Hey Amy!

I can hardly believe Easter Sunday is upon us. I feel like only yesterday we were shoveling snow and dealing with the blizzards (yes plural) of 2010. As I look around and see daffodils, crocuses and the forsythia, I know the beauty of spring is upon us.

The Easter meal is a traditional family gathering after church, egg hunting and perhaps like in my family, a visit from the Easter Bunny. We usually have ham, scalloped potatoes, green beans, fresh rolls and something heavenly for dessert. Today I share a recipe that stuffs the ham. I was intrigued by this recipe when I came across it in my newspaper cookbook as I, like most of you, are only accustomed to stuffing a bird. This recipe changed that way of thinking for me.

Ingredients:

1 10-12 lb. ham, cooked & deboned (ask the butcher to do it for you, much easier)
1 c. chopped white onions
1 c. chopped bell peppers
1/2 c. chopped celery
1/2 c. butter
4 c. sliced mushrooms
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
1/2 c. fresh parsley
2 c. fresh bread cubes
1/4 c. white wine, ginger ale or pineapple juice

Preheat oven to 350.  Saute onions, peppers, and celery in butter for 5 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients (except for ham) and mix well.  Stuff cavity (where the bone once was).  If you have remaining filling, put in buttered baking dish and bake.

Tie ham about every 3 inches and bake in oven for 45 minutes.  Remove ham from oven and remove rind and half the fat layer.  Score remaining fat into diamond shapes.  Make a paste from 1/2 c. brown sugar, 1/2 c. brown mustard, and 1/4 c. white wine (or ginger ale or pineapple juice).  Spread paste over ham fat.  Return ham to oven and bake 20 minutes at 400.  Enjoy.

I realize this may seem like a few too many steps for your holiday cooking but I promise the look on your family’s faces will be well worth it.

xo–me

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