With Easter dinner coming up this weekend that means many will go with either the traditional turkey dinner or families will take a break from poultry and go to the pork side for their main event dish.

An Easter ham can be a great way to feed an army of family and friends.

Chef Darren Nixon of Okotoks Sobeys says whether you're veteran in the kitchen or cooking your first ham, there's a few things to remember when cooking.

"Cover the ham just to get kind of the steam to penetrate to the centre to get hot through and you'll tenderize it a little bit and then about half way through the process I uncover it," he says. "You might need to turn the heat up a little bit so you might start at 325 covering it and then uncover it and cook it at about 375."

Nixon says the cooking time isn't like cooking a turkey either.

"For a half a ham whether it be a shank or the butt portion of the ham, I would give yourself probably 1.5 to 2 hours to cook that and that's starting at a lower temperature and then increasing it. Then give it a good 20 minutes to rest after that."

If you're looking for a new twist on your original ham dish Nixon says his glaze recipe could do the trick.

"Grainy mustard, maple syrup and balsamic vinegar. Just stir those together, put them in a pot and bring it to boil just to thicken it slightly and then about half way through the cooking process of the ham start brushing this on as a glaze."

Nixon says the glaze gives the ham a mixture of salty, sweet and tart flavours all thrown into one.

He also says if you're looking to change it up from traditional scalloped potatoes, Nixon says a baked Mac n cheese can be a great substitute for them.

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