Bourbon Gingersnap Ham | Alton Brown Inspired Recipe

 

I tend not to culinarily observe Easter because, once I lost my mom and her Easter brunches came to an end, it just didn’t feel right to do so. This year, though, something shifted. I decided it was time to step back into the kitchen and create a beautiful dinner for one—and it turned into one of the most rewarding days I’ve had in a long time. 

The star of the show was a show-stopping Bourbon Gingersnap Ham inspired by an Alton Brown classic. I couldn’t resist adapting it (it’s what I do), and let’s be honest—one spritz of bourbon seemed far too stingy. I bought a food-safe spritzer bottle just for the occasion and happily shared it with the ham throughout the baking process. The result? A magnificent, fragrant crust of mustard, brown sugar, bourbon, and crushed gingersnaps that made the whole house smell like a holiday dream. 

To round out the meal, I served the ham alongside my adaptation of that creamy, ubiquitous party potato casserole everyone loves, French Rustic Potatoes, a brand-new carrot recipe that was an absolute triumph (I’ll share that one soon!), and a nostalgic 1970s throwback: Pretzel Salad. Every bite brought comfort and joy. 

I spent the entire day in the kitchen, wondering why it took so long, yet it was completely worth it. By evening, I was so pleased with how it turned out that I texted my number-two son: “Easter dinner carryout for you and Emma is ready for pickup.” Sharing the leftovers made the day even sweeter.

 If you’re looking for a ham that’s anything but ordinary, this Bourbon Gingerbread Ham delivers big flavor and plenty of personality. Here’s the adapted recipe:Bourbon Gingersnap Ham

1 whole boneless ham

¼ c. Dijon mustard 

2 c. dark brown sugar 

2 oz. bourbon (poured into a food-safe spritzer bottle) 

2 c. crushed gingersnap cookies 

Heat oven to 250°F.

 Remove the ham from its bag, rinse, and drain thoroughly. Place it in a foil-lined roasting pan. Using a small paring knife, score the ham in a diamond pattern.

Tent the ham with heavy-duty foil, insert a meat thermometer, and bake for 3–4 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 130°F in the deepest part.

Remove from the oven and increase the temperature to 350°F.

 Pat the ham dry with paper towels. Brush on a liberal coat of mustard, then sprinkle with brown sugar, packing it loosely until the surface is coated. Lightly spritz with bourbon, then press on as much of the crushed gingersnaps as you can.

Insert the thermometer (avoid the old hole) and return the uncovered ham to the oven. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 140°F (about 1 hour), spritzing with bourbon every 15 minutes.

Let the ham rest for 30 minutes before carving.

 This ham is a true crowd-pleaser—sweet, spicy, savory, and just a little boozy. Leftovers are even better the next day!

 As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Creamy Ham and Potato Soup

 

For Easter (remember it?) I decided that I wanted to make myself a ham dinner, so I bought myself a small ham, and I am talking tiny. But, like the fishes and the loaves, this ham seemed to last forever. I had ham and eggs, ham salad, ham sandwiches (both hot and cold), ham steak, I was half out of my mind with ham, and I do believe I was starting to oink. This, thankfully, is the last of it, in this tasty ham of potato chowder.

Creamy Ham and Potato Soup

Slightly adapted from smalltownwoman.com

 2 T. olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 stalks celery chopped

1 carrot, sliced into thin rounds

1 3-lb. bag Melissa’s Peewee Dutch Yellow potatoes, halved

2 c. cubes fully cooked ham

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ t. onion powder

2 T. chopped parsley

3 c. chicken broth

3 T. butter

3 T. flour

1 c. whole milk

Salt and pepper

 In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion, celery, carrot, potatoes, and ham. Sauté until the onions become translucent, approximately 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic, onion powder, and parsley; cook for 1 minute.

 Stir in the chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce and simmer until the potatoes are tender, approximately 15 minutes.

In a skillet, melt butter and whisk in flour. Whisk over low heat for 3-4 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk to make it creamy and remove any lumps. When thoroughly mixed and thickened, slowly whisk or stir into soup. Simmer until warm and season with salt and pepper to taste.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

​​​​Creamed Ham and Mushrooms on Toast

Can you believe that I am still eating ham? Wow! I had no idea how long that ham would last. At one point I considered burying it out in the backyard, but that would have gone against my grain, so I used up every last bit. This morning I decided to make a ham version of cream chipped beef on toast. As it turned out, it was excellent! So, here is the recipe for those of you whose hams are bigger than their stomachs.

​​​​Creamed Ham and Mushrooms on Toast

2 tablespoons butter, divided

4 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1 cup slivered ham

1 ½ tablespoons flour

1 ½ cups whole milk

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon curry powder, or to taste

1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard​

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley​

4 pieces toast

In a 9 - 10 inch sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium high heat. Sauté mushrooms for 3 to 5 minutes, then add ham and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, adding more butter if necessary. Move ham and mushrooms to one side of the pan, add remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and flour, stirring to combine. Cook and stir 1 to 2 additional minutes. Add milk in a slow stream and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Stir in sour cream, pepper, curry powder, mustard, ​and parsley. Continue to cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until heated through, about two minutes. Ladle mixture over toast. This serves two hearty appetites, or four smaller ones.

 

PRINT RECIPE

This post is linked to:

Wine’d Down Wednesday

Full Plate Thursday

Grace at Home

Friday at the Fire Station
Create, Bake, Grow and Gather

This post contains affiliate links.

Easter Linguini

I came up with the idea for this dish, believe it or not, while sitting in the dentist’s chair. I had an appointment to get my teeth cleaned, and because I find it so tedious, I generally just lie back, close my eyes, and take my mental leave. When I did, I started thinking about all of the Easter leftovers that I had in the fridge, and thus this recipe was born. This dish uses both ham and peas from my Easter dinner, and can be on the table in 30 minutes. So intrigued was I with the general idea, that as soon as I got home from the dentist, I dirtied up my clean teeth by eating a bowl of this. It is so good!

I decided to call this dish Easter Linguine because it makes use of leftover Easter ham and peas. Initially I had considered Easter Leftovers Linguine, but then I thought, who would want to eat that? :-)

Easter Linguini

8 ounces linguine
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup ham, cut into strips
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup peas
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
Lemon zest, a few gratings

Cook linguini according to package directions. During the last two minutes of cooking, toss in peas. Drain peas and pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Return peas and pasta to pan.

While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a 9-inch sauté pan. Gently sauté ham. Stir in garlic, cook for one minute. Stir in heavy cream, allow to simmer until thickened.

Pour cream sauce over linguini and peas, add parsley, Parmesan cheese, freshly ground pepper, and the lemon zest. Toss to coat. If sauce needs thinning, add pasta water a tablespoon at a time, until it reaches desired thickness. Serve immediately.

PRINT RECIPE

  

If you like linguini as much as I do, you may also enjoy Linguine in Broccoli Cream Sauce.

This post is linked to:

Cooking & Crafting with J&J

Amaze Me Monday

Busy Mondays

Merry Monday

Over the Moon

Make it Pretty Monday

Celebrate Your Story

This post contains affiliate links.