This slow cooker 4-ingredient parsley sauce ham is my cozy Midwestern spin on the classic boiled ham with parsley sauce my grandmother carried over from Ireland. She made it for Christmas and Easter, and the smell of that simmering ham meant the house would be full and the table crowded. Here I let the slow cooker do the long, gentle work so the ham stays juicy and tender, then finish it with a simple, creamy parsley sauce that tastes like it took all day. With just four ingredients, it’s practical enough for any Sunday supper, but still feels like a comforting, authentic holiday meal.
Serve the thick slices of ham smothered in creamy parsley sauce on warm plates with buttery boiled potatoes or mashed potatoes to catch every bit of sauce. Steamed carrots, peas, or green beans make a nice, simple vegetable side, just like my grandmother would have done. A basket of soft dinner rolls or soda bread is lovely for sopping up the extra sauce, and if you like, a sharp mustard or a spoonful of applesauce on the table offers a bright contrast to the rich, savory ham.
Slow Cooker Parsley Sauce HamServings: 6-8
Ingredients
1 (3–4 lb) fully cooked smoked ham (bone-in or boneless)
4 cups whole milk, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (flat-leaf or curly), loosely packed
Directions
Place the ham in the slow cooker, flat side down if it has one. Pour in 2 cups of the milk around the ham (it should come partway up the sides but not cover it). Cover and cook on LOW for 6–8 hours, or on HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the ham is heated through and very tender when pierced with a fork.
When the ham is nearly done, prepare the parsley and sauce base. Rinse the parsley well, shake or pat it dry, and finely chop enough to make 1 cup, loosely packed. Set aside.
In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk the remaining 2 cups of milk with the flour until completely smooth, with no lumps. This will be the thickening base for your parsley sauce.
Once the ham is cooked and tender, carefully lift it out of the slow cooker and place it on a cutting board. Tent loosely with foil to keep warm while you finish the sauce. Pour the hot cooking milk from the slow cooker into a large saucepan, scraping any flavorful bits from the bottom of the crock into the pan.
Whisk the flour-and-milk mixture again to be sure it’s smooth, then slowly pour it into the saucepan with the hot cooking liquid, whisking constantly. Set the saucepan over medium heat and cook, whisking often, until the sauce comes to a gentle simmer and thickens to a creamy, gravy-like consistency, 5–8 minutes. If it seems too thick, whisk in a splash more milk or a spoonful of hot water; if too thin, let it simmer a few minutes longer.
Stir the chopped fresh parsley into the hot sauce and let it cook for 1–2 minutes more, just until the parsley softens slightly and the sauce is speckled with bright green. Taste and, if you like, adjust the seasoning very lightly with a pinch of salt and a crack of black pepper, keeping in mind the ham itself is already salty and savory.
Slice the warm ham into thick slices and arrange them on a warmed serving platter or individual plates. Spoon the hot parsley sauce generously over the slices, letting it run over the sides so each piece is well coated. Serve at once, passing extra sauce at the table for those who like their ham well smothered.
Variations & Tips
If you prefer a slightly richer sauce, you can quietly swap part of the milk (up to 1 cup) for light cream, keeping the overall ingredient list the same in spirit. For a more old-fashioned Irish feel, use a lightly smoked, uncured ham or gammon joint if you can find it, and extend the slow-cooking time until it is very tender. If your slow cooker runs hot and the milk around the ham starts to bubble too briskly, turn it down to WARM to keep it gentle—low and slow keeps the meat moist. You can also make the ham a day ahead, chill it whole, and reheat thick slices in a covered dish with a splash of milk, then prepare the parsley sauce fresh just before serving. Leftover ham and parsley sauce are lovely reheated the next day over boiled potatoes or tucked into a simple pot pie. For smaller households, cook the full ham, then portion and freeze extra slices without sauce; the parsley sauce is best made fresh in a half-batch when you’re ready to enjoy the leftovers.
