For Thanksgiving dinner, turkey reigns. But for Easter it’s all about the ham. Most ham recipes start with the basics – a large piece of pork where you score the outside with a knife and then add a glaze that melds into the ham while it cooks leaving a crisp crust and a tender inside. The best glazes include both a salty edgy and an undercurrent of sweetness. You can try one from The Pioneer Woman that’s spiked with Dr. Pepper (yup, Dr. Pepper – your family will never guess!) in something we’d consider a total kid-friendly holiday recipe. Or, use orange soda as the base for your glaze using the citrus-glazed ham recipe. And you don’t have to just bake ham, for something new this year try smoked ham or Crock-Pot Easter ham. Consider how your children can help with each of these Easter recipes for kids. Stirring up the glaze is one way they can contribute to creating your holiday meal.
Glazed Easter Ham
Sweet and tangy this glazed Easter ham from The Pioneer Woman has a surprising ingredient: Dr. Pepper. Yes, Dr. Pepper melds the mustard, brown sugar and apple cider vinegar together to stick to the outside of the ham and seal in the flavor as it cooks.
Citrus-Glazed Ham
Add a kick of orange to infuse the ham with a citrus zing. That’s the idea behind this citrus-glazed ham from Southern Living. Made with Dijon mustard, brown sugar, orange marmalade and orange juice-flavored soda. The glaze coats the ham, giving it a glistening sheen when it comes out of the oven.
Glazed Ham with Dijon-Pineapple Sauce
What’s an Easter ham without pineapple and cherries to garnish it? To make your holiday something special for your family try, this glazed ham with Dijon-pineapple sauce from Kraft Recipes. The kids’ job? Putting the cloves into the ham and then cutting the cherries in half to decorate it.
Smoked Ham
Here’s a cool twist on Easter’s main dish – add some smoke! How to BBQ Right will walk you through how to smoke a holiday ham. First you rub the ham with a paste of Dijon mustard and brown sugar. Smoke your ham for 2 hours, basting it with pineapple juice. One idea from this website is to skip the basting brush and use a spray bottle instead. Your kids will love “basting”!
Crock-Pot Easter Ham
No oven needed for this ham recipe – no basting either! Spread brown sugar over the bottom of your slow cooker (great kid job) and then place the ham flat side down onto the brown sugar and cook on low for 8 hours. That’s all you need to do so this two-ingredient Crock-Pot Easter ham recipe from Moms With Crock-Pots.
Grilled Ham and Cheese Pull-Apart Sandwich Loaf
If you don’t have time to make the full ham, what about this grilled ham and cheese pull-apart sandwich loaf from Betty Crocker? Slice Italian bread into large pieces and then spread each slice with softened butter mixed with spicy brown mustard. Place one slice of Swiss cheese and ham in between the slices. Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese melts.
