Easter Menu?

[r4blessings]

Looks like this year I will be hosting Easter dinner for my SIL, BIL and two nieces, along with my mother, sister and her fiance and then my family of six. We don't really have a set routine for Easter...some years we are away, a few years my SIL had it b/c my niece's birthday fell on Easter and last year I was at my mother's house b/c my sister was with her fiance's family and I didn't want my mother to be alone. This year, I know my SIL won't want to do it, b/c it is right before my niece's sweet sixteen and I feel funny going to my mother's house b/c we are very close to SIL and her family.....we are all we have.

So, I guess I will issue out the invite for here. I always do Thanksgiving dinner and its a huge event, with tons of amazing food and a huge dessert buffet and games and favors. I just want to do a simple Easter celebration that is budget friendly.

What is on your Easter menu? Any tips or ideas for a simple but special dinner?

 

[BuzzandAriel'smom]

We will be in Disney this year but I will share my standard Easter menu.
Baked ham
sour cream and chive mashed potatoes with cheddar cheese on top
baked beans
rolls
salad
lemon bars for dessert

yummy!

 

[TiffanyK]

Ham with Honey Apple Ham Glaze
Hashbrown Casserole
Winter Fruit Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing
Blueberry Jello Salad

Add veggies and rolls and a dessert.

 

[Bren's Mom]

I don't have a set menu for Easter. It depends on if we're away at my parents, or if we host at my house...and how many people are coming that year.

Most often I make brunch:

Egg/meat casserole of some kind
Hash brown casserole
French toast casserole
bagels/cream cheese
fruit
veggie, often marinated, grilled asparagus
Strawberry/almond/mixed green salad, or a spinach salad
some kind of appetizer

 

[maggiew]

We always have:

ham (honeybaked)
au gratin potatoes
baked beans
asparagus
corn
green beans
Handmade raviolis

The past couple years I also purchased a smoked turkey breast from honeybaked ham. It was pretty cheap to add a turkey breast when you purchased the ham.

We have lots of desserts too. Easter bread, ricotta pie, cut out cookies, and a lamby shaped pound cake.

Maggie

 

[r4blessings]

Maggie, how hard is it to make the lamb cake? I've always seen the mold, but am intimidated to try to make it......but I think it could be really cute!

And I love the idea of the hashbrown casserole.....I love scalloped potatoes, but mine never seem to come out right, but a hashbrown casserole would be perfect with the ham!

I do always make the easter egg braided bread for breakfast, so I could always make a second loaf to have with dinner.

Thanks for the ideas....keep them coming!

 

[maggiew]

It isn't too bad to make the lamby cake. The worst part is my hand gets tired from squeezing the bag of icing. Especially because its stiff consistency. You could make it thinner and its easier. You could also use a tip that makes BIG swirls instead of little ones and that covers more area with each swirl. So makes it go faster. I usually vary the direction of the swirl (clockwise vs. counterclockwise) so it looks more natural. I got a little lazy with this one and didn't make the ears separate with pink icing. It depends on when I start to make it and how much time and energy I have left! I also usually put one of those coconut nests with jelly beans in it that you can buy in the candy aisle for decoration. But someone ate it this year before I got to use it!

I have made the Cracker Barrel Hasbrown recipe before (although not for Easter) and it is relatively fool-proof. I use cream of celery instead of whatever it calls for (I think cream of mushroom) because I don't like whatever they call for. I can try to find the recipe, but you could google it and it would show up.

Maggie

 

[Rosiekins]

Tea! We put ours out like a Buffet. Takes a little prep but is not too spendy and once it is out you can relax and enjoy your company (well you have to refill the hot water but other then that you are good to go) It is special and unique our family talks about it all year long.

Menu (you can do all these or just a few)

Tea Sandwiches (Cream Cheese and Jelly, egg salad, ham etc.... no crusts cut in to triangles Pepparidge Farm Sandwich bread it best)

Savory Tarts....Filo Shells (so cheap) filled with cut breakfast sausage with mustard, Scrambled eggs, (bake the ones you want to be hot) Smoked salmon mouse (smoked salmon and cream cheese with a caper or two on top) Lemon Curd (Make your own easy cheap and AMAZING..Use Alton Bown's recipe) Jam, Whipped Cream Or make up your own

You can fill puff pastry with Sausage and Mustard, Or Jam or Some meat

Ham slices (We bake a ham and put slices out)

Scones (I make my own but you can buy yummy ones)

Petite Fours (Cheat and slice Sara Lee pound cake in to bite sized squares rectangles or use small cookie cutter to make shapes, Dip in tinted melted vanilla frosting Really yummy and pretty)

Fruit

Deviled Eggs (a must in our house)

Put out Raspberry Lemonade, Tea Pots with Hot Water and plenty of Tea (we use bags because then everyone gets to choose their kind) and Cold Water

We ask people to bring some thing filling for the Tea Buffet.

 

[MSSANDRA]

We are having both sides of our family here but they are helping to bring food. We are having:

Sprial sliced ham
Turkey
Mac & Cheese
Potato salad
Green Beans
Deviled eggs
bread
Carrot cake
Bunny cake
(real carrots in the cake but not real bunnies

We are in NC if that matters.

 

[EKW]

Salmon...very easy to cook
asparagus with dill sauce
new potatoes with butter and chives
fresh fruit salad
dinner rolls

 

[AntePrincess]

Tea!

When do I come over?

We do roast duckling, supposedly "long island" style, with things like deviled eggs and fresh cheeses. For dessert we have done creme brulee or pound cake, this year mille crepes, which is basically a cake made of crepes stacked with filling between them.

This year, I'm doing this craft at each place setting: http://www.marthastewart.com/good-things/candy-nests

 

[mamo-4-wdw]

Salmon...very easy to cook
asparagus with dill sauce
new potatoes with butter and chives
fresh fruit salad
dinner rolls

My DS28 had to be on a speical diet and this sounds so good. I will be stealing your menu plan. Yummy
Thank YOu

 

[r4blessings]

AntePrincess.....I love that craft idea.....I think i'm going to try it with white plastic disposable bowls! And do a different color for each place setting....I saw a giant bag of foil covered eggs at BJ's yesterday!

And I love salmon, but no one else does.
THats why I always order it when I go out to eat!

 

[luckey-lasvegas]

Deviled Eggs (got to use those eggs up!)
Ham
Hash Brown Casserole (or potato salad if were doing more of a lunch)
Green Beans
Jello Pretzel Salad
Apple, Pecan , Blue Cheese and Romaine Salad
Peeps Cupcakes or Bunny Cake