A few years ago, I saw that an entire spiral sliced ham was on sale at my local grocery store for $0.99/lb not long after the Christmas holidays. This sounded like an amazing deal to me, but I didn’t know the first thing about how to cook it, and I didn’t think we’d be able to eat the entire thing before it went bad (I don’t like to waste food). Thankfully, my husband encouraged me to get one and try it out to see how it went. It was such a success, that I now purposefully watch for a similar sale every year right after the Christmas holidays. Here’s how I make it work for our family:
Buy a Spiral Sliced Ham on Sale
Buy the ham when it’s at a rock bottom price. If you have time to cook it in the next few days, do so. If not, these freeze really well as is.
Cook the Ham (It’s Easier Than You Probably Think!)
Look at the tag or label on your ham to find the weight in pounds. *Also note if the ham is pre-cooked or not. (The following instructions are for pre-cooked, bone-in spiral cut hams.)
- Thaw ham fully in refrigerator, if frozen.
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove all the packaging from your ham (If there’s a plastic or metal piece attached to the bone, make sure to remove it too).
- Place your ham sliced-side down in a baking pan. You can cover with aluminum foil, but this is optional. I’ve cooked mine both ways and it turned out great both times.
- Heat for 13-15 minutes per pound (I usually choose the 15 minute per pound option just to be sure everything is fully cooked and heated).
- If your ham came with a glaze, follow the instructions for preparing the glaze and apply it 20 minutes before the ham is done cooking.
- Let your ham rest for up to 20 minutes once done before cutting.
Save Money by Making Your Ham Last
Once the ham is ready to be cut up, I try my best to cut large slices of the ham off of the bone. I do usually end up with some smaller pieces, and those are the ones we eat first. My family of 5 (2 adults, 3 kids) would not eat all of the ham before it goes bad, so here’s what I do:
- Take all of the pieces, large and small, (the ones that aren’t nice slices for sandwiches) and place them in a glass container to be kept in the refrigerator for supper tonight.
- Take the rest of the slices of ham and package them in labeled, dated, freezer bags.
- I then serve the large and small pieces for supper with a side of vegetables. If there’s any left over, we sometimes make sandwiches with the ham the following day or add it to our morning scrambled eggs.
- The slices packaged for the freezer will now replace my weekly purchase of sliced deli ham for sandwiches for lunch. All you have to do is remove one freezer bag the day before you need it and let it defrost in the refrigerator.
What I like about this option is, of course, it saves me money (instead of buying prepackaged sliced deli ham to have on hand for sandwiches), but I also love that I know the ham is a healthier, less processed, choice of deli meat for my family. #winwin
How do you like to eat spiral sliced ham? Share your favorite dishes or recipes with me below!
