No it isn't too early to start thinking and planning for your meal. I too plan on having Easter Dinner probably around 12:30 or 1:00. I always like to have two meats also. Tomorrow we are having a family birthday dinner and we are having pot roast and fried chicken. For Easter I am thinking the ham, turkey, candied sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green beans, and I really haven't sat and worked on it yet. Trying to get through tomorrow's meal first. I will watch this post and maybe someone will come up with some new ideas.

Sue

Do you want a cold buffet? Over a long period of time, you need to consider that. Do you have oven space to keep things hot? I'd prefer to go cold, but it sort of depends on the weather of the day. If it feels like spring, cold buffet works. If you have 9" of snow the night before, definitely hot dishes.

In our house, we would ALWAYS have a good green salad. Classic Caesar or something using Linda's Maytag BC dressing.

I like to keep bags of Sharon's Spanikopita in the freezer. They come in handy when you need a make-ahead "nibbly" with a bit of pizazz!

Pop the frozen treats on a cookie sheet and bake for about 30 minutes and you have nice, hot, tasty appetizers!

Linda

Over the holidays I tried one of those pineapple side dishes and it was a big hit. It would probably be good even at room temp. It goes great with a spiral ham.

From Chase
Pineapple Bake (Silver Palate's Good Times Cookbook)

8 thick slices day old bread cut into 1 inch cubes (I used 1" thick slices of French Bread)
2 cups drained, crushed, unsweetened pineapple
1/2 cup melted butter
3/4 cups packed brown sugar
4 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 1 1/2 quart baking dish
Combine the bread cubes and pineapple and place in the baking dish.

Mix the butter, sugar and eggs. Pour over the bread mixture.

Bake until puffed and golden, about 40 minutes. Serve immediately
6 portions.

I do everything ahead of time that I can.
As to keeping food for 4 to 5 hours I think I would line up some crock pots or warming trays. You can always put salads and cold foods in a bigger bowl of ice.
For nibbles my family loves shrimp cocktail and I fix salmon spread and crackers alot.

We always have ham for Easter. At Christmas we usually get three whole hams. If we are at home New Years day I fix one then, one for Easter and one during harvest.
The sides vary, but always a potatoe dish, a bean dish, rolls, fruit salad, green salad, deviled eggs and stuffed celery and whatever else I think of. Dessert always varies.

Scalloped potatoes goes very well with ham. I make mine pretty plain..I slice the potatoes thin and then make a nice basic white sauce and pour it on the potatoes and bake.
I can't remember if I saw it here but you can make deviled eggs with the actual eggs all different pastel colors. That would be so pretty on your table or even as an appetizer!
Joann

Glenda-AL posted this appetizer on the Kitchen Table forum. It should be prepared the day before, can sit out, & was a big hit at my house!

Bloody Mary Bites
Prepare night before

1 pint cherry tomatoes (about five tomatoes per person)
(Best if you dip them in boiling water for 10 seconds, and then plunge in ice water and peel. But I'm not going to peel cherry tomatoes, so stabbed them several times with toothpicks, leaving the pick in the tomatoes.)
2 Tbsp hot pepper sauce
vodka to cover

For dipping, combine:
2 Tbsp lemon pepper
2 Tbsp celery salt

Remove the stems from the tomatoes, and place them in a shallow bowl. Pour vodka over so that they are covered.
Stir in the hot pepper sauce. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.
To serve, mix together the lemon pepper and celery salt in a small dish. Serve the tomatoes floating in the vodka & the S&P beside so people dip the tomatoes in the mixture.

I made Pioneer Woman's jalapeno thingies for Super Bowl Sunday & people loved them. I assembled & froze them a few days before. They can sit out also.

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Thingies

Fresh jalapenos, 2 3 inches in length (4 to 5 per person)
8 to 10 oz cream cheese, softened
Thin, regular bacon, sliced into thirds (about seven slices)

Slice the jalapeno in half length-wise. With a spoon, gently scrape out the seeds and white membranes. Wear gloves so the juices donÂt burn your hands.
Smear cream cheese generously inside each jalapeno half.
Wrap 1/3 slice bacon around the jalapeno snugly, but not tight.
Stick a toothpick through the middle of each one; this will keep the bacon from coming off in the oven. Place them on a pan with a rack (so bacon grease can escape) and bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. If bacon doesnÂt crisp, turnoven to broil & cook 2 to 3 minutes longer.
Serve hot or at room temperature.
Can be assembled ahead & frozen, then baked frozen.
Source: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/07/bacon-wrapped_j/

Woodie's Parmesan asparagus is so good & can sit out.

Parmesan Crusted Asparagus
3 Â 4 servings

1 lb asparagus, ends trimmed
3 Tbsp butter, room temperature
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed
1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup (packed) grated Parmesan cheese

Cook or steam asparagus until just crisp-tender. Err on the side of undercooked, since you will be putting them under the broiler for additional minutes later. Plunge into an ice water bath to retain color and halt cooking. Drain very well. (I went as far as putting them on a clean kitchen towel and patting dry.)
Preheat broiler.
Arrange asparagus on broiler proof platter. Mix softened butter with basil, garlic and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Put butter mixture in microwave and heat until pourable. Drizzle butter mixture all over asparagus, then sprinkle the parmesan on top.
Broil asparagus until topping browns, watching closely to avoid burning.
If you had to use a cookie sheet to broil them, slide a flat spatula under them to transfer to your serving platter - this will keep the yummy Parmesan crust attached to the asparagus.