COOKING
Dec. 7, 2010

Creative holiday cooking 

BY LINDA MITCHELL — Coming up with a holiday meal that will satisfy everyone can be a challenge. What will the picky eaters like? What can the vegetarians eat? How can you do something a little different and still please guests who look forward to traditional dishes year after year?

With the right ingredients and some creative cooking, you can overcome any of these entertaining obstacles. Using ingredients you already have on hand in unexpected ways can help create delicious and innovative dishes that can please any crowd. Peanut butter, a long-time staple in dessert recipes, can add rich flavor and variety to both sweet and savory dishes.

These recipes from Jif show how to incorporate the fresh-roasted taste of peanut butter into your holiday dishes. For more creative ways to cook up a holiday feast, visit www.jif.com.

Sliced Ham with Peanut Butter Glaze
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients
1 center cut slice (about 1 pound) fully cooked ham, sliced 1/2-inch thick
3 tablespoons Smucker's Sweet Orange Marmalade
2 tablespoons Jif Creamy Peanut Butter
1 tablespoon water
Fresh dill weed (optional)
Orange slices (optional)

Directions
1. HEAT broiler. Slash edges of ham slice; place on broiler pan.

2. BROIL 3 inches from heat for 5 minutes. Turn ham slice; broil an additional 4 to 5 minutes.

3. COMBINE marmalade, peanut butter and water in small bowl. Spread over ham slice. Broil 1/2 to 1 minute until lightly browned.

4. GARNISH with fresh dill and orange slices, if desired.