Whether you’re hosting Easter dinner or bringing something to a family member or friend’s house, we’ve got some delicious recipes that are sure to be a hit at any celebration!
Easter Dinner Recipes
Sides
Deviled “Chick” Eggs
These adorable Deviled “Chick” Eggs are a fun twist to your typical deviled egg recipe. They will add pizazz to your table at Easter dinner this year! And best of all, they are super easy to make!
Ingredients:
- 12 eggs
- 2.5 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons of champagne vinegar
- 1/2 cup light mayo
- a pinch of fresh sea salt
- a pinch of fresh ground pepper
- paprika to taste
How To:
1. Place eggs in a large pot. Add enough water to cover all eggs. Add 1/2 T of vinegar and a touch of salt.
2. Bring water to a boil, uncovered, for 1 minute. Turn off heat. Cover pot and let sit for 12-15 minutes.
3. Remove hard boiled eggs and put them into a bowl. Rinse in cold water. Add ice and a teaspoon of salt. Mix. Place in refrigerator until eggs are cool.
4. Remove eggs from bowl when cool and peel and remove shells (You can leave the bottom of shells on for show).
5. Cut top portion off of eggs (measuring from bottom, 3/5 of the way up), making sure you cut into the yolk.
6. Set top halves aside and put all yolks into a bowl.
7. Add mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper and paprika to the yolks. Mix until well blended.
8. Fill the bottoms of the eggs with the yolk mixture and place the tops on, exposing a portion of the yolk (this will create the look of a chick poking out of an egg).
9. Cut small pieces of a carrot and black olives to create eyes and noses for your chicks.
Sweet Bread
This sweet bread recipe has been passed down from generations of women who put heart and soul into making scrumptious food for their families over the years. While this bread takes time, you will taste the quality of ingredients, care and love in each bite; and you will want to make this bread a side dish Easter tradition for your family for years to come!
Ingredients:
(Makes 4-5 loafs)
- 6 eggs
- 2 small packets of active yeast
- 1 pint of lukewarm milk (approximately 110 degrees)
- 14-15 cups of flour
- 2 cups of sugar
- 1 t of salt
- 1 t of vanilla
- 1 lb of unsalted melted butter
How To:
(If you are using an oven/stove top combination, preheat your oven to 350 degrees before beginning, and then turn it off. The heat from the oven will warm the stove top and you can use this as a warm surface to help your dough rise throughout the process.)
1. Mix and dissolve yeast and milk.
2. Add 2 cups of flour to yeast and milk mixture and blend well. This makes a runny batter called a “sponge.” Cover with a towel and let stand for 10 minutes.
3. In a separate bowl, beat 6 eggs with salt and vanilla. Set aside.
4. Go back to your sponge mixture. Over the course of 5 minutes, blend 2 cups of sugar into this mixture. Let stand for 10 minutes.
5. Beat your egg mixture into your sponge mixture. Add in melted butter until well incorporated.
6. Add 11-12 cups of warmed flour (add enough flour so dough doesn’t stick to your hands).
7. Cover in a large bowl with a towel. Place on warm stove top. Let rise for approximately 1.5 hours.
8. Remove dough from bowl and knead on a floured surface for 5-7 minutes.
9. Place dough back in bowl and cover with towels. Place bowl back on warm stove top to continue rising for approximately 1 hour.
10. Remove dough from bowl and knead again on a floured surface for 5-7 minutes (preheat oven to 350 degrees now).
11. Cut dough into 4-5 equal sections and form loaves, placing each in a greased loaf pan.
12. Cover each loaf pan with a towel and place back onto stove top to rise for approximately 20 minutes.
13. Place loaves into oven and bake, uncovered, for approximately 50 minutes (Insert a toothpick into the loaf. If it comes out clean, bread is done. If not, continue baking for a few minutes and check again.).
14. When done, place loaves on cooling rack. This bread tastes best served warm!
Sweets
Bird’s Nest Treats
For a fun and easy Easter treat, try out these sweet and chewy little bird’s nests!
Ingredients:
- 4 cups of dry chow mein noodles
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of butter
- 4 cups of mini-marshmallows
- 1/4 cup of creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup of butterscotch chips (or any flavor of your choice)
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract (optional)
- A few dozen jelly beans or chocolate egg candies
How To:
- In a large saucepan melt the butter and marshmallows over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once melted, add in the peanut butter, butterscotch chips, and vanilla extract. Heat and stir for a couple of minutes or until it is all melted together and smooth.
- Remove your melted mixture from the heat and stir in the chow mein noodles until well coated.
- Using two well-greased spoons, scoop and place 12 mounds onto wax or parchment paper. Press an indentation in the center of each mound to create your nests.
- Place 2-3 jelly beans or chocolate egg candies (we used Cadbury Mini Eggs) in the center of each nest and let cool completely before serving.
Extra Tips & Ideas:
- To shape your nests more easily, grease your fingers up with butter and use your hands!
- Be careful of touching the mixture too soon because it will be very hot at first.
- Try milk chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, or even white chocolate instead of butterscotch.
- If you are making these for a school classroom, you can easily omit the peanut butter – just replace with the same amount of additional chocolate chips.
- If you can’t find chow mein noodles or just want to use what’s on hand in your home, try using crispy rice cereal or even corn flakes.
Recipe adapted from Taste of Home.
Carrot Cake Roll
Carrot cake is a staple dessert for many at Easter. This year, instead of spending hours frosting the perfect carrot cake masterpiece, try this delicious carrot cake roll for an easier twist on the traditional.
Ingredients:
- 3 eggs
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 3/4 cup flour
- 2 cups shredded carrots (about 3 medium carrots)
- Powdered sugar for rolling
For the filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar for dusting
How To:
-
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a jelly roll (10×15”) pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar on high speed for 5 minutes, until frothy and dark yellow. Gradually add in oil, and vanilla extract.
- Combine salt, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and flour. Stir into egg mixture just until blended. Stir in carrots.
- Spread in prepared pan. Batter will be in a very thin layer and you’ll need to spread it to all the corners of the pan. Bake for 9-11 minutes.
- While the cake is baking, prepare your rolling surface. Get a clean kitchen towel and sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar (about 1/4 cup). As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, turn it over on the kitchen towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Carefully (slowly!) remove foil.
- Fold the edge of the towel over the cake and roll it up as tightly as possible. Let it cool completely while rolled (1-2 hours).
- Set out cream cheese and butter.
- Once cake is cooled, prepare the frosting. Beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla.
- Carefully unroll the towel and cake. Spread the filling on the cake evenly, and re-roll tightly. Wrap it it plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Before serving, dust with additional powdered sugar. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Crazy for Crust
Photo Credits:
1, 2 & 3: With a Red Bird on my Shoulder
4. Dreams to Do
