Christmas Ham Recipes – All About Christmas (2024)

Sight, sound and smell; these are the senses we engage the most during the holidays. We see our friends and family, who we might not have seen all year. We hear the sounds of christmas bells and carolers. And of course the traditional christmas ham. The unforgettable aroma calls us to a warm hearth and a place to rest.

Slow Cooker Ham with Maple Brown Sugar Glaze

Combine warmth and taste maple sugar glaze recipe. The smell alone with lift your spirits and the taste will blow you away.

RECIPE HERE

Slow Cooker Honey-Glazed Ham

Slow and steady wins the race: the taste race! Slow cooked ham with a honey glaze will melt in your mouth.

RECIPE HERE

Ham, Cheese and Spinach Puffs

A one stop shop! These ham and cheese puffs are great appetizers to keep your guests wanting more; ham that is!

RECIPE HERE

Gluten-Free Ham & Cheese Hot Pockets

Create your own healthy and gluten free hot pockets. Your guests will appreciate it and they will stay delicious.

RECIPE HERE

Orange Marmalade-Glazed Ham

Looking to bring your ham to a new level? Try this upscale recipe with orange marmalade and a side of greens.

RECIPE HERE

Crock Pot Pineapple-Ginger Glazed Ham

Ham goes great with any sweet fruit. Try adding a pineapple-ginger glaze to your christmas ham for an extra kick.

RECIPE HERE

Easy Sriracha Ham

Spice up this christmas with a Sriracha ham. Everyone’s favorite spicy condiment will make for a unique and tasty dinner.

RECIPE HERE

Cheddar Cranberry Melt

Great for appetizers or for christmas leftovers. These cheddar cranberry melts are hardy, creamy and so delicious.

RECIPE HERE

Glazed Ham with Apricots

Nothing goes better with a glazed ham than some tangy and juicy fruit. Cook your ham with apricots for delicious flavor.

RECIPE HERE

Baked Ham and Cheese Rollups

Easy to make leftovers are always the best after a christmas meal. Use your leftover ham to make ham and cheese rollups for easy snacking.

RECIPE HERE

Honey Ham Biscuits Sliders

Put a country spin on classic christmas ham. Bake buttermilk biscuits with a few slices of ham and melty cheddar cheese for a hearty and warm meal.

RECIPE HERE

Apricot & Apple Glazed Gammon

Tangy apples and zesty apricots make for a perfect glaze on any piece of ham or gammon. Bake the fruit with the meat and let the natural flavors melt with your perfect cut of gammon.

RECIPE HERE

Christmas Ham BBQ

Just because it is christmas does not mean it has to be boring. Spice up your ham with some BBQ flavors your family will love..

RECIPE HERE

Grilled Honey Bourbon Glazed Ham Steaks

Grill up some christmas ham steaks with a honey bourbon glaze. The tang and zest will awaken your christmas spirit and taste buds.

RECIPE HERE

Clementine Baked Gammon

Small but zesty clementines make for a great accent to your holiday ham. Bake with your meat and let the juices flow.

RECIPE HERE

Hawaiian Pineapple Bites

Appetizers are just as tasty as the main course. Incorporate little teasers of your main dish with these ham and pineapple bites.

RECIPE HERE

Tangerine Glazed Ham

The best combination is a christmas ham with orange glaze. Cook your meat with oranges from the start and your dinner with be full of delicious zest and juice.

RECIPE HERE

Ham and Cheese Soup

Nothing warms the heart more than steamy soup made from christmas leftovers. Ham and cheddar soup is the best for all ages.

RECIPE HERE

Hot Ham and Cheese Crescents

There is nothing better than a simple recipe for your holiday leftovers. Use simple crescent rolls for your ham and cheese. They are great for next-day meals.

RECIPE HERE

Chili-Maple Glazed Ham

For a new twist, try a chili-maple glaze on your christmas ham. Sweet and spicy combinations will liven your guests.

RECIPE HERE

Southern Ham Macaroni Salad

Take your christmas dinner to new heights and places. Turn your ham leftovers into a picnic outing.

RECIPE HERE

Ham Cheese and Potato Quiche

A quiche is a quick and easy way to combine all of your holiday favorites. Eat your quiche for breakfast or dinner!

RECIPE HERE

Ham and Kale Paleo Egg Muffins

These little poppers are great for your guests during breakfast or as appetizers. Chop up your leftover ham and add some kale or spinach for easy and healthy eating.

RECIPE HERE

Ham, Egg & Green Chile Homemade Frozen Breakfast Burritos

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day so why not make it portable and delicious. Use your leftover ham to make ham and egg breakfast burritos.

RECIPE HERE

Sticky Peach Chipotle Glazed Ham

Peaches are great with ice cream and with ham. Combine peaches and some spicy chipotle to create a delicious glaze for your christmas ham.

RECIPE HERE

Crock Pot Brown Sugar Glazed Ham

Let your christmas ham simmer in a brown sugar glaze. Cook in a crock pot and let the flavors sink in.

RECIPE HERE

Ham Potato and Corn Chowder

Keep warm and full with this ham and potato corn chowder. Use your leftover ham and potatoes to make this hearty and delicious soup.

RECIPE HERE

Peach and Ginger Glazed Honey Ham

Sweet and savory are the only words to describe this peach and ginger glazed christmas ham. Let smell and taste take you home.

RECIPE HERE

Ham & Cheese Breakfast Casserole

Nothing beats a hearty breakfast after a night of fun, friends and family. Use your leftovers to make this creamy and cheesy breakfast casserole.

RECIPE HERE

Cheesy Ham & Bacon English Muffins

English muffins are a classic breakfast favorite. Spice it up a little with some cheesy leftover ham and cheddar. Add some bacon for a smokey flavor.

RECIPE HERE

Bridge Brunch Casserole

Treat your guests to some brunch after a great christmas dinner. Use your leftovers to make this delicious brunch casserole.

RECIPE HERE

Pineapple Bourbon Butter Glazed Ham

Combine pineapple and bourbon to make a buttery glaze for your christmas ham. The succulent smells and flavors with bring you to the table.

RECIPE HERE

Christmas Leftover Fritters

Make something light to snack on for your friends and family. These leftover fritters are healthy and delicious.

RECIPE HERE

Bacon Wrapped Lollipops

Easy to eat and oh, so delicious. Bacon wrapped lollipops are get party starters.

RECIPE HERE

Ham Bread

Make something easy to bring to all of your christmas parties. Save your leftover ham to make this delicious creation.

RECIPE HERE

Christmas Ham Recipes – All About Christmas (2024)

FAQs

What is the tradition of ham at Christmas? ›

Why do we eat ham at Christmas? Well, the tradition spans back many centuries, thought to have begun in Germany where a roast ham at Christmas was also known as the Yule Ham. German Pagans hoped to please the God of fertility, harvest and boars (hence the ham) known as Freyr as they served roast ham.

What is the best ham to serve at Christmas? ›

Most holiday chefs can immediately eliminate fresh ham from the list, narrowing it down to city ham or country ham. City ham has a drier texture and a more intense salty flavor, so it's usually safer to go with a city ham if you're unsure whether everyone would like a country ham and looking for a crowd-pleaser.

What does ham symbolize in Christmas? ›

Ham remained a star of the table with some historians suggesting that the pig was a symbol of good luck in pre-Christian European traditions. The love for Christmas ham dinner arrived in America with the pilgrims, becoming particularly popular in the Southern US, where pig farming flourished.

What is the best cut of ham for Christmas? ›

The shank end (or leg portion) sports that classic ham profile, so it's a good choice for a picture-perfect table. The meat tends to be leaner and it has one long bone, which makes carving easier. The butt end (the top half of the ham) has more tender, fattier meat, lending a richer flavor.

What is the trivia about Christmas ham? ›

Boar head was a staple of Christmas feasts during the Middle Ages. Some old recipes instructed cooks to rub the pig with lard and ash to recreate the creature's black fur. Around the mid-20th century, cured pork thigh—a.k.a. ham—became Americans' preferred way to eat pig on Christmas (and other Christian celebrations).

Why do Christians eat ham? ›

Symbolism and Significance

Ham holds symbolic significance for many people during Easter. As a rich, indulgent meat, it can represent the celebration of new life and the end of the Lenten season, during which many Christians abstain from certain luxuries.

What side dishes go good with ham? ›

Cheesy scalloped potatoes, cole slaw, asparagus or broccoli. I will always keep it simple when serving ham as a main course. The traditional ham, egg & chips is up there, as is ham, new potatoes and peas, ham mash & baked beans or a simple ham salad.

Do you serve Christmas ham hot or cold? ›

A ham on the bone is phenomenal served cold, but at Christmas time a lot of people love to glaze their ham and serve it hot. The process of glazing your ham merely warms the ham through and bakes on the glaze. It creates a lovely caramelised, darkened glaze over the fat on the top of your Christmas ham.

What does the Bible say about ham? ›

Ham (no relation!) was the youngest son of the Biblical patriarch Noah. When Ham saw his father drunk and naked, Noah felt so humiliated that he put a curse on Ham's son, Canaan, condemning his descendants to perpetual slavery. Here is the moment, as told in Genesis 9:24-25 (New King James Version):

What is the biblical meaning of ham? ›

Meaning:Hot, warm; Servant; Majesty. Ham is a name of Hebrew origin, meaning “hot” or “warm.” While you may know Ham as one of the biblical sons of Noah, this short but sweet boy's name has many other beautiful meanings for baby.

Why is Christmas ham pink? ›

The Traditional Cure contains commercial nitrates that combined with the salt aid in the curing process. These nitrates add to the flavour many people have come to love about ham as well as give it a blushed pink colour.

How many pounds of ham do you need for Christmas? ›

Here's a general guide of how much boneless fresh ham you'll need if each person consumes the approximated amount: 4 people: 1 to 2 pounds. 6 people: 2 to 3 pounds. 10 people: 3 to 5 pounds.

How long before Christmas should I buy ham? ›

If you're planning to serve ham for Christmas dinner, we recommend buying one as early as the start of December (hams generally have a 3-month use-by date).

What is better shank or butt ham? ›

Carving can be an issue with the butt end because of its irregularly shaped aitch bone. A ham labeled "shank end" is larger so you'll get more servings out of it. It's easier to carve, has less fat and costs less. Personally, I prefer the flavor of the shank end, which isn't as fatty.

Where did the tradition of ham for Christmas come from? ›

Featured as the centerpiece of the prototypical Dickensian Christmas, it's said to have its roots in ancient pagan ritual. Supposedly, the tradition started with the Germans, who wanted to appease the god, Freyr. He was the god of fertility, harvest, and boars.

Why do we eat turkey and ham at Christmas? ›

While turkey was quite costly in the 16th century, the tradition of eating turkey at Christmas gained popularity as turkey farms spread across the UK. However, it wasn't until the 19th century that the turkey Christmas dinner became the norm for families throughout the UK.

Why do we eat ham on Christmas and Easter? ›

Not only were hogs cheaper to raise than sheep, but the farmers could slaughter the hogs in the fall and let the meat cure throughout the cold winter months. By spring, the cured meat was ready to eat—just in time to prepare for the Easter feast. The best part of the holiday ham may just be the leftovers.

What country eats ham for Christmas? ›

United States: Ham is a popular dish for Christmas and Easter in the United States. It is typically baked or glazed, and served with side dishes such as sweet potatoes, green beans, and macaroni and cheese. United Kingdom: In the UK, ham is a popular choice for Christmas, particularly for Boxing Day (December 26th).

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