Paula Deen Christmas Ham

Paula Deen Christmas ham turns a 7 pound smoked ham, Dijon mustard and orange marmalade into a golden crescent-wrapped holiday main in 1 hour 10 minutes. Try this easy Christmas dinner idea for the holiday table or Sunday dinner, since it's a Southern comfort food showpiece that feeds up to 15.

Press the perforated seams of the crescent dough together before you drape it, because that keeps it one solid sheet. If you skip it, the dough tears apart and leaves bare spots where the ham dries out.

She wraps the ham in crescent dough and bakes it in two stages, so the mustard marmalade glaze cooks into the meat before the pastry goes on. The dough then bakes into a crisp, buttery shell that holds in the juices, and the cut-out holly leaves make it look finished with almost no effort.

Paula Deen Christmas Ham

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Course: DinnerCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy

Servings

10

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

480

kcal

A sweet and tangy mustard glaze soaks into a scored smoked ham, then a golden crescent crust seals it in. Sliced at the table, the pastry is flaky and browned while the meat stays juicy and tender.

Ingredients

• 7 lbs butt end smoked ham
  

• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
  

• 1/2 cup orange marmalade
  

• 1 teaspoon Black pepper
  

• 3 cans crescent rolls
  

• 1 egg with water to make egg wash
  

Directions

• Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F. That way it is fully hot when the ham goes in.
• Score the ham: Place the 7 pound ham in a roasting pan and lightly score it all around with a sharp knife. The cuts give the glaze somewhere to sink in.
• Make the glaze: Stir 1/2 cup Dijon mustard, 1/2 cup orange marmalade and 1 teaspoon black pepper together in a small bowl. Then slather it all over the ham, rubbing it into the scored meat.
• Bake the ham first: Bake the glazed ham for 20 minutes, then take it out of the oven. This gives the glaze a head start before the dough goes on.
• Wrap in crescent dough: Unroll 2 cans of crescent dough without separating the pieces, and press the perforations together so each sheet stays one rectangle. Drape the sheets over the ham, press the edges together to cover it completely, and tuck any loose edges under the bottom.
• Brush with egg wash: Whisk 1 egg with a little water to make an egg wash. Then brush it over all of the dough so it bakes up shiny and golden.
• Cut the holly leaves: Lay the third can of dough on a cutting board and cut out holiday shapes with cookie cutters, like holly leaves. Arrange them in a pretty bunch on top of the ham and brush them with egg wash.
• Finish baking: Return the ham to the oven for another 20 minutes. It is done when the ham is heated through and the crescent dough is cooked and browned.

Tools for this recipe

• Cuisinart 16-inch roasting pan with rack, Ateco 11-piece round cutter set, OXO silicone pastry brush. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I wrap the ham in dough ahead of time?

I would not, since the dough turns soggy and gets harder to handle after sitting on a wet glaze. Glaze and bake the ham for its first 20 minutes, then wrap it right away so the dough bakes up crisp.

How do I store leftover crescent-wrapped ham?

Slice the leftover ham and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. The crust softens as it sits, so reheat slices in the oven rather than the microwave to bring back some crispness.

What can I use instead of orange marmalade?

Apricot preserves or peach preserves work in the same amount. They are just as sweet and sticky, so they still pair well with the Dijon.

Do I need cookie cutters for the holly leaves?

Not at all. Cut the leaf shapes freehand with a small sharp knife, or skip the decoration and leave the dough plain. The ham cooks the same either way.

Why is my crescent dough browning too fast?

Ovens vary, so if the crust gets dark before the ham is heated through, tent it loosely with foil for the rest of the bake. That slows the browning without making the pastry soggy.