- "Good Idea: Finding Easter eggs on Easter; Bad Idea: Finding Easter eggs on Xmas"
- Jack Handy
Anyone who enjoys cooking knows that it's often difficult to come up with fresh holiday recipe ideas that please guests and also somehow reflect the season. Easter menu ideas are certainly no different. Everyone in the family seems to have a "favorite" dish, and of course there are inevitably unexpected guests who stop by with ideas of their own. Don't panic. A little planning makes your Easter menu much easier to manage.
Spring's the Thing
Easter is not simply focused on bunnies and eggs; it's the start of spring when Earth awakens. You can use this motif as part of your overall plan. Put out fresh, lighter curtains, a bright pastel table cloth, and use fresh flowers as a centerpiece to your meal. It's amazing how much different your house feels with these changes, and they make a fantastic segue into your celebration.
The Basic Easter Menu
A lot about your Easter menu depends heavily on the numbers of guests you have coming, and your budget. Usually two appetizers, a salad and or soup, one or two main courses, sides and a dessert wrap up a meal and leave everyone very satisfied. Try to find recipes that go together with ease, and those that won't require you to run to the kitchen every 5 minutes during dinner. This is family time, and your meal should accommodate your presence.
Of course you'll probably want to include one egg item, one ham item, some spring vegetables and a pie or cake. Examples that come immediately to mind are spicy deviled eggs (to celebrate the renewed warmth outside), a holiday ham spiral with apple cider honey glaze, asparagus bundled with carrots and yellow and red sweet peppers, and a no bake cheese cake covered in peeps. For soup, how about egg drop soup with golden yellow broth (very sunny looking) and a side salad that includes pomegranate seeds, red onion and almonds for both color and crunch. Obviously this is just one of hundreds of possible options.
No matter what, begin assembling your Easter menu ideas about a month ahead of time. This way you can shop for bargains and pre-make items that can be frozen until the festivities.
Plan an Easter Brunch Menu
Because of religious services in the morning, many families opt for brunch recipes for their meal on Easter. The hard part is that someone has to prepare the food while others are out of the house so everything is hot and ready to go. Alternatively, just plan on eating a little later than usual. Offer coffee, juice and tea to guests while you prepare the menu.
Pot Luck Easter Dinner
Another good option on our list of Easter menu ideas is having pot luck. This way you and your guests get to show off their finest and favorite holiday creations. Just find out ahead of time what everyone plans to bring so that you can round out the menu accordingly.
You can also find more Easter dinner ideas right here.
- About the Author: Because she's nuts for food (and Easter!), Karen Talavera owns and writes a ton of Easter dinner recipes and ideas.