Food and cities are often related to each other. Some foods are named after the city or region of their origin. Such is the case with Vidalia onion and Hatch chile. Then there are food products certain cities have as their claim to fame. One of those is a world-famous cola invented in my hometown of Atlanta. Well, technically I'm from metro-Atlanta. Anyway, you can imagine that cola being a part of my childhood memories as both a beverage and ingredient. There was honey cola baked ham my parents would make for our Sunday Supper on certain occasions throughout the year.
The ham was baked for Easter and Christmas. There were a few other times during the year however those were the standard. My parents always baked it in the extra oven in the basement. I think it was to free up the one in the kitchen for other dishes. It was either that or because the oven in the basement was gas and back then gas cooking was cheaper than electric. Thrifty always was a factor. Saving a few cents in a three hour baking process was the thing to do.
Honey cola baked ham was one of my favorites when I was a kid. My mom would make her German Potato Salad to go with it. She also would make Coca-Cola salad which, of course, paired perfectly with the ham. There would be green beans or some other vegetable served with the ham too.
How does honey cola baked ham taste? The cola does a combination of adding a little sweetness to offset the ham's saltiness and tenderizes it too. The cola itself has tenderizing qualities plus it steams the ham while baking. Honey simply goes so well with ham. It is a no-brainer flavor combo.
Making the ham is very simple. All you do is pour cola and honey over the ham, wrap it up with foil, and bake it for hours. I cut a crisscross pattern in the top of my ham to make it "pretty" but that is not absolutely necessary. My parents didn't do that step.
What food is related to your hometown? Do you eat it often or only when in the area? My fellow Sunday Supper contributors are sharing recipes for food made famous in cities all over the US and around the world. Scroll down to see the list and take a virtual trip to each one with a simple click. Big thanks to Coleen of The Redhead Baker for hosting this fun Sunday Supper event.
Honey Cola Baked Ham
Ingredients
- 1 fully cooked plain ham bone-in recommended
- 1 ½ cups regular cola not diet, Coca-Cola® brand recommended
- 1 cup honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line a roasting pan or large baking pan with 2 sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil crisscrossed and long enough to cover ham (wide foil recommended).
- Place ham on the foil. Cut a crisscross pattern in the top of ham. Pull foil up around the ham.
- Pour cola over ham. Pour honey on top of ham. Seal ham securely with the foil.
- Bake for 3 hours.
Notes
Do you enjoy food from certain cities? Take a look at these wonderful recipes by Sunday Supper contributors celebrating their hometown:
Breakfast
- Alamo City Breakfast Tacos by The Weekend Gourmet
- Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bagels by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- Mickey Mouse Waffles by Wallflour Girl
- New York Style Bagels by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
- Peanut Butter and Fluff French Toast by Momma's Meals
- Vegan Timbits by Killer Bunnies, Inc
Drinks
- Candied Kumquat Peels, Kumquat Syrup, and Kumquat-Ade by Recipe for Perfection
- Wine Pairing Recommendations for Hometown Food by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
Appetizers and Snacks
- Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings by Peanut Butter and Peppers
- Cuban Sandwich Crostini by Casa de Crews
- Cuban Sandwich Dip by Family Foodie
- South Jersey Boardwalk Caramel Corn by Take A Bite Out of Boca
Main Dishes
- Chicken and Dumplings by Food Lust People Love
- Crockpot Cincinnati Chili by Palatable Pastime
- Fried Rice Vermicelli + Vegetable Fritters by Brunch with Joy
- Honey Cola Baked Ham by Magnolia Days
- Hot Brown Ham Sliders by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
- Joe's Special by Nosh My Way
- Lentil, Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Curry by Mess Makes Food
- New England Beans and Cod by Cooking Chat
- Pasties by Recipes Food and Cooking
- Philadelphia Tomato Pie by The Redhead Baker
- Pierogies by Hezzi D's Books and Cooks
- Portobello "Philly Cheese Steak" by Pancake Warriors
- Pittsburgh Devonshire Sandwich by Seduction in the Kitchen
- Pozole Rojo by Simply Healthy Family
- Revved-up Poutine by Jane's Adventures in Dinner
- Rice with Pork and Pineapple by Basic N Delicious
- San Francisco Cioppino by Eat, Drink and be Tracy
- Seattle-Style Dungeness Crab Roll by Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
- Tex-Mex Cheese Enchiladas with Chile con Carne by The Texan New Yorker
- Victory Pig Sicilian Style Pizza by Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
- Xiang La Tu Zi // Hot and Spicy Rabbit by Curried Canteloupe
- Oven Toasted Ravioli by Curious Cuisiniere
Side Dishes
- 1905 Salad by Supper for a Steal
- Chicken Rice Pilaf by Crazy Foodie Stunts
- Classic Italian Risotto in Bianco by La Bella Vita Cucina
- Greek Salad with Potato Salad by Ruffles & Truffles
- Korean Steamed Eggs by Hip Foodie Mom
- Smoke House Cheesy Garlic Bread by Peaceful Cooking
Desserts
- Apple Crisp by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
- Buckeye Cupcakes by Desserts Required
- Carob Bumpy Cake by Pies and Plots
- Chocolate Earthquake Cake by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Chocolate Pocky Cake by NinjaBaker
- Grandma Sweeney's Chocolate Cream Pie by Lifestyle Food Artistry
- Lemon Buttermilk Bundt Cake by Alida's Kitchen
- Michigan Apple Cake by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Mile High Strawberry Pie by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
- Pear Parkin by Happy Baking Days
- Vernors Cake by Country Girl in the Village
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.
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Gorgeous ham, Renee! I always do my grandmother's honey mustard glaze with pineapples for Christmas so I've never tried the cola method but I may just have to bake a ham - without an occasion - to try it.
Love a good hame! Looks so tasty!
I love a tasty dish that has easy steps with loads of flavor! What a great ham dish, and memory as a kid, Renee!
Love your childhood memories, Renee!
Renee, I love that you made honey-coca-cola-baked-ham!!! I've always wanted to visit the coca cola plant in ATL!! I've heard so much about it!!! this is awesome and looks soooo delicious!!! love this!
Once upon a time, my dad tried to make a similar recipe. He used an entire 2 liter of coke and to say the least, it ruined the ham. Seeing your recipe brings back so many memories. This is what a Honey Cola Ham is supposed to be. Looks delicious!
What a fun idea - and the glaze looks divine!
I adore a sweet glaze on my ham! This will be the perfect Easter recipe!
YUM!!! I saw the photos you posted teasing up with this delicious looking ham a few days ago 🙂 Oh what I would give for a big ol' hunk of this with my eggs this AM!!
We had a basement kitchen with an oven that only certain things were cooked in throughout the year. I bet this is even better than a honey baked ham.
i done a root beer ham and was good, but this sounds so much better! I love this!!! Mmmm
Your ham looks fantastic. We are serious ham eaters in our family but I've never made a cola crusted one. I'll have to try yours this Easter.
I lived in Marietta GA during my middle school years, and my family made the honey-cola ham as well. My grandmother was the first to make it! Soooo delicious! We ate it for Easter and Christmas also! Beautiful photo! Salivating and remembering!!
I just imagined eating a piece of that ham. I tasted delicious - in my mind.
Sadly, I don't have any memories of certain dishes that connect with my home town. I wish, though, there would be.
Your ham looks gorgeous! I have a Georgia food memory, too. When we visited my mother's family, we ordered great quantities of Brunswick stew from a local restaurant. It was the only time I've had Brunswick stew, but I can still remember exactly how it tasted. I think food memories are some of the strongest memories!
My husband and friends would love this. Thanks so much for sharing.
I love ham, but it is too salty save for special occasions. It looks definitely special occasion worthy!
I guessed Atlanta, woohoo!! This looks just gorgeous! I never drink any soda, except for a rare occasion of putting it in cocktails, but I do really enjoy cooking and baking with it from time to time. This looks like a fantastic use for some Coca-Cola!
Love this post, Renee! Who knew Coke could glaze ham so beautifully? Well, I guess you did. Such sweet memories you have too of baking the ham in the basement...And with your Germanic ancestry, I know that potato salad was out of this world, too!
Your ham is beautiful. We use Vernors Gingerale here, as it is local, in place of the cola. Great choice to share for Sunday Supper, Hometown Favorites.
What a fun dish, Renee. I take cola with anything, including salad. How fancy is that dish! I must google it.
That is one gorgeous ham!
Bring that ham down to Florida and we can make a bunch of Cuban sandwiches and 1905 salads!
Oh my! What a great looking ham Renee! And I know it tastes great! Easter will be here before you know it, and I've got my eye on this recipe!
I can't even imagine growing up with this, but it must have been such a treat! This is an awesome recipe and I can't wait to share it with my friends 🙂
Ham and potato salad are a natural combo to me! I love the idea of adding cola flavor to ham.
What a delicious looking ham. I love the sauce you put over it...
This ham looks incredible! I will have to try it one of these days!
I never ever thought of using cola to prepare a dish. It's a good idea and I think it is also good because the ingredients go perfectly separately.
It's amazing how many cola recipes there are out there. The ingredients for this ham sure do go together nicely.