Ja cię kocham…

I’m almost embarrassed to say this, but this was the first ham that I have ever cooked.  And it will NOT be the last.  It was so easy.  What have I been waiting for?!  I blame it on the fact that I typically cook for 2 instead of 10 people so there is no need to make a large ham.

To this day we are still playing the “Clean out the Fridge” game.  Every meal, Jay and I peek in the fridge to see what we can concoct with our leftovers.  We are LOADED with food!  During a time when money is tight and jobs are scarce, having a fridge full of food is such a blessing.  SUCH a blessing!

In addition to my Old-Fashioned Holiday Glazed Ham by Paula Deen, Jay’s mom made this AMAZING Bourbon-Glazed Ham for Christmas Eve.  It was smoky, tender, and unbelievable!  The entire family was picking pieces off of it before dinner, just like the dad in A Christmas Story.  (LOVE that movie, by the way…)

Tuck these recipes into your file and keep them for a family meal.  They are both incredibly easy, elegant, and unbelievably delicious.

PS – Santa brought us a Brinkmann Charcoal Smoker & Grill for Christmas.  Oh the possibilities this brings!  New Years Day is already filled with smoked Ribs.  Can’t wait to share that with you!

Paula’s Old-Fashion Holiday Glazed Ham

Source: Paula Deen

Serves: 12

1 spiral-sliced half ham (Paula prefers Smithfield)
1 20-ounce can pineapple slices, juice reserved
15 to 20 whole cloves (optional)
1 small jar maraschino cherries
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons yellow mustard

Directions:

Preheat the oven as directed on the ham package and follow the instructions for baking the ham. Remove the ham from the oven about 30 minutes before the end of the warming time.

Decoratively arrange the pineapple slices on top of the ham, securing them with whole cloves, if using, or toothpicks. Place a cherry in the center of each pineapple ring and secure with a clove or toothpick.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, mustard and just enough of the reserved pineapple juice to make a thick glaze. Spoon the glaze over the ham and bake for the remaining 30 minutes. Remove the ham from the oven, transfer to a cutting board and carve.

I have so much leftover ham from Christmas Dinner!  I could feed a family of 15 or 20 with the ham that I have left!  This means that it’s time to get creative.  Sure I could just reheat the ham and eat it, but that gets boring by the end of the second day.  I want to feel as if this is an entirely different meal and not just reheated leftovers.

The day after Christmas I made Jay and I homemade biscuits using left over ham.  Boy these were good.  I’m not exactly the best baker in the world, but I managed to bake biscuits while still throwing in ingredients allowing me to feel as if my personality shines through.  Normally when I do this with baking I end up with disastrous results, but not this time!  This time there was much success!!

Ham and Cheddar Biscuits with Lemon and Chives

Yields 12-14 biscuits

Mildly adapted from: Thibeault’s Table

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 Tbs. paprika (I used smoked paprika)
1-2 Tbs. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
1 cup milk, cream, or buttermilk*
*if using buttermilk add 1/2 tsp. baking soda
zest of 1/4 lemon
handful chives, finely chopped
handful cooked ham, cubed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Mix the flour with the baking powder, paprika and salt. Cut in butter until it resembles coarse sand.

Add lemon zest, ham, cheese, and chives.  Stir milk or cream in to flour mixture.  Mix quickly with fork until dough comes together. Using hands gently pat the ingredients together. Do not over mix. Pat out to about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick on a lightly floured board. Cut with biscuit cutters and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake for approximately 12 to 15 minutes.

Then you can make a delicious breakfast sandwich out of your biscuits using MORE leftover ham, cheese and eggs!