Elizabeth Taylor's Favorite Meal Was Also A Staple For Lucille Ball

One food, two iconic fans. Elizabeth Taylor and Lucille Ball may have taken on different roles in their acting heyday, but they both shared a love of honey baked ham. The sweetly glazed ham was a regular feature on the annual Easter table of movie queen Elizabeth Taylor, and while the world loved Lucy on television, Lucille Ball adored the crispy-edged pork product as well. 

Just as the chocolate martini became Elizabeth Taylor's favorite drink while filming the movie "Giant" in Texas, spiral-sliced ham coated and cooked in honey was her go-to at least once a year. Taylor was known for her extravagant Easter celebrations, with the main course of honey baked ham being a constant every holiday. She particularly preferred those from the Honey Baked Ham Company. 

Her personal chef Neil Zevnik explained in an article on the Elizabeth Taylor website, "We had to have it every Easter ... She loved the sweet, crunchy edges of the ham especially." He says he would order it months in advance to avoid the risk of not having one on the Easter table. Desserts may have differed year to year, but honey baked ham had to be there.

Lucille Ball was a huge ham on set, but she was also a fan of the food. Actor Peter Graves once shared with curious audience members on the set of "Life with Lucy" before filming that the star was often seen eating honey baked ham (via Los Angeles Times). She'd bring sandwiches comprised of the classic deli meat cooked with a touch of sweetness on plain white bread to the studio when filming her long-running sitcom. 

Anyone can eat like these glamorous Hollywood starlets by ordering one up from the Honey Baked Ham Company in-store or online, but you can just as easily find spiral-sliced, pre-glazed hams at most grocery chains. You can also find any number of recipes online to make your own honey baked ham at home from scratch, if you like (it wouldn't hurt to familiarize yourself with the rules for cooking glazed ham beforehand). Whether it's Easter, another holiday, or even just a Tuesday; honey baked ham is within your reach. If you do end up making your own version at home, the tastiest ham glaze ever is just three simple ingredients away.