Easter has always been a memorable holiday for many families. It’s a warm, family-centric holiday that brings people of all ages together. Whether you spend your Easter Sunday morning in a church or on an Easter egg hunt, dinner is always the main event of the day. If you’re not sure what you want to make this year, these 30 great Easter dinner ideas have you covered from your main dish to your side items. I even threw in a few desserts. Enjoy!
1. Glazed Ham
Ham is pretty much an Easter staple. When you bake yours this year, don’t forget to use this delightful glaze made of brown sugar, orange or pineapple juice, Dijon mustard, cloves, and garlic powder. Not only will it make your ham look beautiful, but it also gives it a sweet, smoky flavor that’s simply unbeatable.
2. Pineapple Raisin Sauce
The above-listed glazed ham is perfect as-is, but if you believe in serving a special sauce with your ham, this pineapple raisin sauce complements it flawlessly. It’s full of all kinds of great stuff like crushed pineapples, brown sugar, raisins, ginger, and cloves. It’s also great for those family members who want their baked ham a little sweeter before they eat it. Best of all, you can whip it up in about 15 minutes.
3. Easter Salad
This Easter salad is gorgeous. The vibrant red strawberries and creamy white goat cheese and almonds stand out beautifully amidst the bed of greens. Luckily, it tastes great, too. It takes about 20 minutes to fix and can serve eight people. The homemade lemon honey vinaigrette gives it a sweet but zesty taste that perfectly sets off the strawberries and cheese.
4. Prime Rib
If you’re looking to move away from the traditional Easter ham this season, consider making this no-fuss prime rib instead. It’s incredibly tender, and the rosemary, thyme, and garlic rub season it so well, you’ll feel like you ordered off the high-roller’s menu at the Bellagio. Forgive the cliche, but it really is good to the last bite.
5. Rolls
If you’re the family member who always gets put on roll duty for major holidays, use this Texas Roadhouse rolls recipe and shock everyone this Easter. Covered in butter and fluffier than clouds, these rolls might be even better than the ones served at the famous Roadhouse. Your family will swear you’ve turned into a chef overnight.
6. Homemade Crescent Rolls
If you like your bread a little flakier and lighter, try this recipe for homemade crescent rolls. After 40 minutes and only eight ingredients, you’ll have over two dozen of these flaky, buttery, super-soft rolls you can serve, freeze, or store in the fridge for up to a week.
7. Roasted Asparagus
This is the perfect recipe for anyone looking for a way to cook asparagus that even kids will love. They’re crispy and have a very satisfying snap when you bite into them. Furthermore, thanks to the parmesan, red pepper, and mint flavor, the kids won’t even know they’re eating asparagus. It’s ahhhhh-mazing!
8. Glazed Carrots
Taking only about 15 minutes to prepare, these glazed baby carrots are another effortless but delicious side dish to make this Easter. All you’ll need to do to take the carrots from bland to BAM! is add some salt, a little butter, and a tablespoon of brown sugar. You can throw in some almonds for an added crunch or cover them in chili powder for a slight bite.
9. Lamb Meatballs
If you’re looking for a meat dish that’s bold and unique, these lamb meatballs fit the bill. You’ll mix your ground lamb with some Greek yogurt, garlic, and plenty of herbs and seasonings. Then roll them into balls and cook them in oil until they’re golden brown. They’re even better served with freshly made garlic dill sauce.
10. Ridiculously Easy Focaccia Bread
Easter often requires a lot of time in the kitchen, so this easy focaccia bread is a welcome change. Aside from the time it spends baking, you’ll only need to invest about 10 minutes making it. It comes out crispy and herby, and it tastes great with an appetizer of soup or salad.
11. Pot Roast
Any main dish that can be cooked in a slow cooker is ideal for Easter because it gives you more time to spend with the people you love. All you’ll do for this pot roast is mix the five ingredients with salt and pepper in the slow cooker, then leave it alone for the next 8 hours. Spend that time enjoying your family, and later that evening, you can all enjoy a hearty, healthy meal together.
12. Lamb Chops
These lamb chops are tender, succulent, and they practically fall apart in your mouth. Even better, they only take about 20 minutes to cook! They’re zesty and herby, and they go perfectly with garlic mashed potatoes and the above-listed baked asparagus.
13. Gravy
Whether you’re serving beef, chicken, turkey, or your other favorite meat this Easter, someone is sitting at the table who won’t want it without the gravy. All you’ll need for this delicious gravy is a whisk, a saucepan, and about 5 minutes – and your ingredients, of course!
14. Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts used to be very hit or miss for me, but then I discovered these four-ingredient sprouts, and I’ve loved them ever since. They’re my go-to dish for any family gathering because they’re healthy, easy, and done in about 40 minutes. Depending on how crispy you like your sprouts, you might even be able to make them in 30!
15. Spring Salad
Nothing says spring like a myriad of colors bursting out everywhere, and this spring salad is as colorful as the season itself. The yellow chickpeas, red radishes, green veggies, and white cheese combine to create an explosion of color and flavor. The zesty vinaigrette dressing really sets the whole thing off, but you can substitute your favorite dressing if you prefer.
16. Caramelized Onion and Butternut Squash Tart
If you want to put your culinary skills to the test this Easter, this is the dish for you. It takes a little work and time, but it will stun the entire family when it’s done. Not only does it look great, but it also tastes fantastic. It’s cheesy and decadent, but every calorie is worth it. It’s ideal for a vegetarian main dish, but it’s so incredibly good, even your non-veggie friends and family will come back for seconds.
17. Turnips Au Gratin
This dish is for those people who love au gratin potatoes but need a more keto-friendly or low-carb option instead. While they don’t taste exactly the same as potatoes, the two kinds of cheese, heavy cream, and garlic powder go a long way towards masking the turnips’ natural bitterness.
18. Savory Palmiers
Looking for something that’s both sweet and savory, light and crispy, and cheesy and pastry-like? Look no further than these savory, three-ingredient palmiers. All you’ll need to make them are cheese, figs, and puff pastry. In less than 30 minutes, you’ll be enjoying a little taste of Paris from the comfort of your home.
19. Asparagus Salad
I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to add one more colorful salad to the list! If you like your salads super crunchy, you’ll love this one filled with asparagus, walnuts, feta cheese, and grape tomatoes. The homemade balsamic vinaigrette is also outstanding. Don’t be shocked if it becomes your new go-to salad dressing.
20. Citrus Honey Roasted Salmon
Salmon may not be a traditional Easter dish, but this particular fish tastes so good, no one will mind. It takes a little over half an hour to cook, and if you’re not a huge fan of seafood, this is the dish for you. Thanks to the multitude of fruit flavors, the salmon’s natural flavor is turned into something fresher and sweeter.
21. Pea Salad
This slightly sweet pea salad is the best possible side dish for longer, warmer days. It’s cool and finds the perfect balance between sweet, salty, and savory. It’s made up mostly of green peas, bacon, cheddar cheese, and onions, but the sweet dressing that covers the whole concoction is superb. This is a family favorite for households all over the country.
22. Easter Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs are another Easter staple, but these are more delightful than most. With small pieces of olives for eyes and carrots for beaks, they look just like tiny Easter chicks hatching from their shells. Sadly, they’re definitely too cute to eat. (Don’t worry, though. They’ll be eaten nonetheless!)
23. Whipped Sweet Potatoes
Whoever said sweet potatoes were solely a Thanksgiving side dish has obviously never had these jaw-droppingly good whipped sweet potatoes at Easter. They’re soft, fluffy, and practically melt in your mouth, and you can serve them as a side dish or a dessert as you prefer. Either way, people will soon be licking the bowl clean.
24. Mushroom and Leek Tart
This is another savory dish that’s perfect for the vegetarians at the table. It takes less than 30 minutes to cook, and the mushrooms, cheese, leeks, basil, and thyme complement the puffed pastry wonderfully. It’s the closest you can get to eating quiche without actually eating a quiche.
25. Scalloped Potatoes
There is never a bad time for scalloped potatoes, and these are creamy, cheesy, and have just enough onion in them to add a sharp little kick. You’ll need only six ingredients for them, but you might want to double the recipe. Otherwise, you might have a “last scoop” fight break out on Easter, and no one wants that.
26. Leek and Kale Galette
This savory galette is flaky, tender, and positively bursting with flavor. The pastry part of the dish is pure buttery goodness. The filling is impossibly creamy, and the leeks and kale make it hearty and nutritious. When you first see the recipe, you may feel like there’s just too much going on to make cooking this dish worth it. However, it’s not as difficult or as time-consuming as it seems, especially if you prepare the pastry crust ahead of time and save the filling for a day or so later.
27. Simnel Cake
Bump fruit cake up to a whole new level with this sweet and fruity recipe for Simnel cake. If you aren’t familiar with it, the Simnel cake is a legitimate Easter tradition. In the past, the cake was prepared for servant mothers on Mothering Sunday by their daughters. There are 11 marzipan balls on top of the cake representing the 11 apostles (sans Judas) of Jesus Christ. This is a great dessert to serve if you want to bring a more sacred dish to the table.
28. Easter Rice Krispie Treats
Rice Krispie treats are a fun, easy treat to make, and plenty of kids on plenty of sleepovers have enjoyed them over the years. However, with the addition of pastel sprinkles and some pastel M&M’s, you can turn them into an Easter-themed treat that’ll delight adults and kids alike.
29. Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Pineapple upside-down cake is always a hit in the warmer months, which makes it the ultimate Easter dessert. If you’ve ever made one before, you know how simple it is to cook. You’ll have it ready in less than an hour. Throw some whipped cream on top, and call it a day.
30. Key Lime Cake
You may know Trisha Yearwood of country music fame, but after one bite of this phenomenal key lime cake, you’ll refer to her as the Key lime cake lady. The cake itself is very tasty, but once you top it with the tangy key lime glaze and the sugary sweet butter cream cheese icing, the game’s over, and this cake wins. It’s light, refreshing, fruity, sweet, and zesty all rolled into one. It’s an excellent choice for an Easter dessert. Click on a star to rate it!
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