Baked Ham With Root Beer Glaze Recipe – Good Housekeeping Easter Dinner Recipes

Why This Baked Ham With Root Beer Glaze Works So Well

Holiday ham is one of those dishes that can swing wildly between glorious and dry enough to inspire a family debate. The reason this recipe works is that it respects what a store-bought holiday ham really is: usually a fully cooked, smoked ham that needs gentle reheating, not aggressive roasting. That distinction matters. You are not trying to conquer raw pork. You are warming a cured, already flavorful main dish and giving it a glossy finish.

Root beer does a surprising amount of heavy lifting here. It contributes sugar, yes, but also subtle notes of vanilla, spice, molasses, and sassafras-like flavor that feel tailor-made for ham. It reduces into a sticky glaze without needing a chemistry degree or a saucepan that looks like it survived battle. Brown sugar deepens the sweetness so it tastes rich instead of flat. Whole grain mustard cuts through the sugar with a little bite. Lemon juice keeps the glaze from becoming cloying. Fresh ginger wakes the whole thing up. And cloves? Cloves are the tiny dramatic actors of Easter dinner. They do not have much screen time, but you know when they are there.

The final result is a ham with a lacquered exterior, a juicy interior, and pan drippings that are dangerously good spooned over sliced meat. It tastes festive without being fussy, and it looks far more high-maintenance than it actually is. That is the kind of dinner recipe I trust.

Ingredients for the Good Housekeeping-Style Root Beer Glazed Ham

Here is the flavor lineup that makes this Easter ham sing:

• 1 fully cooked bone-in smoked half ham (about 7 pounds): Bone-in ham brings better flavor and a more impressive holiday presentation.
• 2 cups root beer: The sweet, fizzy backbone of the glaze.
• 1 cup light brown sugar: Adds caramel depth and helps the glaze cling.
• 3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger: Gives the sweetness some zip.
• 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard: Sharp, textured, and ideal with pork.
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice: A small amount, but a very useful one.
• Whole cloves: Pressed into the scored surface for aroma and classic holiday flavor.

That ingredient list is short, which is one reason this recipe is so appealing. It tastes layered and special without asking you to buy half the spice aisle, three fruit preserves, and a mysterious liqueur that will live in your cabinet until the next solar eclipse.

How to Make Baked Ham With Root Beer Glaze

1. Start with the right ham

For this recipe, a fully cooked bone-in smoked ham is the sweet spot. It gives you the best flavor, slices beautifully, and stays juicier than some pre-sliced spiral hams. Spiral hams are convenient, but they can dry out faster because all those cuts create more exposed surface area. A half ham, especially shank end, feels traditional and holds moisture well.

2. Score the surface like you mean it

Place the ham cut-side down and score the exterior in a diamond pattern, about 1/4 inch deep. This is not just for looks, though yes, it does make the ham look fancy enough to deserve applause. Scoring helps the glaze settle into the surface, gives the fat a place to render, and creates little ridges that catch flavor. Press a clove into the center of each diamond if you want that classic Easter look and fragrance.

3. Make the glaze

Whisk together the root beer, brown sugar, grated ginger, whole grain mustard, and lemon juice. That is it. No complicated reduction required at the beginning. As the ham bakes, the liquid mingles with the drippings and becomes glossy, sweet, and savory in the pan.

4. Bake covered first

Set the ham on a rack inside a roasting pan. Pour the glaze mixture over it, cover the pan tightly with foil, and bake at 325°F for about 1 1/2 hours. Covering the ham early helps it heat through gently without drying out. Think of this stage as a warm-up, not a dramatic finale.

5. Uncover, baste, and let the glaze do its thing

After the covered bake, remove the foil and begin basting the ham with the liquid in the bottom of the pan every 20 minutes. Continue baking until the ham is heated through and reaches 140°F internally. For a 7-pound fully cooked ham, that can take roughly another 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on your oven and the ham itself.

6. Rest, slice, and save the drippings

Transfer the ham to a cutting board, remove the cloves, and let it rest briefly before slicing. Pour the drippings into a bowl and serve them alongside the ham. Do not treat those drippings like an afterthought. They are basically liquid Easter happiness.

Best Tips for a Juicy Easter Ham

Do not glaze too early. This is one of the biggest ham mistakes. Sugary glazes can burn if they spend too long exposed to heat. The Good Housekeeping method gets around that by covering the ham first and then basting later as the ham finishes warming. That gives you caramelization without turning your holiday centerpiece into a cautionary tale.

Use a thermometer. Holiday optimism is not a cooking tool. A thermometer is. Since this recipe uses a fully cooked ham, you are reheating it to serving temperature, not cooking it from raw. Checking the center of the thickest part keeps you from guessing and drying it out.

Bone-in is worth it. Yes, carving around the bone takes a tiny bit more effort, but the flavor payoff is real. Bone-in ham tends to stay juicier, tastes richer, and makes the table look more like a holiday spread and less like a Tuesday sandwich emergency.

Let the ham sit out briefly before baking. Bringing it closer to room temperature helps it heat more evenly. Not forever, just enough to take the refrigerator chill off.

Keep some glaze in the pan. A ham should not bake in a dry environment if you can help it. The liquid in the pan helps with moisture, and the drippings become part sauce, part glaze, part irresistible spoonable bonus.

What Root Beer Adds That Other Ham Glazes Do Not

Most ham glazes lean on honey, maple, cola, fruit preserves, or brown sugar. Those are all delicious, but root beer glaze has a personality all its own. It is sweeter than mustard-only glazes, more aromatic than plain cola, and more playful than the usual pineapple route. The soda gives you caramel notes, a little herbal spice, and a mellow vanilla-like softness that works beautifully against smoky pork.

In other words, this glaze tastes familiar enough to please traditional Easter guests and interesting enough to make someone ask, “Wait, what’s in this?” That is the exact question you want at the table. It means people are paying attention.

What to Serve With Baked Ham With Root Beer Glaze

This ham is rich and sweet-savory, so the best side dishes either add freshness or lean into comfort in a way that feels worthy of a holiday table.

Classic Easter side dish ideas

• Scalloped or au gratin potatoes
• Roasted carrots with herbs
• Green beans with lemon and almonds
• Deviled eggs
• Buttery rolls or biscuits
• A crisp spring salad with a tart vinaigrette
• Mac and cheese, if your family believes joy should be extra creamy

A bright salad is especially helpful because the glaze is sweet and the ham is salty. A tangy vinaigrette acts like a palate reset. It gives guests permission to go back for another slice, which they were planning to do anyway.

How to Use Leftover Root Beer Glazed Ham

One of the best things about making a baked ham for Easter is that the leftovers feel like a reward instead of a burden. This is not the sort of meal you spend all day cooking only to face with dread the next morning. Leftover ham is a jackpot.

• Ham biscuits or slider sandwiches: Add mustard, pickles, or a little cheddar.
• Breakfast hash: Crisp the ham with potatoes and onions, then top with eggs.
• Ham mac and cheese: Because restraint is not always necessary.
• Split pea soup: Especially useful if you still have the bone.
• Ham and cheese quiche: The kind of brunch dish that mysteriously disappears fast.
• Spring pasta: Toss chopped ham with peas, cream, and Parmesan.

If you save the bone, even better. It can turn a humble pot of beans or soup into something that tastes like it came from a grandmother who never measured anything and was somehow always right.

Why This Good Housekeeping Easter Dinner Recipe Still Feels Fresh

Some holiday recipes stay popular because they are familiar. Others last because they are clever. This one manages to be both. It has the comforting, retro charm of a classic baked ham, but the root beer glaze recipe gives it enough personality to feel updated. It is practical, too. The ingredient list is accessible, the method is straightforward, and the payoff is absolutely holiday-worthy.

That makes it a strong choice for hosts who want something memorable without trying to audition for a cooking show. You do not need advanced knife skills, twelve burners, or a spiritual relationship with your roasting pan. You need a good ham, a few smart ingredients, and enough confidence to trust that yes, root beer belongs here. It really does.

My Easter Table Experience With Baked Ham and Root Beer Glaze

The first time I served a baked ham with root beer glaze for Easter, I expected mild curiosity and polite chewing. What I got instead was the kind of reaction every home cook secretly wants: silence for the first few bites, then immediate second helpings, then a mini interrogation in the kitchen about what exactly was in the glaze. That is when I knew this recipe was not just good. It was “write-it-down-before-someone-leaves” good.

There is something wonderfully theatrical about setting a glazed ham on the table. Turkey has pressure. Prime rib has opinions. Ham has swagger. It arrives shiny, fragrant, and deeply unconcerned with whether the rolls are running late. The root beer glaze makes that moment even better because the aroma is familiar but hard to place right away. You catch the brown sugar, the warm spice, the mustard, the clove, and then this mellow sweetness that feels nostalgic, almost like an old-fashioned soda fountain somehow wandered into Easter dinner wearing an apron.

What I remember most is how approachable the whole meal felt. Easter menus can get a little too ambitious. Someone is glazing carrots, someone is whipping potatoes, someone is arguing with a pie crust, and somebody else has decided this is the perfect year to attempt a layered dessert that requires emotional resilience. Ham changes the mood. It is generous. It feeds a crowd. It buys you time. You can get it in the oven, handle the sides, and still greet people like a person who enjoys hosting instead of one who has just returned from battle.

At my table, the ham worked beautifully with the usual lineup: scalloped potatoes, roasted asparagus, deviled eggs, soft rolls, and one very determined lemony salad trying to keep the whole thing balanced. The glaze tied it all together. It was sweet enough to feel celebratory but not candy-like. The ginger and mustard kept it from going flat. The pan drippings became their own little luxury. More than one guest spooned them over potatoes, which I fully support as a lifestyle choice.

The leftovers were almost as exciting as the dinner itself. The next morning, slices of ham went into biscuits with mustard. Later, chopped pieces found their way into a skillet with potatoes and onions. By day three, the bone was on soup duty, doing the kind of quiet, noble work that turns simple ingredients into something deeply satisfying. A good Easter ham does not end at dinner. It keeps giving, like a very delicious overachiever.

That is why this recipe sticks with me. It is festive without being fussy, classic without being boring, and just unexpected enough to feel special. If your holiday style is less “formal dining portrait” and more “big platter, happy people, please pass the rolls,” this ham fits right in. It tastes like a tradition you somehow already remember, even if it is your first time making it.

Final Thoughts

If you want an Easter centerpiece that feels classic, crowd-friendly, and just unusual enough to earn compliments, this Baked Ham With Root Beer Glaze Recipe is a strong bet. It borrows the best idea from a beloved Good Housekeeping Easter dinner recipe and turns it into a dinner that feels both nostalgic and fresh. The root beer brings sweetness and complexity, the mustard and lemon keep it balanced, and the bone-in ham gives you the rich, juicy slices everyone hopes for at a holiday meal.

In a world full of predictable hams, this one has sparkle. Literally. Make it once, and do not be surprised if it becomes your Easter regular.