Rita's Sweet Holiday Baked Ham

This holiday ham recipe is from my mom. She would cook this easy recipe on my birthday. Made with maraschino cherries, sliced pineapples, brown sugar, honey, and many more yummy ingredients. You'll love this ham dinner for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any special occasion — and it's not just for the holidays, it's great any time of year!

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 2 hr
• Total Time: 2 hr 20 mins
• Calories: 667 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ cup honey
• 1 cup orange juice
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 (10 ounce) jar maraschino cherries, halved
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 1 cup ginger ale
• 1 (12 pound) fully-cooked, bone-in ham
• 1 (15.25 ounce) can pineapple slices in juice, drained
• 1 box round wooden toothpicks
• large heat-resistant nylon oven bag (such as Reynolds® Oven Bags)

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2

Mix together maple syrup, orange juice, ginger ale, brown sugar, and honey in a medium bowl. Stir in juice from the maraschino cherries, and half of the cherries.

Step 3

Score the outer edge of the ham with a sharp knife in a diamond pattern. Cuts should be about 1/4 inch deep to allow the ham to soak up the juice.

Step 4

Place ham into an oven bag, and carefully pour the juice mixture over it, keeping all of the juice in the bag (it may look like there is too much juice, but the ham will soak it up while baking).

Step 5

Place pineapples onto the top of the ham, and secure with toothpicks. Place cherries into the centers of the rings, and secure with toothpicks also. Tie the end of the bag closed with the ties provided, place in a large roasting pan, and cut a few small slits in the top of the oven bag.

Step 6

Remove ham from bag to a serving plate, and let stand for 10 minutes before carving.

Step 7

Bake ham for 2 hours in the preheated oven. The internal temperature should be 140 degrees F (60 degrees C) when done. Be sure not to touch the bone when taking the temperature.