Grilled leg of lamb, baked white fish, corn pudding, parselied potatoes, cold asparagus, lemon butter sugar snaps, yeast rolls, cheesecake.

The menu, at least as of today :-)

I just found out today that I am having house guests for Easter, so I will be watching this thread for inspiration.

My sister is hosting!!!! Yay! We don't do the same menu yearly or same as other holidays - but no matter what else we have - we will have a ham and deviled eggs.

tina

We started this tradition when our children were young and they still like to have the same meal. This is the basic menu, with possible add-ons.

Brisket
New potatoes, buttered w/ parsley
Asparagus
Home made dinner rolls
Strawberry shortcake

Will probably add a salad.

My parents are hosting. My father is making Sicilian lamb which means he most certainly will accompany it with roasted potatoes with garlic and rosemary (this is one of our traditional Easter meals). He usually experiments with a new vegetable side dish but not sure what his plans are this year. Once I know what he is making, I'll do another side dish. My mom usually makes dessert but my 13 y/o dd has become quite interested in making desserts so she will probably want to relieve my mother of this task.

My brother and his family are coming too. My brother is making his specialty which is antipasto consisting of grilled vegetables, Italian meats and olives.

Pretty basic...I'm doing ham but I'm going to try it in the crock pot this year...with horse radish sauce and fresh pineapple chunks. Scalloped potatoes, baked beans, biscuits....some kind of veggie dish...haven't decided yet. One cousin is bringing salad and the other bringing dessert...

We smoke a pork shoulder and make sandwiches with shredded pork, vinegar BBQ sauce, coleslaw and pickles on buttered and toasted buns. Probably will make some homemade ice cream.

Growing up it was always ham, scalloped potatoes, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, Platzek(Polish bread), egg 'cheese'(Czech), and some sort of fruit salad and dessert. I always looked forward to the foods of my heritage!

These days we do brunch, usually i'll make spinach or broccoli quiche. We'll have the standard fare of bacon, hash brown potatoes w/red peppers and onions, possibly French toast, and a yogurt dip w/various fruits. Not very original, but our favorite breakfast foods. ;o)

Maybe I wouldn't mind the same dishes every year if they were things I wanted to eat. I don't eat ham, although I'll make it for them. I don't eat iceberg lettuce with hot bacon dressing. I don't eat any dessert his Aunt brings because all the ingredients are no-fat this and fake sugar that. It's a dish of chemicals that doesn't appeal to me. I don't eat chocolate so that eliminates any of the candy.

It might not seem like it but I do enjoy many foods, just different things than what they like. If I won't be seeing my family for dinner, this group is a 1 o'clock meal, then I'll grill some salmon for myself (none of them will eat non-fried fish) and take whatever veggies I can. If I'll be having dinner with my family later in the day (if a local sister is hosting), I'll just take a few veggies and make it a light lunch.

Our bestfriends host Easter, although we split making everything.
Spiral-cut honey baked ham
fresh veggie tray with Ranch dip
various appetizers
deviled eggs
asparagus
twice-baked, stuffed potatoes
green salad
strawberry pie
wine
iced tea
coffee

That will be a busy food week for me. Monday we will celebrate Passover and I will focus more on that meal. We will likely have lamb (either roast leg or meatballs), roasted roots, salad, haroseth (grated apples with chopped nuts, sweetened with honey, a little cinnamon and a little alcohol) and an almond cake with berry coulis.

On Easter Sunday, we will go to brunch at our church. For that I will be making vegan quiches and either some gluten free scones or some coconut flour blueberry muffins (maybe both).

Later that day I will go to mom's house. She has a ham. I am committing to bringing a dessert (probably either a lemon yogurt cake or cream puffs, althou a mousse might be nice) and a side dish, likely salad. I imagine by that time I will be quite tired and not really care either way.

easter is going to be low key this year for us... kids all away.

traditionally, i make a spiral ham, but don't know what i'll do this year... never had horseradish sauce on ham, but it sounds like it would be good! will try that next time i do make ham!
almost always make asparagus at easter.
used to always make a 'bunny head' cake when the kids were young with whipped cream as frosting!

haven't traditionally made deviled eggs either, tho it makes sense and we love them so will def make some for next weekend!

When is Easter?

Ann
the slightly overwhelmed

Take a breath, Ann, it's not until the 31st.

Here's a recipe I love. Maybe someone here will be able to use it. I don't know where I first found it so, unfortunately, I can't credit the source. I have it written on a piece of notebook paper from my purse so I might have come across it anywhere. It's fine hot or room temp. Can be made one day ahead.

Roasted Spiced Carrots
2 T olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 T sugar (I don't use that much)
1 t cumin
1/2 t kosher salt
1/2 t ground cinnamon
2 lbs carrots, sliced
1/4 cup white raisins
Juice of one lemon
1/4 cup parsley, chopped

Heat oven to 400. Combine oil through carrots in a shallow baking pan (cookie sheet with sides) and roast 20 minutes or until fork tender. Remove from oven, add remaining ingredients and toss well.

I've sneaked muffaleta into a couple of Memorial Day/Labor Day celebrations, but for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, my family has to have the traditional favorites.

For Easter that would be baked ham, potato casserole (the one with hash browns, cream, and loads of cheese), deviled eggs, several veggies, homemade hot rolls, fruit salad, fruit pies and cheese cake. All of our Family Dinners are pot luck, so that helps, then we all split the left-overs. :)

I'm hosting an Easter brunch this year -for about 20 people. I've always done dinner, so this is a purposeful diversion.... We'll be eating at noon. I'm starting to re-think (panic?) over my menu choices.... Can someone double check me? Is it too many similar/starchy things?

Main Course/Buffet style
Spiral ham, served at room temp
Baked egg/cheese/potato breakfast casserole
Baked orange french toast
Ambrosia
Pineapple Souffle
Fresh fruit salad
Deviled eggs
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Baked egg/cheese/potato breakfast casserole
Baked orange french toast

Dessert:
coconut/pineapple cupcakes
chocolate bundt cake with conf sugar sprinkled over
meringue crust with orange curd and fresh strawberries

Beverages
Ice Tea
OJ
Lemonade with fresh fruit in it
Pina Coladas (virgin and with rum)

I have a horrible sweet tooth, and am beginning to think I've made this all too sweet....... I do have some frozen broccoli florets I can steam at the last minute if the serving table doesn't look right.

I'm thinking it's going to be Mexican. Or Chinese. Nothing that involves me actually cooking anything, that is. We play three services in the church orchestra Sunday morning, and I have a rehearsal for a different group at 6:30 that night. All of that will happen "in town", so we won't be back home to the boonies until after 9pm.

I'll live vicariously through all of you.

Bestyears, you'll likely get lots of opinions on this, but I think with all the options you are offering, I'd probably cut out the ambrosia and pineapple souffle. You've got a fresh fruit salad and two fruit desserts, plus the orange french toast. That seems like plenty of fruit based food.

The only addition I might make would be something like marinated roasted veggies...something that could be done ahead and served room temp. It would go especially well with the ham and the egg casserole, as well as the deviled eggs.

Something like this - leave out or add to your preference, but I'd make sure I had asparagus and red peppers and onions in the mix.

Here is a link that might be useful: Giada's grilled veggies

I finally decided on a side....broccoli casserole with muenster cheese.

I'm doing roast pork with mashed potatoes, and baked asparagus,carrots and zucchini with a mayo/lemon aioli. I will also do a salad and then a baked flatbread and corn chips with salsa and guacamole for starters.

I'm stumped for dessert. DS1 girlfriend is both lactose and gluten intolerant and sensitive to a bunch of fruit.

so - any suggestions?

Thanks all -olychick, that marinated, roasted veg. looks really good, and I could easily see that in the mix....

blfenton, one of the reasons I'm doing the meringue crust is because a couple of guests are gluten intolerant. I'm topping it with orange curd, fresh, cut up strawberries, but you could vary the fruit for your guest's sensitivities.

Can she eat eggs? Nuts?

I'd probably do a meringue shell filled with a fruit you know she can eat...like a lemon or lime filling (since you're using it with the veggies, maybe it's safe?) Like a reverse lemon meringue pie. Berry fillings would work, too; my fave would be fresh raw strawberry folded into a cooked strawberry sauce, but it's one that many people can't eat - blueberry would be good, or raspberry - any berry cooked with sugar and cornstarch to thicken it. Even rhubarb would be very spring-like.

This is lemon, but you'd have to use non-dairy topping instead of whipped cream. I don't use cool whip normally, but have found some healthier alternatives at the food coop or whole foods (like a soy whip). But if you don't mind it, cool whip would work. Or skip the whipped topping and just make more lemon filling to fill it and pass the whipped cream.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lemon dessert

I'm with jakebedy, we're doing Chinese. Dh and I rarely get a day off together and Easter will be the first one since Christmas. So sleeping in, a walk together, a nap and then Chinese. I'm rather excited about our mundane day!

In my old life :) I used to do a ham, asparagus, mashed potatoes, spinach casserole, baked carrots and once in a while would do a bunny cake like busybee, but with butter cream frosting.

I did cook a corned beef on Thursday (which we're having again tonight). I enjoy holiday cooking, just running late this year...

Hhireno, I feel so sad for you. Why not make one or two things that you enjoy and add it to the mix? Reminds for of my Thanksgivings. With two vegetarian daughters, I have to prepare almost two separate menus. I have cut many on the extra options and that has made things easier. This past holiday we went to by daughter in PA since she had to work part of the day. Loved the change in routine.
I stopped cooking for Easter. My SIL comes to my home with her boyfriend. We have deviled eggs, cheese and crackers, stuffed olives. Then, we go out to a nice local restaurant. We come back to my house for dessert. I will make an apple cake. Done!

I agree with ellendi, hhireno.
Make at least one dish you love and if no one else eats it, plenty of leftovers for you. I do that all the time....

WOW! Thanks bestyears and olychick. I am going to try that. The meringue with the fruit sounds really spring like and will be perfect for Easter dinner.

Whoaa....You mean you can just .....decide to have something different for Easter and you won't get struck by lightning, or have a house fall on you???

We are going to my mother's for Easter brunch, which will consist of ham, potato salad, deviled eggs, asparagus, small yeast rolls, maybe squash casserole, and homemade strawberry pie. If we had something different the Easter Bunny would set fire to our houses, or something. At least, that's the story I got!

Bestyears, agree with olychick: omit the pineapple and ambrosia. Since it's brunch not dinner, i see no need for a vegetable. Serve only one dessert. Yes, I know, it's fun to offer choices, but, again, the extra work for you is not necessary or worthwhile. I think you and i are alike .....so many tasty things to make it's hard to keep it simple. I am trying to make it easier on myself these days, and it does make the day less hectic and more enjoyable for me.
Question: to me, brunch indicates breakfast food, with perhaps a salad. Several of you are serving a dinner, or lunch, yet call it brunch? Why is it not called that( dinner or lunch) ? I love to entertain with brunch ....it's so simple. I usually make either two frittatas or one large breakfast casserole, fresh fruit and bread of some kind. For a luncheon-brunch ( showers and the like), it's veggie frittatas and a salad of grilled chicken, and a fresh friuit dish....unless there's lots of fruit ( berries, apples, etc) in the salad.
Happy Easter and Passover !