Our 32 Favorite Ham Recipes (2024)

This roundup celebrates some of our best ham recipes, going way beyond the holiday ham — although you'll find plenty of those in here, too. Whether you're looking for a new breakfast sandwich or a comforting stew, we've got you covered, from soft scrambled eggs with ham and hollandaise to apple-ham quiche to mashed potato and ham agnolotti. Here are some of our favorite ham dishes.

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Apple-Ham Quiche

Thin apple and ham slices are rolled together and set in a tender, herby custard sprinkled with sharp white cheddar. For a quicker weeknight dinner, use a frozen nine-inch deep-dish pie shell, blind-baked according to package instructions.

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02of 32

Apple Cider Glazed Ham

Start with a good-quality, bone-in spiral-cut ham — make sure it is unglazed. Coat it with this deliciously sweet apple cider glaze featuring light brown sugar, honey, and Dijon mustard. Brushing the glaze onto the ham in 15-minute intervals during the last 30 minutes of baking creates a wonderfully sticky and caramelized crust.

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03of 32

Soft-Cooked Eggs with Hollandaise and Ham

Winemaker André Mack shared the recipe for this elegant breakfast dish of ham thinly sliced with eggs and hollandaise. The salty ham complements golden, jammy egg yolks and a simple hollandaise, showcasing the excellence of each ingredient in this classic dish. At & Sons, his ham and wine bar in Brooklyn, Mack uses Mangalista ham, but any thinly sliced ham will do nicely.

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04of 32

Polenta Dutch Baby with Ham and Swiss

A large-format pancake with a light, airy interior and rich, savory toppings, this Dutch baby is perfect for brunch. Add the toppings around the edges, leaving the center clear to allow it to rise properly. Preheating the pan is also crucial to a beautiful rise; the batter should begin to puff immediately after you pour it into the pan.

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05of 32

The Oriole "Ham Sandoval"

Nutty raclette cheese melted on toasted baguette gets piled high with rich country ham and silky mortadella studded with cinnamon and black pepper in this exquisite ham sandwich from 2017 F&W Best New Chef Noah Sandoval of Oriole in Chicago. Tangy walnut mustard aïoli, peppery arugula, and poppy-citrus dressing cut through the richness and add fresh flavor to every bite.

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06of 32

Smoked Ham Hock and Lentil Soup

"I love making this lentil soup when the weather begins to cool," says 2017 F&W Best New Chef Nina Compton, chef-owner of New Orleans hot spot Compère Lapin. "The ham hock aroma hangs around the kitchen beautifully; the smell alone makes you warmer. Adding a little ginger and lemongrass brightens the soup and reminds me of being back home in St. Lucia. Using local okra reminds me of my Louisiana home and adds a different texture."

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07of 32

Dal Makhani with Collards and Country Ham

Chef Meherwan Irani's Southern-inspired riff on dal makhani, an Indian dish of long-simmered beans and lentils cooked with spices and aromatics and enriched with butter, incorporates collards and crushed tomatoes, and is finished with an extra dollop of heavy cream and thinly shaved country ham.

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08of 32

Giardiniera with Ham and White Beans

Former F&W editor Grace Parisi quickly soaks baby cauliflower in vinegar and sugar, then combines it with snap peas, white beans, ham, and sunflower seeds to create a tasty main-course dish.

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DIY Honey-Baked Ham

Honey-baked hams are impressive, and who doesn't love the leftovers? You can order a honey-baked ham, but we like to make our own DIY version. First it's basted with apple juice, then it's glazed with a sweet-spicy mix of brown sugar, honey, honey mustard, black pepper, and cayenne.

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10of 32

Pomegranate-Jalapeño-Glazed Ham

Chef Akasha Richmond prepares a sweet and spicy glaze for ham using housemade pomegranate-jalapeño jelly. An easier alternative: doctoring store-bought jalapeño jelly with pomegranate juice.

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11of 32

Grilled Figs with Ham, Walnuts, and Mint Cream

Chef Frank Stitt started his culinary education by working for the late, great cookbook author Richard Olney in Provence, France. This appetizer, in which ripe figs are stuffed with walnuts, wrapped in ham, and kissed on the grill — a riff on devils on horseback — is inspired by Olney's love of seasonal ingredients.

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12of 32

Scalloped Potatoes with Ham

The combination of pecorino and Parmesan gives these potatoes a great cheesy depth. The unbaked gratin can be refrigerated overnight if you'd like to make it ahead.

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13of 32

Clove and Cider-Glazed Ham

For entertaining, TV chef Carla Hall glazes a spiral-cut ham with apple cider, brown sugar, mustard, bourbon, and sweet spices.

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14of 32

Creamy Spaghetti Carbonara with Peas and Ham

This modern take on a classic Italian pasta dish relies on ham instead of traditional pancetta for a dose of smoky flavor and richness.

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15of 32

Ham and Cheese Danish

This buttery ham and cheese pastry was inspired by one of the most popular offerings at Chicago's Kasama, Genie Kwon and Tim Flores' bakery by day and fine dining restaurant at night. The flaky pastry balances sweet and savory flavors from the nutty Gruyère cheese sauce, salty ham, and crunchy turbinado sugar.

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16of 32

Monte Cristo Strata

In this rich and hearty dish, bread, ham, and cheese are baked in an eggy custard; grainy mustard and tarragon add a lovely, vibrant flavor.

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Grilled Apricots with Burrata, Country Ham, and Arugula

Depending on the season, chef Travis Lett also makes this salad with plums, peaches, or pears.

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18of 32

Spiced Brown Sugar Ham with Apple Jus

The secret to this super-tender ham is keeping it wrapped in foil while it's cooking and resting, letting it reabsorb any moisture released during the cooking process.

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19of 32

Grilled Pineapples with Barbecue-Spiced Breadcrumbs and Country Ham

Slow-grilling whole unpeeled pineapples concentrates their flavor and tenderizes the fruit, which pairs wonderfully with salty country ham and crispy panko seasoned with barbecue spices. Peel the fruit with a large serrated knife and serve it hot, thinly sliced like ham.

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20of 32

Honey-Bourbon-Glazed Ham

The sweet, sticky glaze on this juicy ham is subtly spiced with fennel, coriander, and star anise.

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21of 32

Ham Steaks in Madeira Sauce

For this recipe, Julia Child was inspired by jambon à la morvandelle, the signature dish of Alexandre Dumaine, one of France's most famous chefs in the 1930s, '40s, and '50s. "Although supermarket ham will do, real country ham will give you a dish more like Dumaine's fabled creation," wrote Child. She called the dish — featuring ham steaks basted in a mushroom and Madeira sauce — one of her "fast entrées for fancy people."

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22of 32

Beaten Biscuit Breakfast Sandwich with Tomato Jam

Chef Marcus Samuelsson makes incredible biscuits, adding a little bit of nutty brown butter to amp up the flavor. He serves them warm, spread with tangy-sweet tomato jam, fried ham, and perfectly scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese.

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23of 32

Saba and Dijon-Glazed Easter Ham

We're switching up the traditional sugar-crusted holiday ham by using saba, a sweet and slightly acidic syrup made from cooked-down grape must (similar to aged balsamic). We bake the ham on a bed of carrots and shallots so the drippings flavor the vegetables in the oven.

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24of 32

Ham and Cheese Puff Pastry Tart

Blogger Mimi Thorisson spreads store-bought puff pastry with mustard-shallot bechamel, then layers it with ham and cheese before baking it into a crisp, rich, croque monsieur–like tart.

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25of 32

Warm Snap Peas with Ham and Tarragon Butter

Here, we combine the classic flavors of ham, tarragon, and peas with a hit of lemon juice for some bright acidity.

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26of 32

Guinness-Glazed Ham

A simple glaze of dark stout and brown sugar develops a malty, caramel-like bittersweetness in the oven. Irish ham is a bit less salty than American ham and has a thin layer of fat, which absorbs the flavors of the glaze.

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27of 32

Urdaburger

Smoky, melty "pimentón" cheese, crispy jamón serrano, and a savory-sweet aïoli top beef patties in this towering tapas-inspired burger from Urdaneta, a popular tapas spot in Portland, Oregon. Kalimotxo, a Spanish red wine and cola co*cktail, is the inspiration for the marvelously mauve aïoli.

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28of 32

White Bean and Ham Stew

This hearty stew called garbure, from southwestern France, is loaded with vegetables, beans, and meat ⁠— the exact ingredients depend on availability. Chef Jacques Pépin's version includes ham hocks and cabbage and is topped with toasted bread smothered in melted Gruyère cheese. Traditionally, anyone eating the stew would add some red wine to the last few spoonfuls of broth and sip it straight from the bowl.

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29of 32

Open-Face Egg and Griddled Ham Breakfast Sandwiches

Food & Wine culinary director at large Justin Chapple poaches a dozen eggs at once in a muffin pan in the oven, making his cute and tasty breakfast sliders extraordinarily easy to prepare for entertaining.

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30of 32

Mashed Potato and Ham Agnolotti in Turkey Bone Broth

"After eating such heavy food on Thanksgiving, it's nice to have something lighter the day after," says 2020 F&W Best New Chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph. His delicate agnolotti, filled with leftover mashed potatoes and ham, feature a smart shortcut — store-bought fresh lasagna sheets — served in a broth made from leftover turkey bones.

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31of 32

Serrano Ham and Arugula Salad with Pomegranate Salsa

This vibrant winter recipe, layered with arugula, bright white slices of ricotta salata, and strips of salty serrano ham, is the sort of composed salad that chef Suzanne Goin uses to showcase seasonal ingredients.

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32of 32

Spiced Smoked Ham with Mango-Cranberry Chutney

Choose a smoked ham with a substantial layer of exterior fat for this recipe. Use only half of the spice rub if the fat layer is less than 1/8-inch thick.

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Our 32 Favorite Ham Recipes (2024)

Apple-Ham Quiche

Apple Cider Glazed Ham

Soft-Cooked Eggs with Hollandaise and Ham

Polenta Dutch Baby with Ham and Swiss

The Oriole "Ham Sandoval"

Smoked Ham Hock and Lentil Soup

Dal Makhani with Collards and Country Ham

Giardiniera with Ham and White Beans

DIY Honey-Baked Ham

Pomegranate-Jalapeño-Glazed Ham

Grilled Figs with Ham, Walnuts, and Mint Cream

Scalloped Potatoes with Ham

Clove and Cider-Glazed Ham

Creamy Spaghetti Carbonara with Peas and Ham

Ham and Cheese Danish

Monte Cristo Strata

Grilled Apricots with Burrata, Country Ham, and Arugula

Spiced Brown Sugar Ham with Apple Jus

Grilled Pineapples with Barbecue-Spiced Breadcrumbs and Country Ham

Honey-Bourbon-Glazed Ham

Ham Steaks in Madeira Sauce

Beaten Biscuit Breakfast Sandwich with Tomato Jam

Saba and Dijon-Glazed Easter Ham

Ham and Cheese Puff Pastry Tart

Warm Snap Peas with Ham and Tarragon Butter

Guinness-Glazed Ham

Urdaburger

White Bean and Ham Stew

Open-Face Egg and Griddled Ham Breakfast Sandwiches

Mashed Potato and Ham Agnolotti in Turkey Bone Broth

Serrano Ham and Arugula Salad with Pomegranate Salsa

Spiced Smoked Ham with Mango-Cranberry Chutney

References