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A good baked ham is central to a successful holiday dinner—and in my opinion, it could easily replace turkey at Thanksgiving.
We tried this recipe for our first Easter hosting in our home and, to be honest, with as many dishes as we were preparing, I was a bit overwhelmed. I love to cook, and I’ve been cooking for many years, but I think it’s important to be transparent: I only recently graduated from bringing paper plates to holiday functions. I had no idea how to make a ham—I’d never done it before!
So, I spent my morning coffee time searching for a ham recipe online that was beginner-friendly. But everything I found felt overly complicated or too time-consuming for what I was able to manage that day. Don’t get me wrong—I’m happy to dive into a cooking project—but hosting was already stressful, and I needed something simple for my own sanity.
So, what did we do? We called my dad. Cue heroic intro music!
My dad worked in restaurants for most of his life, so he’s a great resource for random cooking inquiries. He was happy to help (after teasing us a bit for planning a main dish we didn’t know how to make) and gave us the recipe I’m sharing with you today.
I’m sure we can all relate to jumping into a project without necessarily knowing what we’re doing, or feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of tasks involved in hosting—from hanging up coats to getting food on the table.
Just remember: food is meant to be shared, and cooking is one of those beautiful skills that’s built over time, through trial and error. I hope you can learn from our successes as much as from our mistakes—and maybe even make a few of your own!
Now, this ham only requires three main ingredients (excluding the ham, of course), one baster, some tin foil, and a little bit of your time. So, let’s get started!
Heads Up 7-Up Ham
Ingredients
- 1 baked ham pre-cooked
- ½ bottle of 7-Up or any lemon-lime soda
- 1 can of pineapple slices reserve the juice
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves
- Aluminum foil for wrapping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C).
- Prepare the ham: Place the baked ham in a large roasting pan.
- Stud with cloves: Lightly score the top of the ham in a crisscross pattern to make diamond shapes, then press a clove into the center of each diamond.
- Add pineapple: Arrange the pineapple slices over the top of the ham. You can secure them with toothpicks if needed. 5. Pour the reserved pineapple juice over the ham.
- Pour in the soda: Add ½ bottle of 7-Up into the bottom of the pan to help create a sweet, flavorful basting liquid.
- Wrap in foil: Tightly cover the entire pan with aluminum foil. This helps retain moisture and prevents the ham from drying out.
- Bake for about 15–20 minutes per pound. Since the ham is pre-cooked, you’re just heating it through and letting the flavors soak in.
- Baste regularly: Every 30 minutes, carefully remove the foil and spoon some of the juice from the bottom of the pan over the ham, then re-cover with foil.
- Final touch (optional): For a caramelized top, remove the foil for the last 15–20 minutes of baking and let the top brown slightly.
- Let it rest: Once done, remove the ham from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.
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