Easter Ham with Pineapple-Mustard Glaze

Easter was the first big holiday I hosted. I thought I would be a mess all day and completely stressed out, however everything turned out wonderful. By paying attention to cooking times, I managed to set a schedule of what time each dish had to be started and serve everything at once. I made some dishes early, to be reheated once the ham was settling. My menu consisted of: Ham, mashed potatoes, Italian green beans, corn, pineapple stuffing, and kielbasa soup. We also had deviled eggs, coleslaw, and cake; provided by my sister.

Instead of cooking my ham with ginger ale, like I've heard done before, I wanted to do something special. After some research I decided to make a homemade ham glaze on Easter Eve. Sophia insists that every special occasion has an "Eve". Next Sunday will be her Birthday Eve!!! I found a recipe from marthastewart.com that used as a guideline for my glaze.

Ham Glaze

• the pineapple juice from a can of sliced pineapples
• 1 cup water
• 3 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup brown mustard

Bring pineapple juice, sugar, and water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 60 minutes. It should reduce some. Remove from heat and let cool. Whisk in mustard and store until use. The glaze can be refidgerated for up to 3 days.

Easter Ham

• 8-10 lb ham
• 1 cup white wine
• pineapple rings
• maraschino cherries

Preheat oven to 350. Place ham in a shallow baking dish. Make score marks across the skin of the ham, about 1 inch apart. Slowly pour the white wine over the ham. Garnish the ham with cherries and pineapples, using toothpicks to secure the fruit. Pour half the glaze over the ham. Cover and bake on lowest rack for one hour. After the hour, remove ham and heat the oven to 425. Uncover ham and pour remaining glaze over top. Bake for an additional 45 minutes, basting occasionally. Remove ham and let sit under a foil tent for 30 minutes. 


I used brown mustard, because it was what I had on hand the night before Easter. Had I prepared, I would have purchased a country style mustard. Country style mustard is the fancy grainy mustard sold in delis and most supermarkets. It would have given the glaze more of a kick, but this ham turned out delicious. If I turn Easter dinner at my house into a tradition, I probably wont stray too far from this recipe. Then again, who knows?? I may want to get even fancier next year, now that I know I can do it!