If you haven't realized it yet, maple syrup and ham were meant to go together. The sweetness of the syrup perfectly offsets the smoky, savory flavor of the ham. And when you add a few other goodies in there, such as Dijon mustard and warm baking spices (as in the recipe below) you truly have a thing that hits the mark of perfection. It cooks in your slow cooker, which means there's not a ton of work.
Some people like to add whole spices to the slow cooker such as full cinnamon sticks, whole cloves and full peppercorns. An advantage to the ground varieties is that the flavor has a chance to totally infuse the meat. In addition, they are a little less expensive. Because the sauce is boiled quickly at the end, it also means no straining. Just pour everything into the saucepan and let it go to work.
Slow Cooker Maple Glazed Ham
4
5 minutes
7 hours, 10 minutes
7 hours, 15 minutes
1 cooked ham, about 4 pounds
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pure maple syrup, divided
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 whole bay leaves
Place the ham in a 6-quart slow cooker.
Whisk the chicken broth with the brown sugar, 1/4 cup of the maple syrup, mustard, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper.
Slowly pour the mixture over the ham. Add the bay leaves to the slow cooker.
Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 7 hours or on high for 3 hours.
Remove the ham from the slow cooker and tent to keep warm.
Pour the liquid into a small saucepan, discarding bay leaves, and add remaining maple syrup. Bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes or until the sauce has reached a syrup consistency.
Pour glaze on top of the ham, slice and serve remaining glaze on the side.