Baked Ham with Spiced Cherry Glaze

Here’s a perfect baked ham to serve for Easter dinner, courtesy of Food Network star Melissa d’Arabian.

-Recipe courtesy Melissa d’Arabian,  the season five winner of The Next Food Network Star

Melissa d’Arabian is host of the hit Food Network show Ten Dollar Dinners  (Sundays at 12:30pm ET/PT), which is now in its second season. On her show, Melissa continues to share delicious dinner ideas for four people under $10 – and this mom of four sure knows all the great tricks to a perfect Easter!

Here’s her recipe for a no-fail baked ham, perfect for Easter Sunday dinner.

Makes 8 Servings (Prep time: 20 minutes, Cook time: 1 hour, 20 minutes)

Ingredients:

Nonstick spray

1(5-pound) boneless ready-to-eat ham

1/2 cup water or white wine

1 cup cherry preserves

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish (creamy)

1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 lemon, zested and juiced

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a roasting pan with foil and spray it with nonstick spray. Score the top and sides of the ham with a small sharp knife in a crisscross pattern. Put the ham in the pan, pour 1/2 cup water or white wine into the bottom of the pan and bake, covered loosely with a tent of foil, 45 to 60 minutes.

2. To make the glaze, combine the preserves, horseradish, brown sugar, cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, salt, and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Transfer the cherry mixture to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil until the glaze is slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in the lemon zest.

3. Remove the ham from the oven and brush the top with 1/4 cup of the glaze. Bake uncovered, until the ham is hot and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 140 degrees F, about 20 minutes longer.

4. Remove the ham from the oven to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Arrange the sliced ham on a serving platter and serve with the reserved glaze.

For more holiday recipes perfect for Easter, check out our Recipe File.