Take-It-Easy Easter

Five quick-prep and make-ahead recipes let you celebrate with a special Sunday spread without missing a minute of the egg hunt.

- By Elisabeth Larsen, Josh Carter, James Schend, Jerry Gulley, Mark Neufang

Five-Spice Plum Baked Ham

Baked ham is one of my favorite dishes, and this recipe adds something a little bit different to the classic. The plum goes really well with the ham and the Asian spices! Elisabeth Larsen, Pleasant Grove, UT

Prep: 15 min. Cook: 2 hours

Makes: 20 servings

• 1 fully cooked bone-in ham (7 to 9 lbs.)
• 2 cups plum jam
• 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 4 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp. orange juice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp.ground ginger
• 1 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Place ham on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Using a sharp knife, score the surface of the ham with 74-in.-deep cuts in a diamond pattern.

2. In a large saucepan, stir together the remaining ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil; simmer until the sugar is dissolved, 1-2 minutes. Reserve half the mixture; keep warm. Pour the remaining half over the ham. Bake ham, uncovered until a thermometer reads 140°, 2-272 hours. Baste ham occasionally with the pan drippings. Cover loosely with foil if ham browns too quickly. Serve with the remaining sauce mixture.