How to Cook an Aldi Spiral Ham to Perfection

Cooking a delicious spiral cut ham for your holiday dinner or special event can seem intimidating However, with some simple instructions, you can easily prepare a mouthwatering ham from Aldi. Aldi offers high-quality spiral hams like the Appleton Farms Spiral Sliced Hickory Smoked Honey Ham that are sure to be a hit.

Selecting Your Spiral Ham

When choosing your ham at Aldi, you have a few options like the double glazed spiral ham, antibiotic-free ham, or hickory smoked honey ham. The Appleton Farms Spiral Sliced Hickory Smoked Honey Ham is fully cooked, ready to eat, and gluten-free. It comes in around $1.99 per pound and features a sweet honey glaze packet. This ham is only available during the holiday season and Easter.

Other factors to consider when selecting your ham include:

• Weight – Choose based on the number of guests. Allow for leftovers.
• Spiral sliced – Makes serving simple.
• Bone-in or boneless – Bone-in has more flavor. Boneless slices easier.
• Smoked or unsmoked – Smoked has a richer flavor.
• Glazed or unglazed – Glazed is shiny and sweet. Unglazed allows you to add your own glaze.

No matter which spiral ham you choose, Aldi provides high-quality options at affordable prices.

Proper Storage

Freshness is key to maximizing the flavor of your spiral ham Proper storage before cooking is essential

• Store ham in original packaging. Do not rinse before cooking.
• Place ham in refrigerator if cooking within 7 days of purchasing.
• For longer storage, freeze ham up to 3 months in freezer bag.
• Thaw frozen ham 24-48 hours in refrigerator before cooking.

Following safe storage limits the risk of bacteria growth.

Oven Preparation

Preheating your oven is an important first step when cooking your spiral ham.

• Preheat oven to 250°F. This low temperature gently reheats ham.
• Higher temperatures around 325°F can cause the edges to dry out.
• Be sure to remove all packaging before placing ham in oven.

Use a large roasting pan or baking dish to allow air flow. This prevents the bottom from becoming soggy.

Baking Instructions

Cooking times vary based on weight, but some general guidelines are:

• Heat ham for 12-15 minutes per pound.
• For example, a 10 lb ham bakes for 2-2.5 hours.
• Tent ham loosely with foil to retain moisture.
• Use meat thermometer to confirm internal temp reaches 140°F.
• Bone-in hams take longer than boneless.

Rotate pan halfway through for even cooking. Let ham rest 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Glazing Your Ham

For added flavor and a pretty presentation, glaze your ham.

• Make glaze while ham bakes by simmering packet ingredients.
• Brush glaze over ham during last 30 minutes of baking.
• For caramelized glaze, broil ham 2-3 minutes after applying.
• Or glaze once ham is sliced to allow glaze to soak into meat.

The sweet glaze provides a delicious finishing touch.

Carving and Serving

When your spiral ham has finished baking, it’s time to carve and serve this holiday centerpiece.

• Allow ham to rest 10-15 minutes before slicing.
• Carefully cut around bone to release whole slices.
• Cut along slice seams to portion perfect pieces.
• Serve warm or chilled. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Savor the juicy, meaty ham slices alone or in favorite recipes like sandwiches, omelets, or soup.

Storing Leftovers

One of the best parts of cooking a spiral ham is enjoying the leftovers for days to come.

• Allow ham to cool completely before storing.
• Refrigerate sliced ham for 3-4 days.
• Freeze leftover ham up to 2 months.
• Use ham in casseroles, pasta dishes, soups, etc.

With proper storage, you can stretch your spiral ham for additional easy meals.

Cooking a delicious and inexpensive spiral ham from Aldi for your holiday table is simple. With a few tips on selecting, prepping, and baking your ham, you can present an impressive entrée. Savor the memorable flavor of juicy slices topped with a glistening glaze. Let your beautiful Aldi spiral ham become a new family tradition.