These Easter recipes will help add color to your holiday dinner

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a small saucepan combine 1/2 cup of the dried cherries and the cherry juice; bring to boiling. Remove from heat; let stand for 15 minutes. Drain cherries, discarding juice.

Make four or five slits (1 1/2 to 2 inches deep) in ham. Press some of the soaked cherries into each slit as it is cut.

Place ham on a roasting rack in a 13-by-9 baking pan or baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake about 2 hours, or until thermometer registers 140 degrees with an instant-read thermometer placed in the thickest part of the ham.

Place peach preserves in a small bowl; snip any large pieces of fruit. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup dried cherries and the lemon juice. Spoon 1/2 cup of the preserves mixture over ham. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes more. In a small saucepan heat the remaining preserves mixture and pass with the ham.

Make-ahead directions: Prepare as directed through Step 2. Chill for up to 4 hours. Continue as directed in Steps 3 and 4.

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate with pastry; trim and flute edges.

In a large skillet, saute broccoli, onion, mushrooms and peppers in butter until tender. Stir in spinach. Spoon into prepared crust; sprinkle with cheese.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk and salt; pour over cheese.

Bake 45-55 minutes, or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Freeze option: Securely wrap individual portions of cooled quiche in plastic wrap and foil; freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap quiche; reheat in oven until heated through and a thermometer inserted in center reads 165 degrees. Yield: 8 servings.

Editor's Note: You may also use this recipe to fill two frozen 9-inch, deep-dish pie shells. Bake the quiches for 40-45 minutes. Each yields 6 servings.

Taste of Home December/January 2010

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the asparagus, tomatoes and pine nuts on a foil-lined 15-by-10-by-1-inch baking pan. Mix 2 tablespoons oil, garlic, salt and pepper; add to asparagus and toss to coat.

Bake 15-20 minutes or just until asparagus is tender. Drizzle with remaining oil and the lemon juice; sprinkle with cheese and lemon peel. Toss to combine. Yield: 8 servings.

Taste of Home February/March 2013

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, toss raspberries with brown sugar.

In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In another bowl, whisk egg, sour cream, melted butter and vanilla until blended. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moistened (batter will be thick).

Transfer half of the batter to a greased and floured 8-inch round baking pan. Top with raspberry mixture. Spoon remaining batter over raspberries; sprinkle with almonds.

Bake 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.

In a small bowl, mix confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth; drizzle over top. Serve warm. If desired, serve with additional raspberries.

Yield: 8 servings. 1 piece (calculated without additional raspberries) equals 238 calories, 10 grams fat, 48 mg cholesterol, 154 mg sodium, 32 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 4 grams protein.

Taste of Home February/March 2012

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry dough to a 1/8-inch-thick circle; transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Line unpricked pastry with a double thickness of foil. Fill with pie weights, dried beans or uncooked rice.

Bake 8-10 minutes, or until bottom is lightly browned. Remove foil and weights; bake 5-8 minutes longer or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven setting to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, mix sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in water and orange juice. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir 2 minutes longer (mixture will be thick). Remove from heat.

In a small bowl, whisk a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks; return all to pan, whisking constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Gently stir in lemon juice, butter, and lemon and orange peels.

For meringue, in a large bowl, beat egg whites with vanilla and cream of tartar on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high after each addition until sugar is dissolved. Continue beating until soft glossy peaks form.

Transfer hot filling to crust. Spread meringue over filling, sealing to edge of crust; swirl top with the back of a spoon.

Bake 13-16 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack 1 hour. Chill 3 hours before serving. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 8 servings.

Taste of Home December/January 2010