Deciding what to eat with the best ham ever? Or perhaps you are looking for an unique way to prepare your holiday ham? Read on to discover all the ways to cook the perfect ham and the best side dishes to go along with it.

THE BEST BAKED HAM RECIPES

First and foremost you are going start with the main attraction, a glorious Easter ham. Lucky for you (and me) this just so happens to be the easiest and most fun part of the meal to prepare. Deciding the glaze flavor and how the ham should be prepared takes a little more legwork. Let’s simplify your options…

1. HONEY GLAZED HAM IN THE SLOW COOKER – Ham needs to warm long and slow with liquid. Using a crockpot is an easy way to ensure it stays moist.
2. BOURBON ORANGE GLAZED HAM – The flavors of this sticky, sweet, tangy glaze goes perfectly with a smoky, oven cooked ham.
3. WORLD’S BEST BROWN SUGAR HAM – Here’s a versatile recipe you can make in the oven or slow cooker. The glaze has the timeless flavors of brown sugar, mustard, and pineapple.
4. DR. PEPPER HAM – Ham with a classic southern twist! This easy to follow recipe uses an oven bag so the ham won’t dry out.
5. GRILLED HOLIDAY HONEY HAM – Need to free up oven space? Bring the most space-hogging dish outside and get an incredible smoky flavor to boot.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH HAM 

Now that The Big Kahuna is taken care of you can concentrate on your supporting cast.

When I’m planning a menu, a lot of thought goes into what I’ll serve with my main dish. You don’t want to a frazzled, sweating mess in the kitchen while your guests are trying to relax. 

It’s much more becoming to be a frazzled sweaty mess the days before the party witnesses are around.

Most of these dishes you can prep ahead of time, are the perfect accompaniments to ham, and my favorite Easter side dishes ever!

• Deviled Eggs – There really isn’t a more opportune time to enjoy these, not to mention the perfect time to bust out your often-overlooked egg platter. Let your kids go crazy decorating Easter eggs a few days before, and then use them all up by whipping up some deviled eggs before the big meal. You can get creative with your recipe, such as Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs, Bacon Sriracha Avocado Deviled Eggs, or Loaded Deviled Eggs. Of Course, a traditional, tried and true recipe is never a bad idea either.

• Bread – If you or your guests are gluten free, I suggest making super easy Light and Fluffy Gluten Free biscuits ahead of time, freezing them, and warming them before dinner. You can cover all bases by making Oatmeal Dinner Rolls for the gluten-indulging guests. Yeast dinner rolls are great because you can freeze them in the pan before they rise, and a few hours before your meal set them on your counter to thaw, rise, and throw them in the oven. If quick breads are more your thing, Quick Cheese Bread or Best Ever Irish Soda Bread would be perfect for an Easter feast, and it can also can be adapted for gluten free.

• Potatoes – I’ve made this Two-Potato Gratin several times and it is always a hit. It’s less fussy than other gratin recipes, uses cornstarch as a thickener so it’s naturally gluten free, and the flavor combinations work perfectly together. Roasted Parmesan Ranch Potatoes uses only 5 ingredients and are simple to throw together. However, if you are pressed for time or completely burnt out on cooking, Boiled Salt Potatoes or Smashed Potatoes are ridiculously easy to make, yet the taste and texture will blow you away.

• Vegetables – Easter would be a perfect time to bust out Vegetable Tart because of how equally gorgeous and tasty it is. Roasted vegetables, such as Baked Broccoli and Cheese or Oven Roasted Browned Butter Carrots are super easy to throw together and honestly my favorite way to make veggies. Sweet Potato Spoon Bread is cross between cornbread, grits, and soufflé, with a slightly sweet pudding-like texture. As far as a green salad, an all-time crowd pleaser is Fresh Strawberry Salad with greens, feta, toasted almonds, and tangy sweet vinaigrette. 

• Dessert – I don’t like to be pigeon holed into only one kind of sweet treat, so I usually cover several bases here. My absolute favorite Easter cakes are Fluffy Banana Cake with Banana Filling, Carrot Cake with Pineapple, or Blitz Torte. Fresh Strawberry Coeur a la Creme is assembled the day before and would be a fantastic lighter, more refreshing simple dessert. If you are really short on time (or energy) check out 2 ingredient, 5 minute Jello Salad. I could really go on and on about desserts. It’s a sickness.

❊SHOP THE RECIPES❊

Here are some items used to make these recipes:

Nonstick Roasting Pan   Ι   Deviled Egg Platter    Ι   Serving Bakeware Set

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