My mother would cook the meal's dishes in order of cooking time, from slowest to fastest, and would place them in covered Corning Ware casserole dishes on a heated electric tray. That way, if something were to cook faster or be prepared first, it would still be warm when the rest of the meal was ready.
Since she'd make a meal with many dishes (dinner was usually a big production that took hours), it was the only way to keep everything warm for serving. She made a point of having with every dinner: an appetizer, a salad, a green veggie, an orange/red veggie, an entree and a dessert.