Ham it up for Easter dinner

As you plan your Easter gatherings, don't forget to include everyone's favorite holiday dish: the ham centerpiece. According to the National Pork Board, around 70% of Americans serve ham for Easter each year.

But there is much more to know about it than "half or whole?" or "bone-in or boneless?"

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions:

Do I need a whole or a half ham? And how much ham will I need?

A whole ham typically weighs more than 10 pounds. That's a large chunk to deal with in a roasting pan, which is why many opt for half hams (whole hams cut in half).

With a bone-in ham, plan on 1/3 to 1/2 pound of meat per person (or 2 to 3 servings per pound), or more if you want leftovers. For a boneless ham, figure about 1/4 pound per person, or more for leftovers.

Bone-in or boneless?

A boneless ham costs more than shank and butt portions, but there's also less waste and you will get more servings. Boneless will have a binder that holds it together in one solid piece.

As for flavor, many cooks agree that choosing a ham with the bone in provides more flavor. And you can use the leftover bone to make soup.

Spiral-sliced or not?

Spiral-sliced hams are sliced in a spiral fashion around the bone, making serving easy. But you need to watch them closely because they can dry out when reheated. Allow 10 to 18 minutes per pound reheating time for a whole or half spiral-sliced ham.

How long should I cook it?

Ham labeled fully cooked needs a gentle rewarming in the oven. Most package directions recommend heating ham in a 325-degree oven. Set it out at room temperature for about an hour before placing in the oven. This way, it won't take as long to reach the recommended internal temperature.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the center of the ham needs to reach 140 degrees to fully reheat. Figure 18 to 24 minutes per pound for half, bone-in hams and 10 to 15 minutes for boneless. Allow 15 to 18 minutes per pound when reheating a whole ham.

Now that we have the ham taken care of, there’s another question: To glaze or not to glaze?

When baking your ham, wrap it in foil first to keep it from drying out, then peel it back with 30 minutes to go and paint it with your homemade glaze. The ham should cook uncovered at this point to allow the sugar in the fruit to caramelize and create a shiny lacquer.

It’s simpler than you might think. Thin a jar of apricot (or peach, strawberry or blackberry) preserves with a few tablespoons of bourbon, rum or even corresponding fruit nectar and you’ve got a glaze. Make sure the ham you buy doesn’t already have a glaze on it.

The following combinations will get you started and make enough glaze for a ham up to 10 pounds. To make glazes, whisk the ingredients together and brush mixture on the ham in the last 30 minutes of cooking. Garnish with zest or slices of fruit that’s in the glaze.

Apple-Honey Glaze: 1/2 cup honey and 2 tablespoons thawed apple-juice concentrate.

Strawberry Glaze: 1/2 cup strawberry preserves, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/8 teaspoon each cinnamon and ground cloves.

Orange-Bourbon Glaze: 1/2 cup orange marmalade and 2 tablespoons bourbon.

Curried Mango Glaze: 1/2 cup mango chutney, 2 tablespoons thawed orange-juice concentrate and 1 teaspoon curry powder.

Peach-Mustard Glaze: 1 (10-ounce jar) peach preserves, 1-1/2 tablespoons Creole mustard, spicy mustard or Dijon, 2 tablespoons peach liqueur (Schnapps), 2 tablespoons lemon juice, dash cinnamon.

Pineapple-Rum Glaze: 1/2 cup pineapple jam and 2 tablespoons dark rum.

If you are looking for a new way to spice up that ham, consider this recipe from the Pork Board. Serve this Spiral Ham with Honey, Fennel and Mustard Glaze with steamed new potatoes with butter and parsley or a Caesar salad. If you have leftovers, the ham makes great sandwiches, especially slathered with leftover honey-mustard mixture.

Ham with honey' fennel and mustard glaze

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Cooking time: 3 hours

7 to 8 pound spiral-sliced smoked ham, bone-in

6 tablespoons fennel seed

1 cup honey

1 cup Dijon-style mustard

1 tablespoon pepper

3 pounds asparagus, trimmed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven.

Meanwhile, use a mortar and pestle or spice grinder to coarsely crush the fennel seeds. Set aside 1 tablespoon, then transfer the remaining fennel seeds to a medium bowl and add the honey, mustard, and pepper. Set 1-1/2 cups of the mixture aside.

Place the ham flat side down in a large shallow roasting pan and brush with about half of the remaining honey-mustard mixture. Roast the ham, basting with the same honey-mustard mixture and pan juices every 25 to 30 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F, 15 to 18 minutes per pound (loosely cover with foil if ham

gets too browned). Remove the ham from the oven, transfer to a cutting board, and let rest 15 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, add a rack to the upper third of the oven and increase the temperature to 400 degrees F. Arrange the asparagus on two large rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with salt and reserved fennel seeds, and bake until tender, about 15 minutes.

Slice enough ham to serve and arrange on plates or a platter. Serve the asparagus and the reserved honey-mustard mixture on the side.

Makes 20 (4-ounce) servings.

Nutritional information per serving: 320 calories; 21 g protein; 17 g fat (6 g saturated); 1480 mg

sodium; 55 mg cholesterol; 20 g carbohydrates; 2 g fiber

Recipe from: National Pork Board

Holiday ham and hard-boiled eggs get new life in this Leftover Ham and Egg Pasta salad recipe.

It’s got all of your favorite pasta salad ingredients flavored with Italian seasoning, onion powder and garlic powder. Makes a great addition to your brunch table or any potluck party on the calendar!

Leftover Ham and Egg Pasta Salad

Preparation time: 30 minutes

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, coarse ground

8 ounces pasta, such as farfalle or rotelle, cooked and drained

4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

2 cups chopped leftover ham

2 cups halved small grape tomatoes

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

Mix mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper in large bowl until well blended. Add remaining ingredients; toss gently to coat. Cover.

Refrigerate at least 1 hour to allow flavors to blend or until ready to serve. Toss before serving.

Makes 12 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 251 calories, 15 g total fat, 4 g saturated fat, 84 mg cholesterol, 585 mg sodium, 18 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 11 g protein

Recipe from: McCormick

Terri Hahn of Osceola has worked in food media for more than 30 years and has won numerous state and national awards for her writing. Email her at [email protected]