Cranberry-orange glaze sweetens spiral ham

If you need to feed a crowd, this ham will be your perfect protein. You could order a ham and spend upward of $80, but when it's this easy to make at home, why not?

Hams are always on special this time of year. Smoked, unglazed ham is my favorite, and most come spiral-sliced these days. Because it is already cooked, it only needs to be heated through (usually 10 to 12 minutes per pound), so it's super-easy.

You'll most likely have a sugary glaze packet in the ham package, but opt for something totally different and much healthier with this delicious homemade glaze. You and your crowd will be very glad you did!

Cranberry-Orange and Clove Glazed Ham

Start to finish: less than 15 minutes preparation; approximately 1 1/3 hours to 2 hours unattended baking, depending on size of ham

Yield: 24 generous servings

1 smoked, spiral-sliced (unglazed) bone-in ham (10 to 12 pounds)

1 can (14 ounces) jellied cranberry sauce

1/2 cup fresh squeezed or natural orange juice (see Cook's Note)

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon ground dry mustard

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a large baking pan with foil. Make sure the pan is large enough to accommodate the sliced side of the ham before unwrapping. Then unwrap the ham and place sliced-side down, pouring all the package juices over the top of ham. (Discard the glaze packet if included.)

In a small bowl, combine the cranberry sauce, orange juice, cloves, garlic powder and dry mustard. Mix well. Spoon the glaze over the ham, trying to cover all the exposed sides. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes per pound. Halfway through baking, carefully spoon over the ham the juices and glaze that have pooled in the bottom of the pan; continue baking.

In the last 15 to 20 minutes, if the ham begins to darken too much, place a sheet of foil over it and continue baking until warmed through completely. Serve immediately, or cool to room temperature and store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Ham may also be sliced or chopped, and frozen, tightly sealed, for up to three months.

Cook's Note: "Natural" or "Not From Concentrate" orange juice tends to be less sugary than juice from concentrate. Any breakfast-style orange juice can be used in equal amounts, but it will affect the amount of carbohydrates in the nutritional data.

Approximate values per 3-ounce serving: 124 calories, 6.5 g fat (2 g saturated), 43 mg cholesterol, 12 g protein, 4 g carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber, 986 mg sodium.

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(Alicia Ross is the co-author of "Desperation Dinners!" (Workman, 1997), "Desperation Entertaining!" (Workman, 2002) and "Cheap. Fast. Good!" (Workman, 2006). Contact her at Kitchen Scoop, c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106, or send email to [email protected]. Or visit the Kitchen Scoop website at http://www.kitchenscoop.com.)