Nothing brings home the taste of the holidays better than a premium quality ham. With its warm, welcoming aroma and easy prep, you can be creative with garnishes and glazes to play up that irresistible savory-sweet flavor combination. We'll help you select the best ham for your occasion.

Wondering which ham to choose?
We've got the cure.

There's no better ham than Hormel® Cure 81® ham. Part of your family tradition and ours, too—we've been evolving to offer the world's most perfect ham for more than 50 years. Choose your ham based on your gathering size and preference, and learn how to prepare it here.

• Bone-in hams – whole or half, spiral-sliced - prepared by you or oven-ready, with your glaze or ours, these hams are always super-flavorful
• Boneless hams – whole, half, or quarter - delicious and easy to carve (just slice and serve, or we'll slice it for you)
• Diced and cubed ham and ham steaks – ideal for smaller families and for recipes

Amazing glazes.

So simple, a glaze adds just the right touch to your ham. Leave a bit of water (root beer works well, too) in the bottom of your roasting pan so the glaze won't burn as it runs off the ham. Here are a few of our favorites.

• Apricot-Glazed Ham
• Holiday Ham and Raisin Glaze
• Traditional Ham Feast

Side ways for the season.

Wishing for side dishes you can prepare ahead of time, with a minimum of muss and fuss, leaving you more time for your guests? How about sides you don't have to make at all! Hormel™ Country Crock® Side Dishes bring homemade flavor to the table in just minutes. Try traditional favorites such as Homestyle Mashed Potatoes, Homestyle Stuffing, and Mashed Sweet Potatoes. Or for a quick dessert, top warm Cinnamon Apples with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yum!

If you do decide to whip up your own sides, here are some deliciously easy recipes requiring less than 15 minutes to prep.

• Bacon and Green Bean Casserole Deluxe
• Cheesy Ham and Corn Casserole
• Glazed Carrots with Bacon

Plan to put it all together.

The closer you get to the holidays, the more important planning becomes. Here are a few tips to make your holidays easier and a bit more carefree.

• Organize your menu and your shopping list, day by day.
  List all the meals you will be serving through the season and think through your menu for each one. Then tally the grocery items you will need for each day. Stagger your purchases of non-perishables ahead of time, and have them ready in your pantry. Then you will only have to buy the fresh items on your list close to the day you plan to serve them. Easier on the budget and your back, as you'll have fewer items per trip to carry!
• Have a go-to meal, ready to go.
  It's called "The Ultimate Simple Ideas Thanksgiving" — but you can concoct this recipe any time during the holidays, whenever you need to serve a quick, satisfying meal. With Hormel® Refrigerated Entrees and Hormel™ Country Crock® Side Dishes on hand, you're good to go.
• Let Mother Nature help with your décor.
  Pinecones and greenery from your own backyard make naturally beautiful home and table accents. If you're lucky enough to have a holly bush in bloom, you’re all set — just snip and strew the branches on the mantel or buffet. Or arrange evergreen branches of any sort in a tall vase. Then on your next supermarket visit, pick up a handful of showy white flowers such as spider mums. Tucked in among the greens, they're an inexpensive way to create a dramatic frosty-white and green centerpiece. Add a few red blooms if you like more color.
• Put off 'til tomorrow.
  The holidays will be here, ready or not! But there are many other events that can be happily delayed until after the New Year. Think about whether a total house cleaning has to happen now, or can wait until after the holiday traffic clears out. If you always rush to send out family photos for the holidays, consider sending them a few days afterwards, when recipients actually have time to appreciate them. Cut out the non-essentials and spend time doing what really matters to you. You may find it's the start of new traditions that allow everyone in the family to relax and enjoy the season and each other.
• Start planning for next year, now.
  Nothing too taxing, but it’s a good idea to make notes once the hustle and bustle has subsided. Which recipes worked well? What adjustments did you make? Anything you ran out of? Keeping those daily recipe planners and shopping lists in a file can make next year's planning go even smoother.

• Happy Holidays to you and yours from Hormel Foods!

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