Easter recipe

It's Easter weekend, and on this Good Friday I received two phone calls from people wanting my candied ham recipe. This thing is so popular, people who I've served it to request it when they come over for dinner the next time. The prep is easy, but it takes a few hours to cook, so plan accordingly. I promise you the results are worth it.

Kaylea's Candied Ham (serves six to eight adults)

one honey smoked ham (from your supermarket, size and shape of a football)
one two liter bottle of ginger ale
one jar of ginger preserves
handful of brown sugar
3-4 tablespoons of yellow mustard

Cut all the rind off the ham as thinly as possible, and place in a large pot. Cover with the ginger ale and simmer over medium-low heat for three hours. Yes, it's a long time, but just do it. Trust me.

While it's boiling, you'll have plenty of time to make the rest of the dinner. I like to serve it with steamed broccoli and cheese sauce, cheesy scalloped potatoes and some creme caramel for dessert.

To make the glaze, combine the preserves, brown sugar and mustard until it's reasonably smooth. Once the ham has finished simmering, place it in a roasting pan and pour the glaze over the top to coat. Bake at 375 for about an hour, making sure to keep an eye on the glaze so it doesn't burn. After an hour, it should be a burnished brown color. Remove from the oven and spoon the hot glaze over the ham for a minute or two to coat. Let meat rest for 15 minutes.

Slice ham into quarter inch thick slices and arrange on a platter, then pour the remaining glaze from the pan over the top. This is the best ham you or your guests will ever eat--promise!

My family is having Easter dinner at my in laws this weekend so I don't have to cook, but if you are hosting, give this recipe a try. By the way, any leftovers are yummy the next morning served with blueberry pancakes and scrambled eggs. Just a thought!

Happy Easter!