Easy Meals in Minutes for Easter and Beyond

DES MOINES, Iowa, March 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Ham has been gracing Easter tables across the country for decades – in fact, 67 percent of households are planning to celebrate with a ham dinner this year(1). No matter how you slice it, the familiar savory-sweet flavor combination of a juicy ham is hard to beat when it comes to providing an impressive, quick and hassle-free centerpiece feast.  

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However, in a recent survey, Today's Home Cook: Attitudes, Habits and Trends, nearly half of the women said that they don't have enough time to cook – making it their biggest challenge in the kitchen(2). To help with that challenge, the National Pork Board partnered up with renowned "Steamy Kitchen" blogger and mom, Jaden Hair, who knows this struggle herself. She's developed some tips and twists on the Easter ham standby that will help home cooks spring out of old habits this holiday.

"As a mom on-the-go, I appreciate recipes with minimal ingredients that I can prepare quickly – whether I'm cooking a holiday dinner or just a weeknight meal," said Hair.  "I know many people who think that preparing a meal, especially for Easter, can be time-consuming. But it doesn't have to be."

Meals in Minutes for Any Size Crowd

A traditional holiday ham is a versatile option for Easter since it pairs well with many flavors. Even better, no matter what type you buy – bone-in, boneless, fully cooked or uncooked – you don't have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

Hair shared her Ham Steaks with Blackberry Rum recipe, which she recommends as an Easter dinner for two people. Instead of purchasing a full ham, Hair uses two ham steaks; she just gives them a good sear on both sides, and then tops them with the fruity rum glaze – perfect for the smaller crowd!

If your family is a little larger, and you're sporting four to six guests at your Easter table, Hair suggests her Baked Ham with Sweet Mango and Ginger, which uses a six or seven pound ham. With just five ingredients, it is quick to make (a mom must-have!) and with flavors like mango, ginger and clove, the taste will impress guests.

Finally, if you're serving a large crowd of friends and family on Easter, Hair's Cola-Pineapple Glazed Ham is the showpiece ham for you. This fool-proof method of baking ham will result in a juicy, tender ham each and every time.

"While this recipe is delicious the first time around, what I love about it is the leftovers it gives you! With ham, like many cuts of pork, you're really getting more 'bang for your buck' since you can use it to prepare a variety of dishes for the next day and beyond," said Hair.

In fact, the National Pork Board also developed several NEW recipes for this spring season, which families can prepare using leftover holiday ham, such as Spanish-inspired Hampanadas, a Southwestern-style Ham and Ranch Potato Frittata or a classic Ham and Spaghetti Alfredo. All of these easy meals are not only tasty, but can be cooked in 30 minutes or less.

Time-Saving Tips

Quick meal ideas may only be half the battle when it comes to having time to cook, though. Busy mom Hair also has advice on how to "cut corners" in the kitchen, so as not to cut out time with family:

• Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Fill up guests and store away the rest – leftover ham can be saved in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or the use by date on the label, allowing for easy meals after your holiday feast.
• Hop to it and prepare for the meal in advance. Lay out all ingredients (there's only five in her recipe!) and cookware the night before to eliminate any day-of surprises.  You can prepare any of the glazes listed in Jaden's recipes the night before. Refrigerate them overnight and take out when you begin prepping your ham so your glaze has time to rise to room temperature. Room-temperature glaze is thicker than a warm or hot glaze - which means you can brush a thicker coating on the ham. 
• So hammy together. Make sure to enlist guests as helpers and get everyone in the family involved. The quality time will be a treat and so will the extra hands!

For More Information

For leftover ideas, more than 100 ham and other pork recipes, a video demonstration about carving ham, and a free downloadable Easy Meals in Minutes brochure with recipes, information and tips for enjoying pork, visit TheOtherWhiteMeat.com.

The National Pork Board has responsibility for Checkoff-funded research, promotion and consumer information projects and for communicating with pork producers and the public. Through a legislative national Pork Checkoff, pork producers invest $0.40 for each $100 value of hogs sold. The Pork Checkoff funds national and state programs in advertising, consumer information, retail and foodservice marketing, export market promotion, production improvement, technology, swine health, pork safety and environmental management. 

(1), (2) National Pork Board Survey, The survey was conducted online with a random sample of 1,003 U.S. women ages 25-45 conducted by KRC Research in December 2009. The overall sampling error for this survey is +/- 3.1 percent points at the 95% level of confidence.

SOURCE The National Pork Board