When colder weather comes around and we start to anticipate the winter holidays, it’s always nice recipes up our sleeves. Bonus points go to the recipes that look elaborate but are actually quite simple – and therein lies the beauty of the slow-cooker (or crockpot, if you prefer).
Ham is one of those things we tend to eat only around the holidays, so it just has a special feel to it. And a large ham can also be pretty expensive, so it’s not usually something we buy more than once or twice a year!
This recipe is not only festive but it’s so easy that once you’ve invested in an 8-10 pound fully-cooked ham at the grocery store and lugged it home, most of the hard work is over! You just need to stick it on a slow-cooker, add a few ingredients, and sit back while the delicious scents waft through the air.
And it’s especially nice to have it out of the way in case you need to spend your time cleaning for guests, preparing other side dishes, or simply spending time with family instead of being tied to the kitchen!
On the other end, your only clean up will be a few measuring cups and spoons, a cutting board, and the pot you cooked it in after the party is over!
So here we go, let’s make a Slow-Cooker Orange-Glazed Honey Ham!
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 5 hours and 30 minutes
TOOLS
- Your slow-cooker (with lid)
- A medium saucepan
- A sharp knife or mandoline
- A cutting board
- Measuring cups and spoons
INGREDIENTS
- One 8-10 pound fully cooked spiral cut ham
- 1/2 cup of honey
- 1/2 of a large orange
- 1 cup of orange juice
- 1 cup of packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon of ground mustard
- 2 teaspoons of whole cloves, divided
INSTRUCTIONS
1. You’re going to start by simply unwrapping that big ham and putting it flat-side down in your slow cooker.
2. Next, take a sharp knife and score the end facing up. Make a criss-cross pattern about 1/8″ deep.
3. Now take half of your cloves (1 teaspoon) and push them into the top of the ham. Reserve the other half.
4. Now, slice your half of an orange into thin slices – you can use a mandoline for this if you aren’t confident with your knife skills.
5. You’ll need the oven for a moment in order to make the glaze, so set your saucepan on medium heat and add the honey, orange juice, sugar, ginger, mustard, and the remaining teaspoon of cloves.
6. Then, simply cook the concoction on medium for 5 minutes and add the oranges in the last minute or so. You’re done when the glaze has reduced by about half.
7. Reserve half the glaze and set it in a vessel next to your crockpot – you’ll drizzle a bit of glaze over the top every hour or so while it cooks.
8. Take the remaining half of the glaze and pour it directly over the ham in the slow-cooker.
9. Now just put on your lid and set the temperature to LOW.
10. Cook on low for 4-5 hours.
11. In the last hour of cooking, try to add a bit of glaze every 25 minutes or so.
12. After about 5 hours, you should have a ham that has developed a crunchy, dark coating from the glaze.
13. Be careful removing it from the slow-cooker so it doesn’t fall apart.
14. Finally, set it on your serving platter (which you can garnish with the other half of the orange) and pull out the delicious pieces to serve.
Remember, this year, more than ever, you need to remember to wash your hands frequently when handling food for a crowd!
The Slow-Roasted Italian has a few tips for those who may be having some trouble getting the perfect crunchy glaze.
For example, if you’re having trouble getting that crunchy outer coating from the crockpot, you can take the ham out of the slow-cooker, put it on a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet (so the glaze can still drizzle off the bottom), and bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.
Furthermore, don’t go overboard with putting too much glaze on too often, otherwise, the outside will stay moist and the crust won’t form.
These days, it’s probably best to reduce the amount of contact people have with a dish so germs don’t spread easily. That means you may want to have one person in charge with one set of utensils to serve throughout.
The holidays are going to be tough for hosts this year, but having a set of easy recipes and putting one healthy person in charge of serving the food will help keep your holidays safe and enjoyable!
Be sure to scroll down below to see a video recipe of the Orange Glazed Honey Ham.
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