A Honey Baked Ham for New Year’s Day

    I grew up in a family that ate collard greens, black-eyed peas, and cornbread every New Year’s Day for lunch.  The meat varied from year to year, usually smoked ham or ribs, but the three side dishes always remained consistent.  As I child, I was told that the collard greens represented paper money and the black-eyed peas represented coins.   I was encouraged to eat as many greens and peas as I could hold, because this would bring me wealth in the New Year.  My brother and I would thoroughly douse our greens in vinegar and choke down a large helping of black-eyed peas.  Honestly, as a kid, I wasn’t crazy about the greens and peas.  Oh how my taste buds have changed!  This year we partook in the traditional New Year’s Day lunch of ham, collard greens, and black-eyed peas.  I failed to make cornbread because I figured we had enough food without it.  The ham I baked was actually the first ham I have ever made.  My dad smokes the most delicious brown sugar rubbed hams around Christmas and New Year’s.  Therefore, I have never had any reason to make a ham myself.  This year was the first time I have not eaten New Year’s lunch with my parents in 25 years.  Mama and Daddy were in South Carolina visiting my grandparents, but I cooked as though they were coming – plus about eight other people.  J.T. and I ate ham, collard greens, and black-eyed peas for a week, before we finally finished them up!  Everything turned out so good that we never got tired of eating the same thing – over and over again.  I even made some cornbread later on in the week J

Ingredients

·         5 lb. semi-boneless smoked ham

·         4 garlic cloves

·         ¼ cup pure clover honey

·         ¼ cup Dijon mustard

·         ½ teaspoon dried thyme

·         Water

Directions

1.      Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Pat the ham dry with a paper towels and place in a large roasting pan. 

2.      Use a garlic press to mince the garlic.  Stir together the minced garlic, honey, Dijon mustard, and thyme.  Spoon the glaze on the ham, coating all sides.  Fill the bottom of the roasting pan with 1-inch of water.  Bake for 1 hour.  Check the ham occasionally and add more water if necessary.  

 Dad's Apple Smoked Turkey

 Ingredients

• 1-14 lb. turkey
• 1 1/2 apples, cored and sliced
• 1 Vidalia onion, cubed into large chunks
• lemon pepper
• salt
• apple wood chips
• 32 oz. apple juice

Directions

1. Preheat electric smoker to 250 degrees.  Soak apple wood chips for at least 30 minutes in apple juice. 
2. Prepare turkey by removing giblets from inside. Stuff inside of turkey with apples and onions.  Rub outside of turkey and under skin with lemon pepper and salt.  
3. Place turkey in smoker and cook for 4 to 5 hours, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. 

Meme's Cornbread Dressing

recipe courtesy of Bon Appetit, Y'all

Ingredients

• 4 tbs. unsalted butter
• 4 c. day-old crumbled Buttermilk Cornbread, recipe below
• 1 loaf-brioche or egg bread, cut into 1-in. cubes, about 2 cups
• 3/4 c. fresh or panko breadcrumpbs
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 Vidalia onion, chopped
• 2 1/2 c. chicken broth
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbs. chopped fresh sage
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter an oven proof gratin or casserole dish.
2. In a very large bowl, combine, the cornbread, brioche, and breadcrumbs in a very large mixing bowl; set aside.
3. Heat the 4 tbs. butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the celery and onion and cook until soft, 5 to 7 minutes.  Transfer the cooked vegetables to the bread mixture.  Pour over the broth and add the eggs, sage, and thyme.  The mixture should be fairly soupy; if not, add additional stock.   Stir well to combine and season with salt and pepper.  Transfer to the baking dish.  Bake until heated through puffed, and golden brown, about 45 minutes.  Remove from the oven to cool slightly before serving. 

Buttermilk Cornbread

• Ingredients

• 2 tbs. unsalted butter
• 2 c. white or yellow cornmeal
• 1 tsp. fine sea salt
• 1  tsp. baking soda
• 2 c. buttermilk

• Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Place butter in a 10 1/2 in. cast-iron skillet or ovenproof baking dish and heat in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a bowl combine the cornmeal, salt, and baking soda.  Set aside.  In a large measuring cup, combine the buttermilk and egg.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine.  Remove the heat skillet from the oven and pour the melted butter into the the batter.  Stir to combine, then pour the batter back  into the hot skillet.  Baked until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.  

 Gravy

 Ingredients

• 1/4 c. turkey pan drippings
• 1 vidalia onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
• 1/2 c. white wine
• 3 c. chicken broth
• 2 tbs. Cornstarch
• 1 tbs. water

Directions

1. Saute onion in turkey drippings until onion caramelizes, about 15 minutes.  De-glaze the pan with white wine and reduce by half.  Add poultry seasoning and chicken broth.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes.  
2. In small bowl stir corn starch into cold water.  Whisk cornstarch mixture into gravy and bring to a boil.  Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened.   

Brown Sugar Smoked Ham

Ingredients

• 1-10 lb. pre-cooked ham
• 1 c. brown sugar

Directions

1. Preheat smoker to 210 degrees.  
2. Rub ham with brown sugar.  Place in electric smoker and cook for 3 to 4 hours, or until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees. 

Maple Sweet Potato Cups

recipe adapted from Southern Living

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. sweet potatoes, roasted and peeled
• 1/3 c. EVOO 
• 1/3 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 c. pure maple syrup
• 3 tsp. orange zest
• 1 tsp. salt
• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 c. granulated sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Mash together sweet potatoes and next 5 ingredients. Spoon mixture into 8 (6-oz.) custard cups. Place on a baking sheet.
2. Beat egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy. Add sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a time, beating until stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Spread meringue over sweet potato mixture.
3. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until golden brown.