For many Southern families, a glazed ham on the buffet is as much a fixture at Eastertime as baskets of colored eggs. This tantalizing version would be the perfect centerpiece to serve along with any of the custard recipes presented today.

Contributor: Amy Andrews-Bennett, a Mobile native who works for a pharmaceutical company and lives in Virginia-Highland with her husband, Jim, a pilot for AirTran Airways. "My No. 1 hobby is cooking, and I am always trying new types of foods and recipes, but I can never get enough of good ol' Southern food," she says.

Family (ENLARGE)

Amy Andrews-Bennett and granny Annie Belle Andrews.

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The story: "My granny [Annie Belle Andrews] and granddaddy had two sons (one of whom is my Dad), eight grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. My Mom's name is Sandy Andrews, and she married into my Dad's family when she was really young, so Granny pretty much taught Mom how to cook.

"Not only was Easter a holiday for our family, but it was a serious food day as well. The Coca-Cola ham was always front and center, along with a ton of other food, like black-eyed peas (of course, made with the bone from a prior ham); homemade mac and cheese; chicken and dumplings; hot, crispy-on-the-outside corn bread; potato salad; fried okra; and Granny's sweet tea.

"So after a meal like this, we had to run it off during the annual Easter egg hunt, which featured no less than a couple hundred eggs, not to mention several 'Golden Eggs' with a few bucks in them. We would do this several times until we tired, or the poor eggs were so cracked and banged up that we couldn't hide them anymore.

"The ham is super-easy to make and is a no-brainer. When people have a taste, they really can't believe how easy it is when we tell them.

"My granny passed away in 2003, but not her cookin'!"

Annie Belle Andrews' Coca-Cola Glazed Ham

10 to 12 servings
Hands on: 30 minutes Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Chef and culinary educator Virginia Willis is familiar with this especially Southern combination, as her grandmother made a similar version. She comments, "The sweetness of the Coca-Cola marries very nicely with the slightly salty ham." She points out this recipe uses a cooked ham that is actually ready to eat without further cooking. She says, "These hams are often labeled 'Fully Cooked,' 'Ready to Eat,' or 'Heat and Serve.' They may be eaten as is but are more often heated to an internal temperature of 140 degrees for fuller flavor." One slight adjustment: Willis broiled the ham just before serving to give it a nice caramelized exterior.

1 (5- to 6-pound) semi-boneless ready-to-eat half ham, preferably shank end
2 cups dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup yellow mustard (or Dijon, as Willis prefers)
1 cup Coca-Cola Classic
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a roasting pan with large sheets of aluminum foil in opposite directions to wrap the ham tightly for roasting. Set aside.

Using a chef's knife, score the ham in a crosshatch pattern. Combine the brown sugar and mustard in a small bowl to make a paste. Spoon the paste onto the ham to thoroughly coat, packing it in the crevices. Pour Coca-Cola over ham and season with freshly ground black pepper. Seal the ham in the aluminum foil. Transfer the ham to the oven and roast, basting occasionally, until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees, about 10 minutes per pound, or 50 to 60 minutes.

Remove the ham from the oven and peel back the foil to expose the ham. Baste the ham with the pan juices. Heat the oven to broil. Return the ham to the oven and broil until dark brown and bubbly, 5 to 7 minutes, depending on the strength of your broiler. Transfer the ham to a cutting board to cool slightly. Thinly slice with a carving knife and serve the pan juices on the side.

Per serving (based on 10): 477 calories (percent of calories from fat, 22), 42 grams protein, 50 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 12 grams fat (4 grams saturated), 102 milligrams cholesterol, 1,664 milligrams sodium.

— Susan Puckett