No matter if two people or 10 sit down to enjoy this special meal together, there are cuts that will accommodate you without too many reappearances. Although it's pricier, the tender and meatier centre cut of a fully cooked bone-in ham can serve eight to 10 people with enough left over for sandwiches or a post-Easter casserole.
Easter Dinner for Two or Ten
Preparation of the Easter ham need not mean a rendezvous with eternity. No matter if two people or 10 sit down to enjoy this special meal together, there are cuts that will accommodate you without too many reappearances. Although it's pricier, the tender and meatier centre cut of a fully cooked bone-in ham can serve eight to 10 people with enough left over for sandwiches or a post-Easter casserole. Just make sure it's thick enough (for my testing I used a 2 1/2-inch (6 cm) thick cut). For a family of four, you might want to choose two slices, each cut 1/2-inch (1 cm) thick, and cook them in a skillet until heated through, about 4 minutes per side. Even then, there can be leftovers.
My choice of a cherry sauce came with a desire for the unusual. However, if canned sour cherries are hard to find, opt for another sauce. One nice option is a mustard sauce, made by heating 1/2-cup (125 mL) each of prepared mustard and red currant jelly. You can always rely on a traditional favourite, a cider raisin sauce. In tune with today's busy home cooks, I made menu choices that can be prepared in advance. The soup that was such a hit with my family was made two days ahead and refrigerated. The mashed potatoes and dessert were prepared the day before. The croutons can be made up to a week ahead, but do take the time to make them. They win hands-down over the packaged varieties. Make up the time by using frozen peas, a long-time convenience. Time can also be saved by using already prepared baby carrots. Granted, they don't pack the same nutritional whallop of their parent, but it's one meal and it's special. As for the Promise of Spring Cake, doesn't it just help conjure images of the green grass that will soon be growing under your feet?