I like to season the ham with garlic powder, thyme, and cayenne pepper and cook it in butter with just a little maple syrup for that irresistible sweet-salty-spicy combination. As much as I enjoy cooking, sometimes, when pressed for time, I want a meal that I can put on the table in less than 30 minutes. Ideally, far less! This recipe fits the bill! It’s as easy as can be because we’re using fully cooked ham and merely heating it up in a skillet while adding some seasonings. And despite being such an easy recipe, it’s delicious.
Instructions
Recipe Card
Ham: You’ll need two fully cooked ham steaks. Each of them should weigh about 8 ounces. Butter: For pan-frying the ham. To season: Garlic powder, dried thyme, and cayenne pepper. Maple syrup: Just 2 teaspoons. This small amount is all that’s needed to create that lovely sweet-and-salty combination while preventing the dish from being too sweet.
Ham steaks are typically round. You’ll want to cut each of them in half. Each half will be one serving. Heat a large skillet over medium heat (not higher). Add the butter. When the butter starts foaming, add the ham steaks in a single layer and sprinkle them with the spices. At this point, add the maple syrup to the skillet. Turn the ham to the other side and cook until browned on that side, about 2 more minutes. It will brown more quickly on the second side. Transfer the ham to plates. Drizzle or brush it with the pan juices (don’t skip this step!) and serve. If you add it at the start, it will caramelize too much by the time the ham is ready and could even start to slightly burn. So it’s best to add it midway through cooking. Other easy side dishes to round out this meal include mashed cauliflower, roasted cauliflower, roasted carrots, roasted green beans, and roasted cherry tomatoes. You can also opt for a salad, as I often do. Good options include tomato salad, arugula salad, or cucumber salad. Occasionally, I serve these steaks for brunch, and then I like to serve them with fried eggs, scrambled eggs, or poached eggs. In the photo below, you can see them served with crispy fried eggs (that’s how my husband likes them!), a broiled tomato, and steamed asparagus. You can also enjoy the leftovers cold straight out of the fridge, but I think they are better when reheated.
