Glazed Christmas Ham

Close-up of a glazed, baked ham studded with whole cloves, scored in a diamond pattern, surrounded by colorful vegetables and garnishes.

This Glazed Christmas Ham with roasted sweet potatoes and crunchy pecan brittle is a show-stopping holiday dish that’s surprisingly easy to make. Sweet, savory, and full of texture, it’s perfect for festive dinners or special weekend meals.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American-Inspired

Keyword ham, holiday dinner

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 1 45

Total Time 2 10

Servings

Calories 930kcal

Author Maria Koutsogiannis

Ingredients

For the pecan brittle

For the dressing

1 tbsp grainy mustard
3 tbsp freshly-squeezed lemon juice
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp ground pepper
1 small shallot
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 anchovy

For the ham

4.2 lb pre-cooked ham
40-60 whole cloves
¼ cup chicken broth

For the sweet potatoes

4-6 small sweet potatoes, skin-on, cut into 1-inch wide wedges
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp ground pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

For serving

2-3 Red or Green firm pears sliced

Instructions

Make the pecan brittle -

Preheat the oven to 275F and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. To a bowl add the finely chopped pecans, maple syrup, olive oil, kosher salt, ground pepper and garlic powder and mix until combined. Spread on the baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, until crispy. Set aside to cool.

Make the dressing -

Add all of the dressing ingredients to a blender (or use a hand-held blender) and blend until fully combined. Start with 1 anchovy, taste and adjust with another if desired - alternatively you could use anchovy paste, start with 1 tsp.

Bake the ham and sweet potatoes

Preheat the oven to 325F.
Place the ham on a cutting board and then skor the top of the ham with a sharp knife in a diamond pattern. Use the sharp knife to make lines about ¼ inch deep going one way across the top of the ham and then do a second set of lines the opposite way, to create a diamond / criss-cross pattern.
Gently push 40-60 whole cloves into the top of the ham, distributing evenly across.
Place the ham in a baking dish or roasting pan, pour the 1/4 cup chicken broth around the ham and cover the entire dish with foil or with the lid if using a roasting pan with lid. Set aside.
Prepare the sweet potatoes by adding the sweet potatoes to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp ground pepper and 1 tsp garlic powder. Toss to coat the potatoes and then spread out on the baking sheet.
When the oven is preheated, place the ham and sweet potatoes side by side in the oven. If they don’t fit side by side, place the potatoes on one oven rack and the ham on another and switch halfway through the baking time.
Bake for 45-60 minutes, tossing the sweet potatoes halfway through, until the ham is warmed through to 135F and the sweet potatoes are cooked to your liking.
Once the ham reaches an internal temperature of 135F and the sweet potatoes are done, increase the heat to 400F. Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and the ham. Remove the foil from the ham and brush the ham with half of the dressing. Place the ham back in the oven for another 15 minutes.
Remove the ham from the oven after 15 minutes.

To serve -

Line a large cutting board with parchment paper. Place the ham on the cutting board and slice into thin slices. Then add the sweet potato wedges around the ham. Nestle sliced pears in between the sweet potatoes and break up pieces of the brittle to nestle in as well. Drizzle the remaining dressing over everything on the cutting board.

Notes

Make sure you use a PRE-COOKED HAM in this recipe.
If you love holidays dinners that aren't turkey, you'll love our Salmon with Dill Sauce or French Onion Pot Roast

Nutrition