How to Cook a Small Fully Cooked Ham

Small, fully cooked hams are perfect for a baked ham dinner for one or two, especially when topped with one of my three favourite glazes. But don’t stop there! These fully cooked hams are very versatile and can be used for so many cold or hot dishes. Have a look at the list below and let me know how else you like to use cooked ham.

Choosing a Fully Cooked Ham

Ham is meat from the hind leg of a pig that has been wet or dry cured and/or salted with or without smoking. There different types of fully cooked and un-cooked hams available in grocery stores and butcher shops. Each has a different cooking method, so be sure to match the recipe you’re following with the type of ham of you have.

I tested the recipe in this post with a small fully cooked dinner ham. These hams are made from chopped ham that has been pressed into a “football” shape. You can buy full or half football hams like I did for our dinner for two.

Spiral hams are becoming more popular in Canadian grocery stores. These hams come either bone-in or boneless and come pre-sliced. It’s convenient, but personally I find the slices to be too thin and can dry out when cooking.

You can also get large fully cooked hams either bone in or boneless. These hams are from the original cut of pork (not cut and shaped like the football hams) and have been cured and pre-cooked. They look more like traditional uncooked hams. You can use the same cooking method and glazes as in this recipe, just double check the cooking time for your size of ham.

To ensure you’re getting a fully cooked ham always read the package carefully and look for FULLY COOKED or READY TO EAT. If the package clearly states “cook thoroughly” it is an uncooked ham and cooking times and temperatures are important to ensure your ham is cooked safely.

Is Ham Healthy?

Ham is a lean protein that offers a variety of nutrients and vitamins.

Depending how the ham has been cured or processed, it can be very high in sodium and nitrates (potentially cancer causing).  As an animal protein, ham also contains cholesterol and saturated fat. There are some low sodium hams – check the label.

How does that fit with your needs and health wishes?

For me, born and raised on a German diet of ham and cured sausages, giving up ham completely is unlikely. But, I know I need to watch how much I eat, so ham, deli meats and other cured, processed meat like bacon are occasional foods that we enjoy once a month or every two months.

How to Avoid Drying Out Ham

The biggest concern with pre-cooked or fully cooked hams is over cooking or drying them out. Here’s how to ensure that doesn’t happen to you.

1. Cover: Whether using a lid or aluminum foil, cover the ham during cooking to keep moisture locked in. If you prefer to caramelize the glaze, remove the foil for the last 10-15 minutes of cooking and increase the heat.
2. Use a meat thermometer: Use a meat thermometer to check the inside of the pre-cooked ham reaches 60°C (140°F), that will ensure it’s nice and hot throughout. Because this is a pre-cooked ham, this temperature is not about food safety – but ensuring you have a nice hot ham throughout. Be sure to insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the ham without touching the bone for an accurate reading.
3. Baste the ham: Basting the ham with its own juices or a glaze will help keep it moist and add flavor.
4. Cook at Low Temperature: A low temperature of 160°C (325°F) ensures you won’t dry out your ham. You can go to 180°C or 350°F if you want to speed things up – just don’t overcook and be sure to have moisture in the baking dish.

Storing Pre-Cooked Hams

Before Cooking – Closed Package

Check the Best Before Date on your sealed, pre-cooked ham, chances are you have a couple of months to use it. Once you open the sealed package, you should use your ham within 3-4 days.

After Cooking – Cooked Ham Leftovers

Store cooked ham leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Freezing Pre-Cooked Ham

Fully cooked hams like the “football” ham I used in this recipe are safe to freeze. However, because they have high moisture level, the texture may change once thawed. You can freeze fully cooked ham before or after baking.

For best results, I recommend dicing up any leftovers in convenient portion sizes so you can add them to soups, casseroles, pizzas or other dishes. When diced, any texture changes are less noticeable than when you use whole frozen hams as a main entree.