Trader Joe's Has My Favorite New Holiday Find—It's Delicious

I love ham around the holidays, and I consider it a welcome palate cleanser between bites of turkey, freshly baked rolls, and all the other delicious holiday fixings. Not only is ham a crucial part of any holiday meal, it's also an excellent way to top off a killer leftovers sandwich in the days to follow.  

While in search of something new to bring to the table this year, I found my favorite new holiday find at Trader Joe’s: Frick’s Applewood Smoked Uncured Carver Ham.

What Is Carver Ham?

It wasn’t until recently that I learned the difference between cured and uncured ham. In the past, I never really paid attention to a ham's label beyond weight and pricing. Uncured hams are still cured, but instead of using synthetic nitrates and nitrites, the processor uses natural curing agents like salt and celery powder.

Unlike its spiral-cut counterpart, carver ham is a boneless, whole-muscle portion of meat with next to no intramuscular fat. In other words, carver ham doesn’t leave your guests haphazardly slicing around bones and avoiding seams of fat. It does, however, offer the same delicious flavor and juiciness, if not more. 

Why I Love Trader Joe's Carver Ham

Frick’s carver ham is available in both half and whole sizes, ranging from two to 4.5 pounds on average. The hams are fully cooked, gluten free, never frozen, and minimally processed. At $5.99 per pound, I was able to snag a cute little 2.3-pound ham for an affordable $13.84, which was the perfect size to test the waters with. 

I can see Frick’s carver ham not only being a respectable main dish, but a showstopping side dish or add-on to a tasty appetizer spread. Each dense bite is perfectly juicy with rich notes of brown sugar and honey.

How To Prepare Trader Joe's Carver Ham

The ham requires only 15 minutes of reheating time per pound of meat in a 350°F oven, and there are endless ways to incorporate it into homemade bites. Dice it up and mix in with mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, or roasted vegetables, load up a hot baked sweet potato, or stuff it inside some piping hot popovers with cheese. 

After eating dinner, I couldn’t help but sneak a bite every time I walked by this beautiful cut of meat. It’s so good you can just snack on it on its own. I loved that the included brown sugar glaze packet makes the whole process, from prep to cooking to eating, an absolute breeze. A bonus for those with food allergies, Frick’s cured ham products are made in a facility free of wheat, crustacean shellfish, eggs, fish, peanuts, milk, tree nuts, soybeans, and sesame. 

I recommend everyone try to pick one of these hams up while they still can. Whether you’re shopping for the whole family or keeping it simple with yourself or a loved one, this carver ham will not disappoint.

_{To learn more about our approach to product recommendations, see HERE.}