Easter Dinner

When I was growing up, Easter dinner was usually an early afternoon affair.

Though it was similar to what we did just about every other Sunday, inasmuch as our family gathered together after church for a sit-down meal, Easter was special.

Aside from all the festivities, including an annual Easter egg hunt in the yard (or house, depending on the weather), our dinner on Easter Sunday was a virtual feast.

The menu had all the traditional holiday favorites: ham, roast pork, or lamb; cheesy potatoes; green beans or peas; definitely carrots; Easter cheese; Easter bread and sweet buns; colored eggs; an Easter pie; cake appropriately decorated for the occasion; pounds of jelly beans in our Easter baskets; and enough chocolate—in the form of rabbits and eggs—to warm the heart of any child or chocolate lover. It’s a wonder my mother survived the day with four active youngsters all flying high on sugar.

Traditional Holiday Favorites

Baked Ham with Spiced Cherry Glaze
Dress up a spiral-sliced ham with an easy-to-make, simple cherry and spice glaze. It’s a nice change
from the basic pineapple and cherry recipe. Super moist—try it! (Photo: Food Network)

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[above left to right] 1. Pancetta-Wrapped Pork Roast – Treat pork loin to a garlic-rosemary-thyme paste before locking the flavors in a pancetta wrapping; 2. Another Easter favorite is Herbed Leg of Lamb, flavored with a paste made from scallions, parsley, dill, celery and garlic, then roasted alongside turnips and scallions. (Photos: Food Network)

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[above left to right] 1. Four-Cheese Scalloped Potatoes are thinly sliced and layered with heavy cream and mozzarella, asiago, and raclette cheeses; then topped with Parmesan cheese
and baked until bubbly; 2. This Creamy Spring Peas dish is a classic combination of sweet peas and
smoky pancetta in a lemony cream sauce; 3. Honey-Glazed Carrots are just what the Easter Bunny ordered! Bright baby carrots are coated with a honey-lemon glaze, then garnished with fresh parsley.
Leave the green tops attached for an elegant look. (Photos: Food Network)

It’s not Easter without eggs. Eggs add to the festivities and are a mainstay of Easter meals. They are often dyed, painted, decoupaged, or otherwise decorated. To create Dye-Free Easter Eggs, draw pretty patterns and simple designs, like X’s and O’s, onto hard-boiled eggs with edible markers. (Photo: Parents)

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This is just a sampling of different Easter breads. Pick one . . . or two . . . and enjoy!
[above left to right] 1. Sweetly-spiced Hot Cross Buns are a popular tradition during the Easter season (Photo: Food Network); 2. Italian Easter Bread, a sweet bread made with milk and sugar, has an Easter egg in the middle (Photo: The Italian Dish); 3. To create Orange Bunny Rolls, twist the dough into bunny shapes and ice with orange goodness (Photo: Budget Gourmet Mom); 4. Another tradition from Eastern Europe, Mary Urim’s Paska, is a rich, hearty bread that is amazingly light and fluffy when
toasted. We always added yellow raisins to the recipe—it was unbelievably good when sliced
and slathered with sweet, creamy butter! (Photo: Romancing the Stove)

Easter Pie is an Italian springtime tradition. This sweet version has ricotta-orange filling
with a tender phyllo dough shell. (Photo: Food Network)

Perfect Endings Easter Egg Cake from Williams-Sonoma—a red velvet cake wrapped in fondant icing and tied with a bow—is a stunning finale for an Easter celebration. (Photo: Williams-Sonoma)

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[above left to right] 1. Easter Nest Cookies are so simple to make! Start with refrigerated sugar cookies, then ice and decorate with dyed coconut and Easter eggs (Photo: Pillsbury); 2. A classic, cute
Easter Bunny Cake is easily created from a carrot cake mix; frost and cover with mouthwatering coconut . . . and voilá! (Photo: Betty Crocker); 3. Perfect Endings Carrot Cake pairs
moist carrot cake lusciously with velvety fondant icing (Photo: Williams-Sonoma); 4. These giant
Personalized Easter Egg Cookies look almost too good to eat and provide a special touch
for any Easter basket, egg hunt, or holiday brunch. (Photo: Williams-Sonoma)

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