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.
Frequency of Entities
Appleton Farms Spiral Sliced Hickory Smoked Honey Ham: 4
Aldi: 8
ham: 27
spiral ham: 10
glaze: 7
leftovers: 3
Best Ham Ever, ALDI Spiral Ham Cooked a Special Recipe
FAQ
How do you heat an Aldi spiral ham?
How long to cook an appleton spiral ham?
How do you use the glaze packet that comes with the ham?
How long to cook a spiral ham that is precooked?