MELBOURNE — Every Christmas, I have the same conversation with myself: You do not need a whole ham.
And yet, for years, I have faithfully marched into The Honey Baked Ham Company, ordered a small ham “just for me,” and then spent the following week staring into my fridge, judging myself for not wanting to freeze it. Freezer ham guilt is real and it is not festive.
This year, however, I finally learned my lesson — and honestly, it might be my greatest holiday achievement.
Instead of committing to more pork than one person reasonably needs, I went with the 2-lb sliced dinner, which feels like it was designed specifically for people who want holiday comfort food without turning their kitchen into a meal-prep assembly line.
The dinner comes with two meats of your choice, one frozen side and a four-pack of King’s Hawaiian rolls. I chose sliced ham (because tradition) and roasted turkey (because balance, allegedly). For the side, I picked cornbread stuffing, which required baking but was still far easier than cooking an entire meal from scratch.
Naturally, I added double mac and cheese, because if you’re already leaning into comfort food, you might as well commit.
Once I got home, I roasted some broccoli to convince myself I was making responsible choices. Moderation, after all, is about intention — not perfection.
The best part? This setup gave me enough food to last through the entire weekend. No cooking. No decision fatigue. Just reheat, assemble and enjoy. Is it the healthiest menu I’ve ever eaten? No. Is it completely fine in moderation and exactly what I want during a busy holiday stretch? Absolutely.
I’ve been doing Honey Baked Ham pickup for years and it remains one of the easiest holiday traditions I keep.
Ordering online is simple, with the option to pay ahead of time or at pickup, and my stop at the Honey Baked Ham Melbourne location is always smooth even on Christmas Eve. The staff is consistently friendly and even when the line looks long, it moves quickly.
And while I’m not usually a mustard person, their signature hickory honey mustard deserves special recognition. Warm ham on a roll with just a tiny swipe of that sweet-tangy sauce? Yes, please. A little goes a long way for me — but it’s very, very good.
In Florida, the holidays don’t have to stay indoors. There’s time to take a walk to “walk off the ham,” breathe in the salt air at the beach, or enjoy the kind of sunshine that makes everything feel lighter. No rushing, no expectations, and no pile of dishes waiting in the sink — just good food, fresh air, and a holiday celebrated on your own terms.
Dining and Cooking