How to Cook a Ham in a Slow Cooker

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Are you intimidated by cooking a ham like I used to be? I mean, most of them are fully cooked to start with, so it couldn’t be that hard, right?

Well, it seemed like every time I made one, it would be so dry and not very pleasant to eat by itself. Then I learned a really simple recipe from my mom that changed everything, and the best part is you can make it in a slow cooker, leaving the oven open for any side items you need to cook!

How to cook a ham in a slow cooker

Here’s all you need:

• 1 spiral-sliced ham (This one was 10 pounds)
• 1 can pineapple chunks
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

Sprinkle the brown sugar on the bottom of the slow cooker, then gently place the ham on top of that. Pour the pineapples over the ham, cover and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours until fully heated.

What if the ham doesn’t fit in the slow cooker?

I have to show you a trick, because my hams are always too tall for my slow cooker. If you can’t fit the lid over top of the ham, take two pieces of aluminum foil and criss-cross them on top of the ham, scrunching up the ends around the edges of the slow cooker to keep the heat in.

I like to place the lid on top of that, although I don’t think it really does much. The foil does a great job at this, and is great if your slow cooker is short like mine.

The end result is soft, delicious ham that falls right off the bone. I don’t even use the glaze packet, because the pineapple and brown sugar make the ham nice and sweet; I could probably eat this ham straight up all day, every day.

What can I do with leftover ham?

If you’re anything like us, you’ll have leftovers. And lots of them.

I don’t know why I think my family of 3 (Well, 2, because Allison won’t eat ham) needs a 10-pound ham, but it’s a great way to save money for the week because you can use the leftovers in many different recipes. Here are some of our favorites:

• Ham and Cheese Calzones
• Ham and Egg Cupcakes
• Ham and Cheese Biscuits
• Broccoli, Ham, Mozzarella Egg Bake
• Ham and Mixed Rice Casserole
• Omelette/egg scramble with ham
• Hawaiian Fried Rice
• Grilled ham and cheese sandwiches
• Ham and mozzarella quesadillas (John made this once and now I’m hooked)
• Ham and White Bean Soup
• Macaroni and Cheese With Ham
• Freezer Ham and Egg Casserole
• Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole

You should hopefully have zero ham left over after making all of these! If you do, though, and you’re tired of ham, you can cut the rest into chunks and freeze it in a freezer bag. It actually keeps very well and is handy if you want to put it into a casserole.

Do you have any favorite ham recipes? Share with us in the comments, I’m always looking for more!