Ham is a Christmas dinner staple in many households. Some folks like to do a complete repeat of their Thanksgiving menu with turkey, ham and all the fixings for Christmas and why not – it’s a meal that works and everyone loves it! Luckily the ham prices are super cheap right now and you can pick up a Cook’s Bone-In Shank Portion Ham for just $.98 per lb. at Safeway, or if you prefer the spiral sliced ham, those are just $1.69/lb. for the Hormel Cure 81 Spiral Sliced Ham.
You may wonder is it worth the extra $.71 per lb. for the spiral sliced ham? I’ve tried both over the years and have found that the spiral sliced ham is easier for our family, just because as you are trying to get the turkey carved and gravy made, while keeping the rest of the dinner hot, it’s one less thing to think about if the ham is pre-sliced. Some people say the non-sliced ham stays moist, and the spiral ham can dry out, but I have never had any trouble with my spiral ham drying out, especially since I use the Barefoot Contessa’s Baked Virginia Ham Glaze recipe.
Here is my favorite way to cook the perfect ham. The result is a crunchy, sweet glaze crust on the ham that tastes amazing. (Original Source on Barefoot Contessa)
Baked Virginia Ham
1 (14- to 16-pound) fully cooked, spiral-cut smoked ham
6 garlic cloves
8 1/2 ounces mango chutney (Cross & Blackwell Mango Chutney on sale at Safeway$2.99)
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
Zest of 1 orange
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the ham in a heavy roasting pan.
Mince the garlic in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the chutney, mustard, brown sugar, orange zest, and orange juice and process until smooth. Pour the glaze over the ham and bake for 1 hour, until the ham is fully heated and the glaze is well browned. Serve hot or at room temperature. I like to separate the ham slices and brush the glaze on the slices – it’s so good!
If you are looking for a whole ham – you can get a Safeway Farms Boneless Whole Ham for $2.99/lb. or a Hormel Cure 81 Boneless Whole Ham for $4.49/lb. These are super easy to slice because there is no bone to contend with!
Pick up a 10 lb bag of potatoes from Safeway for just $.99 to make some mashed potatoes, a bunch of green beans for $1.99/lb., sweet potatoes for $.99/lb for sweet potato casserole. If you like stuffing – pick upStove Top for just $1.49 a box with a coupon, King’s Hawaiian rolls for $2.50 or Safeway Brown & Serve Rolls for $1.25, Land O Lakes Butter for $1.99, and pick up some fresh spinach salad and a fresh pomegranate for a pretty and tasty salad with pecans and some goat cheese…..Finish the meal off with a delicious Marie Callender’s Apple Pie and Edward’s Key Lime Pie – $2.99 – $3.99, amazing Haagen Dazs ice cream for just $1.99 and some Cool Whip for $.66.
You’ll have a delicious meal that everyone will rave about for years to come.
See all the best deals at Safeway for your Christmas dinner here.
