter Crumb Asparagus which was really enjoyable and didn’t mask but enhanced the flavor. I’ve seen many with cheese accents and that’s how I decided to go this time.

My favorite flavoring hard cheese is Romano–and you can use it here too–but I opted for the milder and nuttier-tasting Parmesan. It was a good choice!

Lemon To Brighten

Years ago, I learned a lot about how a dash of lemon enhances the flavor of mostly anything. That was when my late husband had to reduce his salt intake because of a heart condition. One of the first things I read in the little guideline book they gave us at the hospital after his surgery was about using lemon juice and zest to enhance the flavor of food.

That was long ago now but it’s a practice I kept up with (along with reducing my taste for salt even though I have no dietary restrictions). And lemon works oh so well here. You don’t use a lot–maybe a teaspoon of zest on the bunch of asparagus–however, it adds just the right flavor. And when it roasts, the zest gets a toasty flavor that’s just magnificent!

The Recipe

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Lemon Parmesan Asparagus

Nothing goes better with your Easter ham than this lemon Parmesan asparagus.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time8 minutes mins

Total Time13 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: asparagus

Servings: 4 -6

Calories: 139kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 1 lb asparagus woody ends brokem off
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste if needed

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place prepared asparagus on a large bakig sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss until the asparagus is coated.
• Sprinkle lemon zest over asparagus then top with half the cheese.
• Roast for 5-8 minutes or until asparagus is bright green and beginning to sizzle.
• Remove from oven and top with remaining cheese.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 139kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 193mg | Potassium: 244mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 965IU | Vitamin C: 8.3mg | Calcium: 166mg | Iron: 2.5mg

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An Everyday Treat Fit For A Holiday

Turkey breast is on sale a lot lately–at least in my neck of the woods. Recently, I got a two-for-one sale that was a great deal because the price per pound was awesome.

I love turkey and eat it often so this was a boon for me. This time I wanted to try something a little bit different that just plain old roasting. Well, this is plain-old-roasted but with a little kick.

Julia Child did something like this on one of her old shows but with bone-in skin-on chicken breasts with the wings attached. I recently remembered that and decided to try it with this turkey breast.

This is so good and juicy. It has a wonderful flavor too so this is something that’s “every-day” but really good enough to be the star of your Easter or Thanksgiving meal.

Herb Butter

The secret to this turkey’s flavor is a simple herb or “compound” butter.

I used a combination of fresh thyme and sage in this butter along with a must-have of mine: garlic. If you’re not that into garlic, then it can be totally eliminated.

As for the herbs I used, I prefer more thyme than sage–which I find a bit medicinal if there’s too much of it. However, these are the most traditional herbs to use with poultry so they work very well. Another good one to use is rosemary. It imparts a fine flavor to chicken and turkey, even though I think most people associate it with lamb. You can use any fresh herbs you like and if you use different herbs each time you make it, it’s always a different dish!

Naturally, you must start with room-temperature butter so it will be easy to mix and to spread. I highly recommend using unsalted butter–in any cooking. That way, you control the amount of salt and left out entirely, this turkey breast is perfect for anyone eating a low-sodium diet.

Lift The Skin But Don’t Remove

The flavored butter goes between the skin and the breast flesh.

Just gently run your fingers between the skin and the flesh to separate it from the membrane. Then you rub the butter on the flesh and pull the skin back over to cover it up. I did save back a little butter to initially baste the turkey breast after about 40 minutes in the oven. After that, there should be enough rendered butter and fat in the roasting pan to baste throughout the cook time.

The Recipe

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Butter Herb Turkey Breast

Turkey breast basted with butter and herbs is wonderful for your Easter table.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time2 hours hrs

Total Time2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Course: Main

Cuisine: American

Keyword: turkey breast

Servings: 8

Calories: 523kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 6 lbs bone-in turkey breast
• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 2 tbs finely chopped fresh thyme OR fresh sage, OR fresh rosemary
• 1 clove finely minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place a rack in a large roasting pan.
• In a small bowl, mix the softened butter, garlic, pepper, salt and the herb you chose to use.
• Gently separate the skin on the turkey breast from the meat, but do not remove the skin.
• Rub half of the butter mixture over the breast meat. Gently pull skin back into place. Rub the remaining butter mixture over the top of the skin.
• Roast for 2- 2 1/2 hours or until internal temperature is 165 degrees F. Baste periodically with pan drippings.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 523kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 67g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 212mg | Sodium: 861mg | Potassium: 10mg | Vitamin A: 440IU | Vitamin C: 2.9mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.3mg

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Everyone enjoy the day!

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Here are some great ways to use those Easter ham or turkey leftovers!

Creamy Chicken (or Turkey) Rollups

Clean The Fridge Quiche

Two-Cheese Baked Chicken (or Turkey) Alfredo

Cheesy Lasagna Rolls (Meat Version)

Classic Split Pea with Ham Soup

Cream of Turkey with Brown Rice Soup

Cream of Ham and Potato Soup

Lo Mein

Ham Alfredo

Egg Baskets (Great for Easter Breakfast or Brunch)

Use those ham leftovers!

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Easter Leftover Favorites

Here are some great ways to use those Easter ham or turkey leftovers!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: Chicken, Dinner, pasta, Pork, soups

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicen, ham, Leftover favorites, pasta, pork,, soups, turkey

Servings: 4 -6

Calories: 1014kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• Water to cover macaroni about 1/4-inch above the macaroni in the rice cooker pot
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp oil or butter

SAUCE

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups whole milk I generally mix 1 1/2 cups milk with 1/2 cup half and half cream
• 1 cup cubed Velveeta
• 8 oz shredded sharp cheddar
• 2 cups diced cooked ham
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

TOPPING

• 1 cup soft breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp butter melted

Instructions

• Place the macaroni, water, salt and oil in bowl of 7-cup rice cooker. Set rice cooker to COOK. Check macaroni in about 10 minute. If water is almost absorbed, switch cooker to WARM. When water is absorbed, the cooker will automatically switch to keep warm mode, but it's better in this case to catch this before it does. However, if it has already gone to keep warm, it's no tragedy, but some elbows on the bottom may have started to brown (which is perfectly OK). Leave the cooked elbows in the rice cooker's pot.
• Add sauce ingredients to cooked macaroni in the rice cooker's pot. Switch cooker to COOK and with lid open, stir until cheeses are melted. Add the ham and peas. Close lid and cook for about 5 minutes, or until sauce is reduced by 25%.
• While sauce is reducing, mix breadcrumbs with the melted butter. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or grease a 1.5 quart deep casserole.
• Add macaroni and sauce to prepared baking dish. Top with buttered bread crumbs.
• Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until sauce bubbles along the edges and the crumbs are nicely browned.
• Serves 4-6
• **For Conventional Cooking**
• Cook elbows as per package directions; drain and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan ,combine sauce ingredients. Stir constantly over medium heat until cheeses are melted.
• Reduce heat and stir constantly until sauce is slightly reduced (about 25%). Add the ham, peas and cooked, drained macaroni. Proceed from here as in the directions above.

Nutrition

Calories: 1014kcal | Carbohydrates: 90g | Protein: 54g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 28g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 2470mg | Potassium: 696mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 2010IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 974mg | Iron: 3mg

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