Looking for Easter Dinner Menu Ideas? These Are Our Tastiest Recipes (2024)

Looking for Easter Dinner Menu Ideas? These Are Our Tastiest Recipes (1)

It's nearly Easter! This surprisingly ancient spring holiday is coming early this year — at the end of March. So you have a little less time to get ready. After decorating eggs and planning some traditional activities, you just have to get ready for the feast. And we have plenty of Easter dinner ideas to help!

If your family tends to make a traditional ham, then we have ideas for that, but we also have a ton of ideas if you want to switch things up, from delightful fish, to over-the-top beef, chicken, pasta and more.

We've also got ideas for every other part of the meal, from appetizers, to side dishes, to deserts, and drinks! Double-check your grocery list before you go shopping. Many grocery stores are closed on Easter, and it's best to avoid a trip if you can!

Pineapple-Glazed Ham

It's hard to find a tender ham dish that's easy to make—this one uses only five ingredients! It's easy, flavorful, and perfect for your Easter dinner crowd.

Get the recipe for Pineapple-Glazed Ham.

Classic Beef Wellington

If you're looking for a centerpiece dish that's more red meat, give this Beef Wellington a try! It's a classic dish that is so rich and delicious you'll wonder why you haven't made it before.

Get the recipe for Classic Beef Wellington.

Creamed Spinach

This easy recipe makes a classic, hard-to-stop-eating side that goes perfectly with almost any Easter dinner!

Get the recipe for Creamed Spinach.

Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below

Butter-Braised Cabbage with Cream and Garlic

Cabbage is another can't-miss veggie for the table. We cook it in plenty of cream and garlic, and then top with sesame seeds for just a touch of nutty flavor.

Get the recipe for Butter-Braised Cabbage.

Skillet Angel Biscuits with Spicy Honey Butter

If you prefer your biscuits lighter than air, give this recipe a try.

Get the recipe for Skillet Angel Biscuits with Spicy Honey Butter.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon Lardons and Chestnuts

Pair this side dish with a honey-baked ham and you'll have the happiest family on Easter weekend.

Get the recipe for Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Chestnuts.

Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below

Asiago Cheese Biscuits with Prosciutto

Kick the meal off with ham-biscuits as an appetizer. The only think you have to worry about is everyone saving enough room for the main course!

Get the recipe for Asiago Cheese Biscuits with Prosciutto.

Rhubarb Custard Pie

Spring is peak rhubarb season. This tart-sweet custard pie is the perfect way to cap off the feast!

Get the recipe for Rhubarb Custard Pie.

Baked Halibut with Snap Pea and Toasted Sesame Gremolata

If you've got a small gathering for Easter this year, this recipe needs to be on the menu! A mild topping of chopped snap peas, garlic, lemon zest, and toast sesame adds just enough flavor without getting in the way of the fish.

Get the recipe for Baked Halibut with Snap Pea and Toasted Sesame Gremolata.

Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below

Strawberry-Lemonade Angel Pie

This classic mid-century American dessert is, as Jocelyn Delk Adams puts it, "like a reverse lemon meringue pie." Instead of a traditional crust, the sweet meringue, baked until crispy, takes its place. This makes it exceedingly light and sweet—and also gluten-free!

Get the recipe for Strawberry-Lemonade Angel Pie.

Salt-Cured Egg Yolks over Steamed Asparagus

Want to really wow guests? Spend a couple minutes the weekend before Easter prepping egg yolks to cure, then grate them over fresh asparagus. It's both striking and delicious!

Get the recipe for Salt-Cured Egg Yolks over Steamed Asparagus.

Spring Gin Flip

Welcome Easter dinner guests with this relaxing, flavorful, chamomile-infused co*cktail.

Get the recipe for Spring Gin Flip.

Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below

Chicken and Snap Pea Pasta with Creamy Garlic-Basil Sauce

If you're looking for a fast, vegetarian pasta dish to serve for Easter, then look no further. Snap peas and fresh basil flavor an easy white sauce in this tasty, 20-minute dish that's also a keeper for weeknight dinners.

Get the recipe for Chicken and Snap Pea Pasta with Creamy Garlic-Basil Sauce.

Spring Crudités Board with White Bean-and-Pea Dip

Set out this gorgeous Easter appetizer for folks to munch on before dinner. This vegetarian Easter dish pairs a savory dip with your wildest assortment of crunchy veg!

Get the recipe for White Bean-and-Pea Dip.

Braised Turkey Wings

Spend any time as a guest in that part of the South Carolina coast known as the Lowcountry, and it's a good bet that you'll be served up a pile of braised turkey wings. Though good for any celebration, they're never missing at an Easter dinner.

Get the recipe for Braised Turkey Wings.

Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below

Salmon Patties

Seafood is never out of place at an Easter dinner. These kid-friendly patties are elegant, easy to make, and absolutely delicious.

Get the recipe for Salmon Patties.

Stewed Okra and Tomatoes

This Lowcountry Gullah-style vegetarian side keeps the okra flavor up front, and is lighter than the roux-based gumbos you would see in more Cajun areas.

Get the recipe for Stewed Okra and Tomatoes.

Instant Pot Lima Beans

Fresh or frozen, lima beans take on a ton of flavor from smoked pork, fresh garlic, and a little onion powder. A pressure cooker gives them that slow-cooked flavor in a fraction of the time, making this a great option for a vegetarian side dish.

Get the recipe for Instant Pot Lima Beans.

Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below

Baked Deviled Crab

This elegant seafood dish makes a tasty Easter side dish or appetizer. You can use whole crabs and serve it in their shells, or get foil or glass crab shells to serve it in.

Get the recipe for Baked Deviled Crab.

Easter Bread

Braided and studded with dyed eggs, this traditional Easter centerpiece is a must-have addition to the dinner table.

Get the recipe for Easter Bread.

Looking for Easter Dinner Menu Ideas? These Are Our Tastiest Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is a typical Easter dinner menu? ›

I've been to quite a few Easter lunches/dinners of different families. Ham has been the centerpiece of each of these, with typical side dishes of veggies, pasta and potato salads, casseroles etc. Dessert is typically pie, cake, and/or other pastries. This year there was ham and prime rib.

View Details ›

What is the most eaten food on Easter? ›

Lamb is a popular main dish on Easter in the U.S. and throughout Europe, such as the roast lamb common in the U.K. and Greece, or the French gigot d'agneau pascal, a rich, slow-cooked lamb stew often served with spring vegetables.

Get More Info Here ›

What do Catholics eat for Easter dinner? ›

Traditionally, the baskets are filled with: decorated hardboiled eggs (representing Christ's Resurrection); lamb-shaped butter or sugar (representing Christ as the “Lamb of God”); bread (reminding us that Jesus is the “Bread of Life”); meats, such as ham (symbolic of great joy and abundance), sausage (symbolic of God's ...

Learn More Now ›

What do most Americans eat for Easter dinner? ›

When it comes time to plan your Easter menu, a glazed ham or a big roast leg of lamb is the default. These dishes are classics for sure, but they're far from the only options, especially if, like mine, your celebration will be on the small side this year.

Read The Full Story ›

What is the evening meal for Easter? ›

Roast lamb: Lamb is a traditional Easter dish in many cultures, symbolizing spring and renewal. A roast leg of lamb seasoned with herbs and garlic is a classic choice. Honey-glazed ham: Honey-glazed ham is another traditional Easter dish that is popular in many households.

Learn More ›

What can't you eat on Easter? ›

According to the Catholic religion, fasting and abstinence from red meat consumption are a form of sacrifice, however, this practice is not entirely closed since the faithful can choose how they approach this tradition.

Discover More ›

What did Jesus eat for Easter dinner? ›

Local experts believe that Jesus ate simple meals of bread and locally caught fish. Aside from simple meals of bread and locally caught fish, local experts believe that Jesus also ate olives. Local experts believe that Jesus drank wine with his meals.

Learn More ›

What people don't eat on Easter? ›

Lenten fasting requires strict abstinence from meat. According to the USCCB, you shouldn't eat meat from chickens, cows, sheep, ham, pigs, or birds. It's also common practice to avoid alcohol, sweets and desserts, and fast foods made from chicken and beef.

Read The Full Story ›

What do Christians eat at Easter? ›

After the many weeks of Lent, Easter, which marks the resurrection of Christ, is usually celebrated with a big family meal. It often includes eggs, hot cross buns, and lamb or ham. Eggs symbolize rebirth and rejuvenation.

See Details ›

Can you eat pork on Easter Sunday? ›

Whatever you like. The TRADITIONAL choices are ham or lamb, but there's no law that says you have to choose one of those. Crown roast is good. If you like turkey or chicken, you can have that.

View Details ›

Why do we eat ham on Easter? ›

Not only were hogs cheaper to raise than sheep, but the farmers could slaughter the hogs in the fall and let the meat cure throughout the cold winter months. By spring, the cured meat was ready to eat—just in time to prepare for the Easter feast. The best part of the holiday ham may just be the leftovers.

Find Out More ›

What food is traditionally eaten on Good Friday? ›

On Good Friday, it's tradition to eat fish rather than meat. According to Christians, Jesus sacrificed his flesh on what is now known as Good Friday. This is why traditionally, people abstain from meaty flesh on Good Friday. Fish is viewed as a different kind of flesh, and so is favoured over meat on Good Friday.

Learn More Now ›

Why is ham a traditional Easter dinner? ›

While The Daily Meal notes lamb was originally the main course for most Easter dinners, a tradition that spanned 3,000 years and still holds true for many, including the Jewish holiday Passover. Ham became a less expensive alternative to lamb on Easter once there was less demand for wool in the U.S. after World War II.