It is your fault, so I need your help. If I do a ham for thanksgiving, can I just buy an already
cut one?
In a thread on what are you eating for thanksgiving someone said turkey but he would rather have ham.
I hate ham but I thought, I'm feeding 25...maybe they would like ham to go with the turkey.
I used to get a turducken to go with the regular turkey (one turkey is not enough for this crowd as I like left overs) but the turduckens were not so good the last 2 years so we swore them off.
Can I just buy a honey baked (and cut) ham and call it a day or are they terrible?
= new reply since forum marked as read
Your guests will enjoy it immensely!! I know I would! What time is dinner???
Bake
on the other hand if you go for a store brand, I would not get the spiral cuts they tend to be cut sloppy (many of the slices too thick) and get dry really easy when you heat them up, get a whole ham and cook it the day before if you don't have time or room to do it when you do the turkey. leftover ham is just as good as leftover turkey plus you can use it for breakfast too, and that bone is so good in pea soup or a pot of beans 
How could you even think of eating your own?
and the only things on the veggie tray are stuffed celery, gerkins and olives.
I've tried other sides over the years and they go uneaten. One year I made the most amazing yam dish with coconut milk and lots of exotic spices. Everyone loved it, but no one ate more than a few bites. Really, its the sausage in the dressing, no one wants anything else and I make a ton of it. Plus the gravy over mashed potatoes are a big hit. And stuff celery just adds a bit of crunch.
This year, however, I got a brussel sprouts craving AND they have them already made up at costco.
So, I got a couple packages of those PLUS I got some fresh brussel sprouts that I'm going to brown in a pan (or in the oven) with some garlic and olive oil or butter.
I'll let you know which were better but if you have a costco close by, they also had the traditional beans with onion thingies on top so buy a package and you're done!
If you have time, brine a turkey breast or a small turkey. 24 to 36 hours before you want to bake it. Do it in a plastic bag in the fridge lots of recipes online with instructions. I do a whole bird but I don't stuff it so stuffing on the side, pepperidge farms packages of seasoned stuffing, crushed or cubed, onions, celery, sausage toasted pecans.
Costco has a decent gravy but really, if you are cooking a turkey, put some of the water from the mashed potatoes in the roasting pan after you take turkey out, heat it up, take a small jar with flour and cornstarch or either, which every you have, add a half cup or so of the hot liquid, shake the jar to dissolve the flour, add to gravy mixture a bit at a time as you stir to thicken. Some chicken stock is also nice. Not really hard at all. Mom adds Kitchen Bouquet to make it darker.
Thanksgiving has been my holiday for 30 plus years. I spoke for it because that way I can outlaw watching sports and we can just talk since I'm asportual. It is a bit of work but fun. I don't really cook that often. My mom used to say "being a good cook is knowing where to shop" which you'll learn if you do this every year. I'm lazy, I get most of it from costco which doesn't work that well for three...unless you really love pumpkin pie 
Sounds interesting to me.
http://www.subrosa.arbre.us/curriedyams.html
Can't figure out how many 'pans' to use, to cook it. 1. to steam cut up yams (after colander
2. to cook cumin, and then onion + other stuff, without oil?, and can't figure out: add oil to same pan ???, add yams to that pan? and then drain yams from THAT pan, which contains cumin + onion+, or a 3d pan, to which add coconut milk and return yams + spices?
Confused, but interested in this 'cause friend with whom I may have this meal is from Pakistan, and would probably like the yam dish (I think!), and I like the idea of this with the honey baked ham.
THANKS!
stealing!
Get an bone-in ham (and then get your mind out of the gutter).
Put in a roasting pan with just a bit of water in the bottom to prevent burning. Cover with foil, no lid. Cut a couple of holes to vent.
Slow bake in the oven at 250 degrees overnight. It will be the most tender, succulent ham you've ever had.
No glaze, no fruit, no nasty stuff. Seriously, you'll never want a store-bought ham again.
My mom always cooked them this way. I've had 80-year-old women tell me it was the best ham they'd ever eaten.
Try it, you'll like it....
(This message brought to you by the Council Against Fruit, Glazes, and Spices on Pork. Buy American!)
