Maple Glazed Ham for Easter

With Easter coming up, I thought that today I would re-feature my top post, which is my Maple Glazed Rotisserie Ham Recipe! What could be better on Easter than a smokey, juicy ham? Shall we get to it?

Ingredients
1 – 8 to 10# smoked ham, shank cut, bone in
1 cup of real maple syrup

Center the ham on the rotisserie rods and load into the rotisserie. Allow 15 minutes per pound in cooking. Make sure that the ham does not hit the heating element.

The ham goes on the spit!

I am making a 10 pounder so I will be cooking this for 2 1/2 hours.

In the midst of cooking…

Check the temperature to make sure that it is done – it should be at 155 degrees when you turn this off. One half hour before turning off the heat, brush with the maple syrup. Do this a few times before shutting down the heat. Now here is the really important part: Once the ham has reached 155 degrees, turn the heat off and continue to rotate the ham for about 15 minutes. This allows the juices to remain in the meat. Leave the door shut so that the heat stays in.

When done, remove from the oven to your cutting board. Let it sit 5 minutes before carving.

Ham is ready!

I like serving this with acorn squash and cheesy au gratin potatoes! Serve this dinner up with a lovely Mourvedre or Grenache. Chill the wine for 20 minutes before serving!

Thank you to all for making this my top post! Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

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Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwiches….Yum!

Feel like making a quick and easy dinner? Grilled ham and cheese sandwiches are the ticket! This sandwich first made its appearance back in the late 1800′s. These sandwiches are said to be the only food served in the New York ball parks. The sandwich was made of one slice of bread topped with cheese and ham. In the 1960′s the second slice of bread was added! Now let’s get to it! I’m hungry in anticipation of this scrumptious sandwich! Here is a quick preview!

Yummy Preview

Ingredients for one sandwich
2 Pieces of bread
Butter
Ham
Cheddar cheese

Now, on to what I do when I make these sandwiches! I start by smearing butter on the bread of what will be the inside of the sandwich.

Inside of sandwich is buttered

I use my rotisserie cooked ham for these sandwiches as the flavor is so much better than that of the chopped packaged home that one can buy in the grocery store. I slice the ham thinly. Next is the cheese. For these sandwiches I use the Tillamook Medium Cheddar. This is an award winning cheese and the flavor is amazing! I slice this thinly too. On these sandwiches I use four slices of cheese cut from the one pound block of cheese. If using the two pound block cut two slices.

Then I add a bit of butter to my fry pan and I brown up the sliced ham.

Heating up the ham

Remove this from the pan when done. Now we get messy! Butter the outside surface of what will be the outside of the sandwich, and lay the bread into the pan with the inside part of the sandwich down.

Start with the inside of the sandwich

Lightly brown the bread then turn.

Turn the bread

Lay the cheese down on one piece of bread,

Add the cheese

then cover with the ham.

Top with ham

Top with the other slice of bread.

Cover with the other slice of bread

Let this cook for a couple of minutes then carefully turn the sandwich.

Turn the sandwich

Cook until it is crispy. Remove to a plate, cut the sandwich in half and then serve!

Serve!

Have I inspired you to make this sandwich? I hope so!

Now go and have a great Wednesday!

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An Italian Wedding

While the days have been pleasant, and we still need the rain, the nights are cold. What could be better on a cold night than soup? Tonight come on a journey with me as I make Italian Wedding Soup!

Ingredients
1/2 of a large onion, chopped
4 stalks of celery, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 TBS extra virgin olive oil
7 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 TBS Sherry
110 ounces chicken broth
1 1/2 #’s ground beef
2 eggs
1/2 – 3/4 cup of Italian bread crumbs
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp onion powder
3 TBS Parmesan cheese, shredded
2 slices of ham steaks, diced
1 cup Orzo pasta
1 package of baby spinach
1 really good crusty bread

The onion, carrots and celery should be equal amounts when chopped up.

Onions, celery and carrots - Mirepoix

This blend in known as a “Mirepoix.” Heat the olive oil in your soup pot and then add the Mirepoix. While these ingredients are cooking, make your meatballs. Combine the beef, eggs. bread crumbs, basil, onion powder and Parmesan until well blended.

Meat, and other ingredients are combined and ready to be made into meatballs

Shape into meatballs no larger than one inch.

Meatballs are ready to be added

Cook the Mirepoix until they caramelize. Then add your garlic, and cook until the garlic softens.

Caramelized onions, celery, and carrots with garlic added

Then add the sherry and stir. Add the chicken stock. Heat until it boils, then add the meatballs slowly, and stir occasionally, until all are added. Add the Orzo pasta and the ham. Bring this to a boil, and then turn down to simmer. Let this cook for about 1/2 hour or so, and then add the spinach leaves. Stir these in until they wilt, and let the soup cook for another 5 minutes. When ready ladle into bowls. And add a bit of Parmesan to the bowl.

Soup's on!

Don’t forget the warm crusty bread!

Warm crusty bread!

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Barb’s Mac ‘n Cheese with Ham

Last night we dined on a glorious maple glazed smoked ham. One of the many benefits of cooking a ham is the leftovers! And tonight’s fare is my special recipe Mac ‘n Cheese with Ham. Without further adieu…

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups of elbow macaroni
2 cups of white sauce
1 # grated Tillamook Medium Cheddar Cheese
1 to 1 1/2 cups cubed ham

Gather your ingredients

Fill a pot 3/4 full of water, salt added and bring to a boil. Add the macaroni,

Add elbow noodles to the boiling water

set the timer for 3 minutes and stir continually until the buzzer goes off. Then turn off the heat, cover the pot and set the timer for 10 minutes. When the timer goes off, drain the macaroni and put it into your greased casserole dish. Cover. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Next you need to make your white sauce. You will need 2 cups. My white sauce is white sauce. Try a number of recipes to see what suits you. And, Joe – do not load it down with butter! Sorry, but I cannot divulge my trade secret white sauce recipe! But I can tell you that whatever white sauce recipe you choose, take your time in making the sauce. Remember that the cheese will thicken it a bit. I use about one pound of Tillamook Medium Cheddar cheese for the entire recipe. I use a few healthy handfuls in the sauce.

Second handful of cheese added

From the maple glazed rotisserie ham that I made the night before, I cut up slabs into bite sized cubes. Mix the ham into the macaroni

Mix the ham into the elbow noodles

and then pour your sauce over. Mix this well.

Sauce is mixed in with the noodles and ham

Then cover with the remaining cheese.

Sauce is mixed in with the noodles and ham

Bake for 30 minutes. The cheese should be slightly browned and bubbly. Once out of the oven,

Right out of the oven!

let this sit for five minutes, then serve!

Dinner is served!

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Maple Glazed Rotisserie Ham

If you have not had a ham cooked on a rotisserie you have missed out! Years ago I received the Showtime Rotisserie: Set it and forget it! I love this rotisserie! This ham is easy to make and loaded with flavor!

Ingredients
1 – 8 to 10# smoked ham, shank cut, bone in
1 cup of real maple syrup

Center the ham on the rotisserie rods and load into the rotisserie. Allow 15 minutes per pound in cooking. Make sure that the ham does not hit the heating element.

The ham goes on the spit!

I am making a 10 pounder so I will be cooking this for 2 1/2 hours.

In the midst of cooking...

Check the temperature to make sure that it is done – it should be at 155 degrees when you turn this off. One half hour before turning off the heat, brush with the maple syrup. Do this a few times before shutting down the heat. Now here is the really important part: Once the ham has reached 155 degrees, turn the heat off and continue to rotate the ham for about 15 minutes. This allows the juices to remain in the meat. Leave the door shut so that the heat stays in.

When done, remove from the oven to your cutting board. Let it sit 5 minutes before carving.

Ham is ready!

I will be serving this with acorn squash and cheesy au gratin potatoes. Look for those recipes on my blog too!

Serve this dinner up with a lovely Mourvedre or Grenache. Chill the wine for 20 minutes before serving!

After dinner…

After dinner, I need a nappy!

Happy holidays to all, and to all a good night!

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Coming soon…

I wanted to get your mouths watering, so here is what is to come starting today and going through Monday!

Tonight – A spicy, flaky fish recipe, with a jasmine rice and steamed broccoli

Christmas Eve – Maple glazed smoked ham, sweet acorn squash and cheesy au gratin potatoes

Christmas Day – Barb’s famous Mac ‘n Cheese with ham

Monday – Sopa de Pedos, or “Fart Soup” – this is a bean soup made with the leftover ham and the bone of course!

Comfort food just perfect for the holidays! What are you cooking up?

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