What You’ll Need
This recipe truly delivers on its promise of simplicity with just five core ingredients that create a glossy, crowd-pleasing glaze. You’ll need about two pounds of pre-cooked cubed pork ham, which means there’s no raw meat to handle—just open the package and you’re ready to go. The ham cubes should be arranged in an even layer on the bottom of your slow cooker so they warm evenly and soak up all that delicious sauce.
For the glaze, you’ll need a cup of pineapple tidbits with their juice—the juice is essential because it helps create that tropical sweetness and keeps the sauce from being too thick. Half a cup of barbecue sauce adds smoky depth and tang, while a quarter cup of packed brown sugar brings caramelized sweetness that balances everything beautifully. Finally, a tablespoon of yellow mustard provides that bright, tangy kick that makes the sauce truly memorable.
How to Make It
Start by placing the pre-cooked cubed ham in an even layer on the bottom of your four- to six-quart slow cooker. The cubes should mostly cover the base—this helps them warm evenly and soak up the sauce as they cook.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the pineapple tidbits with their juice, the barbecue sauce, brown sugar, and yellow mustard until the sugar is mostly dissolved and the mixture looks smooth and glossy. The sauce should be beautifully golden and fragrant, with the sweetness of the pineapple and brown sugar balanced by the tang of the mustard.
Pour the pineapple-barbecue mixture evenly over the cubed ham in the slow cooker, using a spatula to scrape out every bit of the sauce. Gently stir so most of the ham is coated, but keep the cubes intact so they stay nice and chunky.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and set it to cook on LOW until the ham is heated through and the sauce is bubbling around the edges. The gentle heat allows the flavors to meld together beautifully while the ham absorbs all that sweet, tangy goodness.
Once the ham is hot and the sauce is glossy, give everything a gentle stir. Taste the sauce and adjust if you’d like—a pinch more brown sugar for extra sweetness or a small spoonful of mustard for additional tang. Switch the slow cooker to WARM for serving, and stir just before ladling the ham and sauce into bowls or over your chosen sides, so every portion gets some of that luscious glaze and pineapple pieces.
Serving Suggestions and Tips
This sweet and tangy ham is incredibly versatile when it comes to serving. It’s wonderful over steamed rice, buttered noodles, or mashed potatoes, all of which soak up the glorious sauce beautifully. For a lighter option, serve it alongside a crisp green salad or grilled summer vegetables. The combination of sweet pineapple, smoky barbecue, and tangy mustard makes this ham feel like it came straight from a backyard barbecue, even though you barely lifted a finger.
If you have leftovers, they keep beautifully in the refrigerator for up to four days and are just as delicious reheated. The sauce only deepens in flavor as it sits, making this a wonderful make-ahead dish for gatherings. You can also freeze the cooked ham and sauce together in an airtight container for up to three months—just thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Enjoy this incredibly easy, festive ham that proves you don’t need a long ingredient list or hours of fuss to create something truly special for your Flag Day celebration!