Ham steaks reduce hassle of making Easter dinner

Unless you're cooking for a crowd, baking up an Easter ham may not be worth the time, effort and expense.

If not, you'll do better to stick with ham steaks, a more economical cut that can have the same flavor. Ham steaks also are easily adapted to the number of people you need to serve.

I started by sorting out the sides. I wanted potatoes in the mix, but I knew these would take the longest. A quick saute with some butter and thyme got a bag of new potatoes rolling. I then transferred them to the oven to finish.

Which gave me an idea for a fresh approach to doing the green beans. I dumped my prepped green beans into the now-empty pan, tossed them with butter, garlic, salt and pepper, then covered the pan and set it aside. It was just enough to get them barely tender by serving time.

For the ham steaks, it isn't so much cooking as reheating and flavoring. So I started with a saute of onion, then added the steaks and let them brown just a bit on both sides. For the glazing effect, toward the end of cooking I added a blend of maple syrup and hot sauce, then let it bubble and thicken.

And that's it. A complete ham dinner without the hassle.

Maple ham steak with roasted potatoes and green beans

Servings: 4

6 tablespoons butter, divided

28-ounce package new potatoes, halved

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

12 ounces green beans, ends trimmed

2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced

1 pound ham steaks

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spritz it with cooking spray.

In a large skillet over medium-high, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the potatoes, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper. Toss well and saute for 10 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to the prepared baking sheet, then roast for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, return the skillet to the burner over high heat. Add another 2 tablespoons of butter. When the butter is melted, add the garlic and paprika. Stir for 30 seconds, then add the green beans. Toss well, saute for 3 minutes, then cover, remove from the heat and set aside.

In a large saute pan over medium-high, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the ham steaks and brown for 3 to 4 minutes per side.

In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, hot sauce and soy sauce. Add this mixture to the pan, moving the steaks around to coat. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the liquid is thickened.

Top the steaks with the onions and serve with sides of roasted potatoes and green beans.