Country Ham Recipes for the Holiday Season
Country ham is never just a ham: it’s a traditional, heritage product infused with good memories and timeless flavor.
Sure, it’s perfect for grand centerpieces, delicious appetizers, and tasty treats… but it’s more than just nourishment. Good food gives us good memories, togetherness, and belonging. And just like good memories, good recipes stick around to be enjoyed again and again, so we’ve put together some of our favorites so you can share them.
Why Country Ham Belongs on Your Holiday Table
Country ham is an American tradition. It’s the quintessential taste of the South; Americana served up on a plate for us all to enjoy. Country ham recipes take pride of place at holiday celebrations like Thanksgiving and Christmas because of their rich, savory flavors and tender meat — it’s the perfect combination of homey and decadent.
Padow’s country hams are premium, authentic products made with time-honored techniques to produce lovingly hand-crafted, versatile hams. Stuffed full of history and packed with flavor, our heritage hams make dazzling centerpieces, excellent main courses, and delicious appetizers that will leave you wanting more!
Festive Appetizers to Start the Celebration
Sometimes, you need a little something to whet the appetite. A delicious morsel to get everyone in the mood for food … and country ham from Padow’s is the perfect solution. Our country ham appetizers are delicious and versatile. When you want crowd-pleasers to get the party started, we can help.
Country Ham Slider Rolls
OurCountry Ham Slider Rolls are the perfect bite-sized package! The rich, savory flavor of our country ham pairs well with the smoky richness of Swiss cheese, but the real star of the show is the sweet and tangy glaze. Made with Padow’s Amish Honey Mustard and Worcestershire sauce, our sliders carefully balance flavors that will have you and your guests reaching for seconds, thirds, and fourths!
Country Ham & Cheese Pinwheels
Country Ham & Cheese Pinwheels are a real crowd-pleaser. Theseham appetizers bring together creamy flavors with savory layers to make every bite a revelation of rich, robust flavors. You won’t want to put these delicious pinwheels down, and nor will your guests! Padow’s pinwheels are perfect for holiday parties, family gatherings, game-day feasts, or even just a festive snack. This is a simple recipe packed full of flavor.
Our delicious appetizers pair well with our unique and authentic spreads and dips, so if you want to kick your appetizers up a notch, these are the perfect companions!
Showstopping Holiday Main Courses
The holiday centerpiece is so many different things at once: it’s a showstopping visual treat, food for all your family and guests, and a statement of intent. And it can’t just be good at one thing; it’s got to be good at them all!
When you’re planning a holiday extravaganza complete with a centerpiece, a Padow’s whole or sliced country ham is the perfect option. We’ve even got some tried-and-tested recipes you can enjoy … or if you’re a keen home cook, you can use your own! These delicious main courses pair well with classic sides like roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, or your favorite holiday casseroles.
Honey Glazed Ham
Honey-glazed ham is a classic and beloved holiday centerpiece. It hits all the right notes: it’s traditional, tasty, and tasteful. When you need a showstopping centerpiece packed with rich, satisfying flavors, look no further than honey-glazed ham.
This winning combination of sweet and savory is a real treat for the taste buds and will leave your guests satisfied and full after a great meal, and the leftovers make excellent sandwiches!
Country Ham Pie
OurPadow’s Country Ham Pie is the ultimate in rustic but festive comfort food — it’s a homey, comforting meal that looks great on the table. This is the perfect recipe for home bakers, and it’ll fill your home with rich, savory aromas.
Our country ham pie recipe makes a beautiful, rustic, wholesome pie that feels right at home on any holiday table. Its creamy spiced filling and delicate crust make it one of our favorite holiday ham recipes, and we’re certain it’ll be one of yours as well!
Tips for Cooking with Country Ham
Our country ham isn’t just great forholiday recipes. There’s a ham recipe to suit every taste and occasion! Country ham is a flexible and versatile ingredient that suits all sorts of meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner; appetizers to entrees. To help you get the best out of your delectableham recipes, here are a few tips:
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Soak your ham: Dry-cured hams are often quite dry. Soaking can add necessary moisture, especially for salt-cured artisanal hams like ours!
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Change your water: Longer soaks need a water change every 4 hours!
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Slice with a sharp, thin knife:You’ll need a sharp, thin knife to slice your country hams (unless you go with one of our pre-sliced hams). Cut against the grain of the meat for maximum tenderness.
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Don’t overseason: Artisanal salt-cured hams are already well-seasoned with salt, so you usually don’t need to add more!
Create Holiday Magic with Padow’s Hams
At Padow’s Hams, each and every one of our Virginia country hams is lovingly hand-crafted according to time-honored, heritage techniques. Explore ourcountry ham selection to find the perfect premium holiday produce! Or if you’re looking to gift someone special something special, ourHoliday Gift Guide might be just what you need.
We’re proud of our Virginia tradition, and we want to share this quintessential taste of the South with everyone; that’s why we ship all over the United States. This rich, aromatic slice of American history is something we all deserve to enjoy!
Our recipes are a great start, but they aren’t the only ways you can enjoy our country hams. These authentic, premium products inspire all our inner chefs to create magnificent holiday dishes adapted to meet varied tastes and occasions nationwide. If you’ve come up with something special, we’d love to hear about it!
