Easter Week: Orange-Glazed Ham & Potato Gratin

Ham has become a traditional part of many Easter dinners, in part because of its timing. Farm families who butchered hogs usually did so in the fall, then smoked their bacon and ham to last through the winter. There was usually a bit of ham left by the time Easter rolled around. (This from a farmer's daughter, who saw the pattern repeated for many seasons...)

This version of baked ham is easy to do (ten minutes!), and makes good use of a tangy orange glaze. Serve the potato dish alongside to soak up the savory juices.

ORANGE-GLAZED HAM

Makes 8 servings.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon McCormick® Mustard, Ground
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 ready-to-eat boneless ham (3 pounds)
3 oranges, sliced thin
McCormick® Cloves, Whole

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix brown sugar, mustard, orange peel and orange juice in small bowl.

2. Place ham in large foil-lined roasting pan. Place orange slices on ham. Push whole cloves into orange slices and ham.

3. Bake 1 hour, brushing with sugar mixture during the last 30 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with:


CREAMY THYME POTATO GRATIN

Makes 6 servings.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
4 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon McCormick® Thyme Leaves
1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Garlic Salt
1/8 teaspoon McCormick® White Pepper, Ground
4 ounces (1/2 of 8-ounce package) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss potatoes with melted butter, thyme, garlic salt and white pepper in medium bowl.

2. Mix cream cheese and cream until well blended. Layer 1/3 of potato mixture in 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Spread 1/2 of the cream cheese mixture evenly over potatoes. Repeat layers, ending with potatoes. Mix Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs in small bowl. Sprinkle over potatoes. Cover with foil.

3. Bake 40 minutes. Remove foil. Bake 15 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender and top is golden brown.

(These recipes are courtesy of McCormick's -- see the full pages here and here.)