In a Pinch Easter Dinner Menu Ideas and Recipes

In a Pinch Easter Dinner Menu Ideas and Recipes

Happy April! Easter is only days away and you know what that means. It's time to start thinking about what will be served, if you haven't already.

Marshmallow bunnies and chocolate eggs fill the shelves of the supermarket and families are planning new ways to get together to celebrate. Church services will be a bit different, but good food, egg hunts, those delish desserts, Easter baskets and chocolate Easter bunnies will still be in full swing.

But one thing we can probably all agree on is that people love food on special holidays. When it comes to Easter, families get together and have brunch. The table is filled with Easter traditional dishes, such as roasted lamb, ham, egg dishes, breads and a ton of chocolate and spring desserts.

So I've put together some In a Pinch Easter Dinner Menu Ideas and Recipes

Easter Eggs in white bowl with egg carton

Easter Dinner Ideas 101:

Unlike Thanksgiving where you serve almost the same dish every year, you have so much flexibility with an Easter menu.

Why is this? Unlike Thanksgiving, Easter doesn’t have a fixed date. The dates (along with the weather) keep changing. New vegetables, like asparagus and carrots sprout up in the spring season and they’re bountiful for roasting and making salads.

If you’re having that annual menu anxiety, don’t sweat. I’ve got your back! Check out my Easter dinner ideas to get you kickstarted on your Easter dinner prep. I’ve prepared a whole course containing recipes which are extremely easy to prepare. This will ease your anxiety and have you whipping up a delish Easter meal in no time.

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Carrot cake with swirls flatlay

The Appetizer

Goat cheese and swiss on cutting board with crackers

Goat Cheese Appetizers:

This is one of the most treasured dishes and can be prepared in under 15 minutes. Everyone just raves about it. Whether you want an elegant starter for a dinner party or for a brunch on Easter Sunday, this can be suitable for any occasion.

Ingredients Needed To Make Goat Cheese Appetizer:

  • 4 tablespoon olive oil.
  • ½ tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 11 ounce of goat cheese
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated Meyer lemon zest; 2 tablespoon juice
  • ¼ tablespoon coarse salt
  • 2 garlic cloves (finely minced)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • Baguette
  • Vegetables (radishes, cucumbers etc)

Instructions Needed To Make Goat Cheese Appetizer:

  1. Wish lemon juice and olive oil together in one bowl.
  2. Take another bowl and mix lemon zest, red pepper flakes and herbs.
  3. Spread it on a cutting board
  4. Roll the goat cheese evenly in such a way that you no longer see the white part of the cheese.
  5. Place on top of the oil and lemon zest mixture.
  6. Serve with baguette and vegetables.

The Main Dish

Root Beer Glazed Ham:

This blends a bit of the traditional with a little something unconventional. Sweet brown sugar and root beer glaze is baked over a boneless ham to make an easy main traditional dish. Making this dish is extremely easy and delicious as well. Once made, you’ll end up making it again and again for every occasion.

Ingredients Needed To Make Root Beer Glazed Ham

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 cans of root beer
  • 2 tablespoon whole cloves
  • 1 c. light brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoon chopped and peeled ginger
  • 2 tablespoon grainy mustard
  • 1 half ham fully cooked bone-in and smoked

Instructions Needed To Make Root Beer Glazed Ham

  1. Preheat your oven to 324°F.
  2. Make long cuts from the top to the bottom of the ham with a long knife.
  3. Make cuts in a way that it forms a diamond pattern all over the ham.
  4. Take a bowl and pour the root beer and add sugar, cloves and ginger. Whisk all together.
  5. Pour the mixture all over the ham.
  6. Press one clove in the cut of the ham.
  7. Cover with a foil and bake for 11/2 hours.
  8. Pour the drippings from the pan into the bowl along with lemon juice and mustard. Whisk it.
  9. Serve the ham with mustard sauce.

The Bread

close up rosemary parmesan bread

Parmesan Rosemary Dinner Rolls:

Bread! One of the most important things that needs to be present at any dinner, lunch or brunch. Parmesan Rosemary Dinner Rolls will definitely be a hit of your occasion. Here’s what you will need,

Ingredients Needed To Make Parmesan Rosemary Dinner Rolls

  • Kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon dried fresh rosemary
  • 2 tubes of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup of shredded Parmesan Cheese; 2 tablespoon for topping

Instructions Needed To Make Parmesan Rosemary Dinner Rolls

  1. Preheat the oven to 250°F.
  2. Place the skillet in the oven with 2 tablespoons of butter.
  3. Using one tube at a time, roll out the dough and press seams together to form a dough.
  4. Sprinkle ½ or rosemary and ½ of Parmesan.
  5. Roll the dough up lengthwise and slice approximately into 1” piece. Repeat this with the second tube of dough as well.
  6. Remove the skillet from the oven.
  7. Brush butter on the bottom, top and the sides of the skillet.
  8. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the bread is goldenish-brown.
  9. Cool and serve from the skillet.

The Dessert

carrot cake with swirls on top

Carrot Cake

This desert is a must have for every Easter. The tangy taste of the cream frosting, the moist cake crumbs and the spices, all together for a delicious.

Ingredients Needed To Make Carrot Cake

  • 1 ½ tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 ½ tablespoon baking soda
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 tablespoon sour cream
  • ¼ ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoon cinnamon
  • ½ tablespoon salt
  • 2 ½ cups of grated carrots
  • ¾ cup of brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoon vanilla
  • 2 cups of levelled all-purpose flour

 

For Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • ½ tablespoon of chopped walnuts (optional)
  • ½ cup of unsalted butter (softened)
  • 2 ½ - 3 ½ cups of powdered sugar
  • 1 ½ tablespoon of whipped cream
  • 8 oz cream cheese bar softened

Instructions Needed To Make Carrot Cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Thoroughly grease and flour the sides and bottom of the jelly roll pan.
  3. Take a large bowl. Add nutmeg, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, flour and salt. Whisk away!
  4. Take another red bowl and put the oil and sugar in it. Beat away until it is evenly combined.
  5. Add the eggs, sour cream and vanilla in it and beat until no sugar lumps remain.
  6. Beat in the flour mixture followed by the grated carrots.
  7. Pour batter into the prepared jelly roll pan in such a way that the batter spreads evenly on the edges.
  8. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.
  9. Insert toothpick to see if it comes out clean.
  10. Allow it to cool

 

How To Prepare Frosting

  1. Beat the butter and the cream cheese until it is evenly softened and combined.
  2. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time while beating along with the vanilla.
  3. Add whipping cream 1 tablespoon at a time until a desired consistency is reached.
  4. Frost the cake and decorate the cake if needed.

 

Easter is one of those few occasions that has a wonderfully flexible menu. The flexibility of the menu can become a headache for some. It’s hard to pick out a dish from all the options you have available. These selected Easter recipes are delicious AND a quick make as well!!

From side dishes to desert I hope I’ve given you some ideas when picking out a full Easter meal.

For last minute adult Easter basket ideas see here.

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