Pick and choose from 23 of my most trusted, best Easter dinner recipes and declare your menu planned! That way, you’re free to help the Easter bunny fill baskets, hunt for Easter eggs with the kids, and enjoy one of the most joyful days of the year.
You may want to start the meal with deviled eggs (yes, use the hard-boiled eggs you dyed yesterday to make today’s Easter appetizer!), I always do! From there, you can keep it classic with ham, which is probably the easiest Easter main there is, or go a little more elaborate. For the sides, I love to celebrate spring produce with green veggies like asparagus and peas in the mix. To drink, I usually serve something light like white wine or champagne.
Easter dinner is second only to Christmas dinner in terms of how elaborate I like to make my menu, but you can also keep it simple and show-stopping by choosing a few dishes that can be prepped ahead or involve a lot of short cuts. What matters is the chance to gather with loved ones around the table; that’s what will truly make for a meal to remember.
Below, you'll find delicious Easter mains, side dishes, and desserts that we have created and tested at our own tables. Enjoy!
Roasted Garlic Honey Baked Ham
Easter ham isn’t hard or time consuming, and it doesn’t have to be break-the-bank expensive. With a homemade honey-sweetened, herb-and-orange glaze, this Easter ham recipe is sure to be your new go-to.
Rack of Lamb
Serve with a bright mint sauce and some simple vegetable sides, rack of lamb is a great way to make Easter feel elegant, while also keeping things (secretly) very simple.
Beef Tenderloin
My recipe results in a slightly crusty outside, with perfectly pink tender beef on the inside and is topped with creamy horseradish sauce. Just be careful; when you say you're serving beef tenderloin for Easter dinner, you might get more RSVPs than you bargained for.
Pistachio Crusted Pork Tenderloin with White Wine Dijon Sauce
Because pork tenderloin is so naturally tender, I don’t even bother with a marinade in this recipe, which saves time and effort. A snazzy, creamy white wine-mustard sauce on the side dresses the finished pork tenderloin up a bit, as does a crisp, rich crust of pistachios.
Whole Roast Chicken
A beautifully baked bird with crisp skin, juicy meat, and some carrots included to soak up all of those delicious juices. It’s an everyday feast that everyone will love on Easter, too. If you need a fool-proof win, you'll never go wrong with a classic roast chicken!
Cabbage Rolls
I know this is non-traditional, but my Polish grandma always made cabbage rolls on Easter, and so I do, too! I also honestly recommend it because they're mostly prepped ahead of time, making the host free to enjoy the meal.
Scalloped Potatoes
This is one of the most popular recipes I've shared. Says one reader: "I don't usually do new recipes for a big gathering, but I took a chance and made these for Easter Sunday, and they were perfect, I got so many compliments!"
Asparagus Gratin
Give your favorite spring veggie the royal treatment and turn it into this creamy asparagus gratin! Creamy and rich, with nutty Gruyère cheese and a light, crisp panko topping, it's the perfect Easter side.
Hasselback Potatoes
Crispy, beautiful and inherently special occasion-y, this easy hasselback potato recipe is one of our family’s favorites!
Broccolini au Gratin
Springy and deep green, broccolini is regular broccoli’s tender cousin. It feels elegant, but is easy to make and can be entirely made the day before. Just warm and serve!
Crispy Smashed Potatoes
Golden-brown on the outside, creamy in the middle, this crispy smashed potatoes recipe makes the starchy side dish you need on your table ASAP! Serve with garlic aioli to really wow your Easter guests!
Simple Arugula Salad
Peppery arugula salad greens topped with a simple dressing and Parm make for an irresistible and easy side salad that goes with everything from Tuesday chicken to Easter dinner.
Classic Mashed Potatoes
A big buttery bowl of mashed potatoes always feels like a holiday to me. It goes well with any of the classic Easter mains, and the kids especially love them.
Potato Leek Au Gratin
Everyone will cheer when you place this bubbling potato leek au gratin with plenty of Gruyére and blue cheese on the table. You can’t go wrong! You can even prep it the night before.
Crispy Roasted Potatoes
This is honestly my current obsession. These beauties are creamy and tender on the inside and golden-crispy on the outside, they’re elegant, rustic, and easy to perfect.
Simple Butter Lettuce Salad
Tender butter lettuce leaves, briny green olives and salty slivers of aged manchego come together to make a simple, vibrant salad that's gorgeous to look at and delicious to eat! It goes with basically any main, too.
Crispy Roasted Potatoes with Gremolata
Gremolata is a wonderful fresh herb sauce, and when you drizzle fresh potatoes with it, they become absolutely restaurant-worthy. It's a simple trick to make your Easter menu super elegant without much extra work.
Spring Cobb Salad
I took everything there is to love about classic Cobb salads, and swapped some Cobb Salad ingredients for their springtime counterparts! It's an Easter-ready show stopper.
Strawberry Shortcake
The first strawberries usually show up by Easter Sunday, and when they do, I snap them up and make this classic dessert for Easter dinner! It’s full of the promise of spring; the world is reawakening, and the sweet proof is on our plates!
Rhubarb Crisp
Tart, fresh rhubarb turns all sweet and jammy under a buttery oat crumble topping in this delicious, easy rhubarb crisp recipe. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream!
Fresh Berry Cobbler
You might have to cheat a little and buy out of season berries, but hey! It’s Easter! Go big!
Olive Oil Cake
This lemony cake is so moist and dreamy, and it’s a perfect dessert for when you want something simple you can make ahead of time. Serve with fresh berries and whipped cream!
Rhubarb Cobbler with Mint
Cobbler is a bit heartier than crisp, more like a pie without a bottom crust. This recipe includes mint, which is a classic pairing for springy tart rhubarb. YUM!
