In partnership with Safeway
Before your holiday week menu is completely planned, pause and give this one a headline spot during your week: orange and bourbon smoked ham with brussels sprouts gratin. A tender whole ham is doused in a sweet and spicy glaze and served alongside brussels sprouts baked in a cheesy sauce and studded with ham lardons. Itâs a nice break from steak and potatoes and because we used our Safeway Fresh Pass delivery service, we were able to get dinner on the table in a flash.
SO MANY HOLIDAY DINNER IDEAS
As the holiday meals continue, we take a pivot from meat and potatoes to ham and brussels sprouts and it couldnât be more delicious. Made easy with an online shopping trip with our local Safeway grocery store, this amazing dinner is full of flavor and pretty quick. In a matter of about two hours, you will put an impressive glazed whole ham and bubbling hot brussels sprouts gratin on the table. Itâs the perfect meal to share with family and friends.
SAFEWAY FRESH PASS FOR THE WIN
Our local Safeway stores are the perfect place to gather all the ingredients for a happy holiday with family. As the parents of young twins (this will be their second Christmas!), getting out the door and into the grocery store for shopping is less easy than it used to be. Thatâs where the Safeway Fresh Pass programâ with free delivery for orders over $30â has made our life so easy. We catch a few minutes while the kids are napping and get our order placed in the app. And violaâ within two hours we have our groceries on our front step, expertly shopped and delivered with care.
Itâs truly the biggest blessing for the holidaysâ more time with our family and friendsâ and less time spent in the grocery aisles. We checked out the weekly circular for Safewayâs deals of the week and found all the things we needed for this ideal family meal of smoked ham and creamy baked brussels sprouts.
HAM FOR THE HOLIDAYS
The headliner on this weekâs circular is Spiral Sliced Ham at just $1.27 a pound, so we knew in an instant that ham would be on the holiday menu. It was a great price and beyond the delicious main course we had planned, we knew there were several rounds of tasty leftovers we could put on the menu in the week to come.
Since hams come pre-cooked, you really just need to warm it thoroughly to serve for a great and easy meal. We did so on the Traeger and amped up the flavor a few notches by creating a delicious orange and bourbon glaze for the ham. First smoked at 225* in the Traeger, we started slowly heating the ham and also gave it a good flavor bath of that signature wood-fired flavor.
HALO ORANGES AS THE BASE FOR OUR GLAZE
One of our favorite ways to add flavor to a whole ham is to make a glaze with citrus and a little alcohol. An easy way to do that is to use navel oranges, but this time of year mandarin oranges are in season, plentiful and perfect. We added a bag of Halo mandarin oranges to our shopping list (also on sale this week) and knew weâd have a few extra at the end to stick in stockings on Christmas morning.
Mandarin oranges are super juicy and so easy to use. We used a citrus reamer to encourage all the juice to end up in our recipe, and let bits of the pulp join the party for added citrus flavor. Admittedly, we didnât measure the citrus juice in this recipeâ but used juice from three mandarins as the base for our glaze.
OTHER INGREDIENTS TO ADD TO THE GLAZE
In addition to the Halo mandarin orange juice base, we added some bourbon (use the good stuff!), brown sugar, lots of grainy mustard and a small splash of maple syrup. Because the oranges are naturally so sweet, we used less maple syrup than we would in other recipes, and it came out perfect.
Using a whole-grain mustard adds some texture and added flavor to the glaze. The whole mustard seeds adhere nicely to the outside of the ham and also tuck into the spiral slices, adding pops of flavor throughout.
COOKING IT ON THE GRILL
We took the whole bone-in ham and placed it flat side down in a big cast iron skillet. To the skillet we added a couple ounces of bourbon and placed the whole thing in the grill at 225*. The super smoke feature of the Traeger at this temperature adds a boosted amount of wood-fired smoke to the cook, which gives the ham some added flavor. After about 40 minutes of smoking at 225, we poured on about half of the glaze mixture, reserving the rest.
The ham will naturally let off some juices as it starts to warm up, so you may have to pour off some liquid from the skillet part of the way through the cook. After glazing it, we bumped up the temperature to XXX and cooked it for another 30 minutes until the internal temperature reached about 120*. We poured on the remaining glaze at that point and continued cooking it until the internal temperature reached 135*, which would allow a bit of carry-over cooking.
Definitely spoon some of the liquid in the pan back on top of the ham throughout the cook if it starts looking dry. You want your ham to be flavorful and moist, not tough and dry!
BRUSSELS SPROUTS GRATIN
Itâs amazing how Brussels sprouts have taken on a life of their own in recent years. Once regarded as the stinky tiny cousin of cabbage, it seems like theyâve really found their place among winter vegetables and are one of our personal favorites to cook. In the past few months weâve cooked them a variety of waysâ but this one might be our new favorite.
We started with a tub of Brussels sprouts that were cleaned, sliced and prepared in our local Safeway store and sold in the produce department. If thereâs one thing weâve learned as new parents, it is that cutting corners by buying things ready to use is the best time saver possible. Itâs amazing how easy this dish came about simply because there was no washing, trimming, slicing and prepping brussels sprouts. Instead, we knew weâd have the ideal product for this recipe and we could get them delivered to our house thanks to our Safeway Fresh Pass membership.
USE HAM INSTEAD OF BACON
Using a bit of the ham from the whole one youâre glazing, we made a substitution for bacon and it really ties this dish together nicely. The ham is cooked briefly in butter and the set aside for later in the dish. To the ham-flavored butter in a cast iron pan, we added halved brussels sprouts over high heat.
By allowing the sprouts to cook on high heat for a few minutes, you start getting caramelization of the sprouts which will add lots of flavor. We sauteed them like this for about 10 minutes until they were starting to turn bright green (and golden brown) but were not yet tender. A clove of garlic and a big sprinkle of my Garlic Junkie seasoning were added to the pan next and given just enough time to get fragrant.
Sizzling bacon Brussels sprouts searing Brussels sprouts in sauce
CREAMY SAUCE AND CHEESY TOPPING
We then poured in a good amount of heavy whipping cream and allowed that to come to a boil with the sprouts, stirring frequently. The fried ham pieces were added back to the dish and everything was mixed well until bubbly. Season with salt and pepper and then top with a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese and a generous coating of finely shredded parmesan cheese.
We placed that skillet back in the Traegerâ this time at 375* for about 15 minutes until the sauce had thickened, the sprouts were tender and the top of the cheese was golden brown and bubbly. When served alongside the orange and bourbon smoked ham, this Brussels sprout gratin was a clear winner and another tick on the score sheet for everyoneâs new-favorite vegetable.
PRIMARY INGREDIENTS
- Signature Select bone-in spiral sliced ham
- Halos mandarin oranges
- Bourbon
- Signature Select Coarse Ground Dijon mustard
- Signature Select Dark Brown Sugar
- O Organics Maple Syrup
- Safeway Fresh Cut Brussels sprouts
- Lucerne Sweet Cream Unsalted Butter
- Lucerne Heavy cream
- Garlic
- My Garlic Junkie Seasoning
- Lucerne Finely Shredded Parmesan cheese
- Lucerne Mozzarella cheese
WHY COOKING HAM AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS ON THE TRAEGER WORKS
By cooking these dishes in the Traeger, weâre able to wow our family and friends with a backyard-cooked meal with little effort and minimal cleanup. The extra flavor added to the ham thanks to the smoke of the Traeger adds another layer of complexity to the dish and the grill serves as the ideal oven in which to reheat the ham.
Additionally, we finished the Brussels sprout gratin in the Traeger because it was already hot and ready to go. No need to preheat the oven or make the kitchen too hot. Rather, drop the cast iron pan in the hot Traeger and treat it just like you would with the ovenâ only with more delicious results.
STEP-BY-STEP
- Unwrap the ham and place it flat-side down in a big cast iron skillet.
- To the pan, add 2 ounces of bourbon.
- Preheat the Traeger grill to 225* with the super-smoke feature.
- Once the grill is hot, place the ham in the pan inside the grill and close the lid.
- While the ham is cooking, create the glaze.
- In a bowl, press the juice of three or four mandarin oranges (and some of the pulp, if you wish) using your hands or a citrus reamer.
- Add the mustard, brown sugar, bourbon and maple syrup to the orange juice.
- Whisk well to combine and transfer to a small grill-proof saucepan.
- Cook the ham for about 40 minutes.
- At 30 minutes, place the grill-proof saucepan in the grill to begin to warm the glaze.
- After 40 minutes of smoking, increase the grill temperature to XXX and pour half of the warmed glaze over the ham, ensuring that it gets in between some of the slices in the ham.
- Continue cooking the ham for another 30 minutes, checking the internal temperature of the ham.
- Once it reaches about 120*, pour the remaining glaze over the ham and continue cooking until it reaches 135* internally.
- When the ham has reached temperature, remove it from the grill and tent it loosely with foil to rest for about 20 minutes.
- Make the Brussels sprout gratin while the ham rests and serve together.
- Cut off one slice of ham and cut it into small dice.
- Turn up the grill temperature to 375*.
- In a medium cast iron skillet, saute the ham pieces in butter until just browned.
- Scoop out the ham and set aside.
- To the remaining butter in the pan, add the sliced Brussels sprouts.
- Season with salt and pepper and cook on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Allow the sprouts to begin charring on all sides.
- Add the crushed garlic clove and the Garlic Junkie seasoning.
- Stir to combine and then pour in the heavy cream.
- Bring the cream to a boil, stirring constantly.
- Add the reserved ham pieces and stir to combine.
- Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle the top with mozzarella cheese and then cover generously with parmesan cheese.
- Place the pan in the hot Traeger and cook for 15 minutes until hot and bubbly and the sprouts are fork tender.
- Remove the pan from the grill and allow to cool for a few minutes while you slice the ham.
- Serve the Brussels sprouts gratin alongside the orange and bourbon smoked ham.
ALTERNATE RECIPES/PRODUCT LINKS
- This recipe for Brussels sprouts is equally delicious.
- Brown sugar and peach glazed ham is another take on flavorful ham dinner
- Thereâs a great recipe for ham in my cookbook, which you can get here.
Products used in this cook:
- Safeway Fresh Pass– online ordering, in-store personal shopper and unlimited free delivery for orders over $30. We get our groceries in about 2 hours and itâs amazing!!
Traeger Timberline XL - Smithey Ironware cast iron skillet
- Lodge cast iron skillet
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Orange and Bourbon Glazed Ham on the Traeger
Equipment
- Cast iron skillet
- Bowl and whisk
- thermometer
Ingredients
- 1 Signature Select bone-in spiral sliced ham
- 4-5 Halos mandarin oranges
- 1 cup Bourbon
- 1 cup Signature Select Coarse Ground Dijon mustard
- 3/4 cup Signature Select Dark Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup O Organics Maple Syrup
Instructions
- Unwrap the ham and place it flat-side down in a big cast iron skillet.
- To the pan, add 2 ounces of bourbon.
- Preheat the Traeger grill to 225* with the super-smoke feature.
- Once the grill is hot, place the ham in the pan inside the grill and close the lid.
- While the ham is cooking, create the glaze.
- In a bowl, press the juice of three or four mandarin oranges (and some of the pulp, if you wish) using your hands or a citrus reamer.
- Add the mustard, brown sugar, bourbon and maple syrup to the orange juice.
- Whisk well to combine and transfer to a small grill-proof saucepan.
- Cook the ham for about 40 minutes.
- At 30 minutes, place the grill-proof saucepan in the grill to begin to warm the glaze.
- After 40 minutes of smoking, increase the grill temperature to XXX and pour half of the warmed glaze over the ham, ensuring that it gets in between some of the slices in the ham.
- Continue cooking the ham for another 30 minutes, checking the internal temperature of the ham.
- Once it reaches about 120*, pour the remaining glaze over the ham and continue cooking until it reaches 135* internal.
- When the ham has reached temperature, remove it from the grill and tent it loosely with foil to rest for about 20 minutes.
- Make the Brussels sprout gratin while the ham rests and serve together.
Video
Brussels Sprouts Gratin
Equipment
- Cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound Safeway Fresh Cut Brussels sprouts
- 2 slices ham from above recipe
- 2 tbsp Lucerne Sweet Cream Unsalted Butter
- 1.5 cups Lucerne Heavy cream
- 1 clove Garlic
- 2 tsp My Garlic Junkie Seasoning
- 1/2 cup Lucerne Finely Shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup Lucerne Mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Cut off one slice of ham and cut it into small dice.
- Turn up the grill temperature to 375*.
- In a medium cast iron skillet, saute the ham pieces in butter until just browned.
- Scoop out the ham and set aside.
- To the remaining butter in the pan, add the sliced Brussels sprouts.
- Season with salt and pepper and cook on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Allow the sprouts to begin charring on all sides.
- Add the crushed garlic clove and the Garlic Junkie seasoning.
- Stir to combine and then pour in the heavy cream.
- Bring the cream to a boil, stirring constantly.
- Add the reserved ham pieces and stir to combine.
- Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle the top with mozzarella cheese and then cover generously with parmesan cheese.
- Place the pan in the hot Traeger and cook for 15 minutes until hot and bubbly and the sprouts are fork tender.
- Remove the pan from the grill and allow to cool for a few minutes while you slice the ham.
- Serve the Brussels sprouts gratin alongside the orange and bourbon smoked ham.
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