Easter dinner is the one holiday meal where the oven runs for hours and the table still has to look unhurried when everyone sits down.
Somewhere between the egg hunt and the first plate going out, something always boils over or someone asks where the gravy boat went. The fix is not working harder on the day itself, it is working smarter the day before.
This spread covers the full table: a glazed ham and a herb roasted lamb for the two camps that argue about it every year, a lighter roast chicken for a smaller group, and sides, breads and desserts built around spring produce, lemon, honey and good butter. Nothing here needs a special trip to a restaurant supply store.
A few allergens run through the list and are worth flagging before anyone starts cooking: eggs, dairy, gluten in every bread and the lemon bar crust, and tree nuts in a handful of sides and desserts. Swap or omit as the table needs.
The day before carries more of this meal than people expect: bake the dinner rolls and the hot cross buns, boil the eggs for deviled eggs and make the filling, bake the carrot cake and the lemon bars, and get the lamb into its marinade.
On the day, the oven only has to manage the ham or the lamb and a few last sides, and there is something to play at the table while it rests: 17 Dinner Party Games to Play Right at the Table fills that fifteen minutes without anyone leaving their seat.
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Table of Contents
- Brown Sugar Honey Glazed Ham
- Herb Roasted Leg of Lamb
- Honey Mustard Roasted Chicken
- Scalloped Potatoes
- Honey Roasted Carrots
- Green Bean Almondine
- Asparagus with Lemon
- Deviled Eggs
- Homemade Dinner Rolls
- Garlic Herb Mashed Potatoes
- Spring Pea and Mint Salad
- Honey Glazed Baby Beets with Goat Cheese
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Brown Sugar Glazed Sweet Potatoes
- Hot Cross Buns
- Spring Vegetable Gratin
- Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Lemon Bars
- Frequently Asked Questions
Brown Sugar Honey Glazed Ham
Ham is the dish nobody has to be convinced to eat, which is exactly why it carries the table. It arrives already cooked, so the job is really just warming it through and building a glaze that caramelizes into something closer to candy than condiment.
Watch the internal temperature, not the clock: a spiral-cut ham dries out fast once it passes 140°F, so pull it right as the thermometer gets there. The glaze goes on twice, once halfway through and again at the end, so it builds a real lacquer instead of a thin coat.
Carve it at the table straight off the bone, the pan juices make an easy spoon-over sauce with no extra effort.
Brown Sugar Honey Glazed Ham
Ingredients
- 1 bone-in spiral-cut ham 8 to 9 pounds (fully cooked)
- 1/2 cup water
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and set the ham cut side down in a roasting pan. Pour the water into the bottom of the pan.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, about 15 minutes per pound, until a thermometer inserted near the center reads 120°F.
- Combine the brown sugar, honey, mustard, vinegar, cinnamon and cloves in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer, stirring often, for 4 to 5 minutes, until the glaze coats the back of a spoon.
- Remove the foil and brush half the glaze over the ham, working it between the spiral slices.
- Increase the oven to 400°F and bake uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, basting with the remaining glaze every 5 to 7 minutes, until deeply caramelized and the thermometer reads 140°F.
- Rest, loosely tented with foil, for 15 minutes before slicing along the pre-cut lines.
Good to Know
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Herb Roasted Leg of Lamb
Lamb divides a table faster than politics, but the people who love it notice if it is missing. A boneless leg rubbed in garlic and rosemary, roasted hot then slow, reads as the more serious main without actually asking much of the cook.
Pull it at 130°F for a rosy medium-rare center, it climbs another 5 degrees while it rests. If carving at the table makes her nervous, ask the butcher to tie it into an even log first, it slices far more evenly.
Serve it sliced thin against the grain, fanned over the platter with the collected juices spooned back over the top.
Herb Roasted Leg of Lamb
Ingredients
- 1 boneless leg of lamb 4 to 5 pounds, tied
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Pat the lamb dry. In a small bowl, stir the garlic, olive oil, rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, salt and pepper into a thick paste.
- Rub the paste over the lamb, working it into any folds. Let sit at room temperature for 45 minutes, or cover and refrigerate up to overnight.
- If refrigerated, set the lamb out 45 minutes before roasting so it is not cold in the center.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Set the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan.
- Roast for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven to 325°F without opening the door.
- Continue roasting for 55 to 65 minutes, until a thermometer in the thickest part reads 130°F for medium-rare.
- Transfer to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Rest for 15 minutes, the temperature climbs to about 135°F.
- Remove the twine and slice thin against the grain, fanning the slices on a platter.
Good to Know
Honey Mustard Roasted Chicken
Not every table wants a ham and a half a lamb both going at once, and a good roast chicken quietly solves that without feeling like a consolation prize. Honey and mustard turn the skin a deep burnished gold while the inside stays properly juicy.
A smaller bird means a smaller window: check it ten minutes early the first time, ovens run differently and a dry chicken is the one Easter mistake nobody forgives.
Rest it before carving, the juices need the full ten minutes to settle back into the meat rather than run out onto the board.
Honey Mustard Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken 4 to 5 pounds
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lemon halved
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Pat the chicken dry inside and out.
- Whisk together the honey, mustard, olive oil, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper.
- Loosen the skin over the breast and spread a third of the mixture directly underneath it.
- Rub the remaining mixture over the outside of the chicken. Tuck the lemon halves into the cavity.
- Tie the legs together and tuck the wing tips under the body so they do not burn.
- Place breast side up in a roasting pan and roast for 20 minutes.
- Reduce the oven to 375°F and roast for 50 to 55 minutes more, until a thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F and the juices run clear.
- Rest for 10 minutes before carving, so the juices settle back into the meat.
Good to Know
Scalloped Potatoes
Scalloped potatoes are the dish people quietly scrape the dish for, so the ratio of cream to potato matters more than anything fancy done to it. A proper Gruyere and a little garlic do more work than a long ingredient list ever could.
Slice the potatoes thin and even, a mandoline earns its drawer space here, so every layer cooks at the same rate instead of some slices staying raw while the top burns.
This is the side that reheats best of the whole table, so it earns its spot on the day-before list without losing anything in texture.
Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 pounds russet potatoes peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and cook the garlic for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Slowly whisk in the cream and milk. Cook, stirring often, for 5 to 6 minutes, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
- Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the Gruyere, the nutmeg, salt and pepper until melted into the sauce.
- Layer a third of the potatoes in the dish, overlapping slightly. Pour a third of the sauce over the top.
- Repeat with two more layers of potatoes and sauce, finishing with sauce on top.
- Scatter the remaining Gruyere and the thyme over the surface.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
- Uncover and bake for 20 to 25 minutes more, until golden and a knife slides through with no resistance.
- Let rest for 10 minutes before serving, the sauce thickens further as it sits.
Good to Know
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Honey Roasted Carrots
Whole carrots roasted until the edges catch sugar look more generous on a platter than anything chopped into coins, and they ask for almost nothing once the honey glaze goes on. Leave a little green stem if the carrots come with their tops, it reads as deliberate rather than rustic.
Give them the full 30 minutes, carrots need real color on the edges before the honey turns from sweet to actually caramelized. Pull too early and they just taste like boiled carrots with a shine.
Honey Roasted Carrots
Ingredients
- 2 pounds whole carrots scrubbed, tops trimmed to 1 inch
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Halve any thick carrots lengthwise so the pieces are roughly the same width.
- Whisk together the melted butter, honey, thyme, salt and pepper.
- Arrange the carrots in a single layer and pour the honey butter over them, tossing to coat.
- Roast for 20 minutes, then turn each carrot over with tongs.
- Roast for 10 more minutes, until the edges are deeply caramelized and a fork slides easily into the thickest part.
- Transfer to a platter and spoon any pan glaze back over the top.
Good to Know
Green Bean Almondine
Green bean almondine is the side that tastes like more effort than it takes, which makes it one of the better returns on the whole table. Butter, toasted almonds and a squeeze of lemon turn plain beans into something people actually ask about.
Toast the almonds separately and watch them, not the beans, they go from golden to burnt in under a minute once the pan is hot. Contains tree nuts, worth flagging if anyone at the table has an allergy.
Green Bean Almondine
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans trimmed
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the beans and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until bright green and crisp-tender.
- Drain and plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain again.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add the beans and toss to coat. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until heated through.
- Remove from heat, stir in the lemon juice, salt and pepper, and serve warm.
Good to Know
Asparagus with Lemon
Asparagus says spring louder than almost anything else on the table, and it needs the least work of any side here. Thin spears cook in the time it takes to plate everything else.
Snap off the woody ends rather than cutting them, the stalk breaks naturally where the tender part starts. Shave the Parmesan over the top at the very last minute so it stays in ribbons instead of melting flat.
Asparagus with Lemon
Ingredients
- 2 pounds asparagus woody ends snapped off
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Spread the asparagus in a single layer and drizzle with olive oil, turning to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
- Roast for 10 to 12 minutes, until bright green and a fork pierces the thickest spear with just a little resistance.
- Transfer to a platter and squeeze the lemon juice over the top while still hot.
- Scatter the lemon zest and Parmesan over the top and serve right away.
Good to Know
Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs disappear faster than anything else on the table, which is the real argument for doubling the recipe rather than any claim about flavor.
They also solve the question of what to do with the dyed eggs the morning after a hunt, the natural bridge between the holiday’s two halves: 22 Easter Party Games for Kids Beyond the Egg Hunt covers what keeps the smaller guests busy while these chill.
Older eggs peel more cleanly than fresh ones, so buy the carton a week ahead if boiling is happening the day before anyway.
Deviled Eggs
Ingredients
- 12 large eggs
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Pinch of black pepper
- Paprika for garnish
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
Instructions
- Place the eggs in a single layer in a large saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover, remove from heat and let stand for 12 minutes.
- Drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes to stop the cooking and ease peeling.
- Peel and slice each egg in half lengthwise. Scoop the yolks into a bowl, keeping the whites intact.
- Mash the yolks with a fork until smooth. Stir in the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper.
- Spoon or pipe the yolk mixture back into the egg white halves.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, so the filling firms up.
- Just before serving, dust with paprika and scatter the chives over the top.
Good to Know
🛍 Shopping guide
Homemade Dinner Rolls
Store-bought rolls are fine, and nobody will say anything if that is the move this year. But a pan of rolls pulled straight from the oven, still faintly steaming when someone tears one open, changes the whole table in a way nothing else on this list does.
The dough needs patience more than skill, two rises, both of them just waiting. If the kitchen runs cold, set the bowl in the turned-off oven with the light on, it holds a gentle warmth that speeds things along.
Brush the tops with butter the second they come out, while the crust is still hot enough to soak it in.
Homemade Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk warmed to 110°F
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast 1 packet
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled, plus more for brushing
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
Instructions
- Whisk together the warm milk, yeast and sugar in a large bowl. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes, until foamy.
- Whisk in the egg and melted butter.
- Add the flour and salt and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead for 7 to 8 minutes, by hand or with a mixer, until smooth and springing back slowly when poked.
- Shape into a ball, place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, until doubled.
- Punch down and divide into 16 equal pieces. Roll each into a smooth ball.
- Arrange the rolls in a buttered 9x13 inch dish, leaving a little space between each.
- Cover loosely and let rise for 30 minutes more, until puffy and touching.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until golden and a roll sounds hollow when tapped.
- Brush with melted butter and let cool 5 minutes before serving.
Good to Know
🛍 Shopping guide
Garlic Herb Mashed Potatoes
Some tables need both a cheese-heavy potato and a plain one, if only because a small cousin somewhere refuses anything fancy. These mashed potatoes split the difference: garlic and herbs for flavor, nothing distracting enough to get picked out.
Push the potatoes through a ricer if there is one in the drawer, it gives a smoother result than hand mashing and avoids the gluey texture a food processor gives overworked potatoes.
Garlic Herb Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
- 4 cloves garlic peeled
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup heavy cream warmed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Instructions
- Place the potatoes and garlic in a large pot, cover with cold water by 1 inch, and add a pinch of salt.
- Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook 18 to 20 minutes, until a fork slides in with no resistance.
- Drain well and return to the warm pot.
- Add the butter and mash or pass through a ricer until smooth.
- Stir in the warm cream a little at a time, until soft and spoonable.
- Season with salt and pepper, taste, and adjust.
- Transfer to a bowl and scatter the chives over the top.
Good to Know
Spring Pea and Mint Salad
Something cold and green keeps the table from feeling entirely like a roast dinner, and fresh peas with mint do that without a trip to a specialty grocer. Frozen peas work here too, nobody will know once the dressing goes on.
Dress it right before serving, not before, salted feta and lemon juice pull water out of the peas if they sit too long and the salad turns watery on the platter.
Spring Pea and Mint Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh or frozen peas
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- 1 small shallot thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add the peas and cook 1 to 2 minutes, until bright green and just tender.
- Drain and rinse briefly under cold water to cool quickly.
- Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
- Add the peas, shallot and mint and toss gently to coat.
- Scatter the feta over the top just before serving, so it stays in crumbles.
Good to Know
Honey Glazed Baby Beets with Goat Cheese
Beets are the side that looks like more trouble than it is, mostly because people remember peeling them raw and staining the cutting board magenta. Roasted whole in their skins, the skins just rub off once they cool, no stained hands involved.
Keep the goat cheese cold until the very last minute, it holds its shape in neat crumbles against the warm beets instead of melting into a puddle. Contains dairy and tree nuts if the pistachios go in.
Honey Glazed Baby Beets with Goat Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds baby beets trimmed, scrubbed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped pistachios
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the beets with olive oil and salt and wrap in a foil packet.
- Roast the packet on a sheet pan for 40 to 45 minutes, until a knife slides into the largest beet with no resistance.
- Open the foil carefully, it releases hot steam, and let cool 10 minutes.
- Rub the skins off with a paper towel, they slip off easily once cooled. Halve or quarter the beets.
- Whisk the honey and balsamic vinegar together and toss the warm beets in it.
- Arrange on a platter and scatter the goat cheese, pistachios and thyme over the top just before serving.
Good to Know
Strawberry Spinach Salad
Strawberries usually land right around Easter, which makes this the one salad on the table that genuinely feels seasonal rather than obligatory. Baby spinach holds up better than delicate greens under a dressing and does not wilt the second it is tossed.
Toast the pecans in a dry pan for a few minutes first, it wakes up the flavor in a way raw nuts never quite manage. Contains tree nuts and dairy.
Strawberry Spinach Salad
Ingredients
- 6 cups baby spinach
- 1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese
- 1/3 cup pecan halves toasted
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, shaking often, until fragrant. Cool and chop.
- Combine the olive oil, vinegar, honey and salt in a small jar and shake until smooth.
- Place the spinach in a large bowl and scatter the strawberries, cheese and pecans over the top.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently just before serving.
Good to Know
Brown Sugar Glazed Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes next to a ham is one of those pairings nobody questions, sweet against salty, soft against the bite of a good glaze. Brown sugar and butter do the entire job here, no marshmallows required unless the table specifically asks for them.
Cut the rounds to an even thickness, uneven pieces mean some go soft while others stay firm in the same pan.
Brown Sugar Glazed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Arrange the sweet potato rounds in overlapping rows in the dish.
- Stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Pour evenly over the potatoes.
- Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
- Uncover, scatter the pecans over the top if using, and bake 15 more minutes, until fork-tender and the glaze bubbles at the edges.
- Spoon the pan glaze back over the top before serving.
Good to Know
Hot Cross Buns
Hot cross buns are the one bread on this table with a story attached to it, spiced dough studded with currants and marked with a simple cross before baking. They are just as good served alongside dinner as they are for breakfast the next morning.
The dough needs the same patience as the dinner rolls, two slow rises rather than any special technique. While it proofs, something that needs zero setup fills the gap: 20 Easy Easter Games That Need Zero Prep (Beyond the Egg Hunt) covers the stretch between kneading and baking.
Pipe the crosses on just before the buns go in the oven, a flour-and-water paste holds its shape better than icing at high heat.
Hot Cross Buns
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup whole milk warmed to 110°F
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast 1 packet
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for the cross paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2/3 cup dried currants or raisins
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 3 tablespoons water for the cross paste
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar for the icing
Instructions
- Whisk together the warm milk, yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes, until foamy.
- Whisk in the remaining sugar, the egg and melted butter.
- Add the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Mix until shaggy, then knead in the currants and orange zest.
- Knead for 8 minutes by hand or with a mixer, until smooth and elastic.
- Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, until doubled.
- Punch down and divide into 12 equal pieces. Shape each into a tight ball.
- Arrange the buns close together in a buttered 9x13 inch dish. Cover loosely and let rise 30 minutes, until puffy.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Mix 3 tablespoons flour with the water to form a thick paste. Pipe a cross over each bun.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until deep golden and the buns sound hollow when tapped.
- Let cool 10 minutes, then whisk the powdered sugar with 1 to 2 teaspoons water and drizzle over the crosses.
Good to Know
Spring Vegetable Gratin
A vegetable gratin covers the something-green-that-is-not-just-steamed gap without asking for a whole second trip to the stove. Leeks, fennel and zucchini layered under cream and cheese turn into something closer to a side a restaurant would serve.
Salt the zucchini and let it sit for ten minutes before layering, it pulls out extra water that would otherwise turn the gratin watery in the oven.
Spring Vegetable Gratin
Ingredients
- 2 leeks white and light green parts, thinly sliced
- 1 fennel bulb thinly sliced
- 2 medium zucchini sliced into rounds
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for the zucchini
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Toss the zucchini with a pinch of salt and let sit in a colander for 10 minutes, then pat dry.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the leeks and fennel for 6 to 7 minutes, until softened.
- Layer the leeks, fennel and zucchini in the dish, seasoning with salt and pepper as you go.
- Pour the cream evenly over the vegetables and scatter half the Gruyere on top.
- Toss the panko with the melted butter and remaining Gruyere, then scatter over the gratin.
- Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- Uncover and bake 15 more minutes, until golden and a knife slides through the vegetables with no resistance.
- Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Good to Know
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Carrot cake earns its spot as the Easter dessert nobody argues with, not too sweet, genuinely better the day after baking once the frosting settles into the crumb. It also happens to be the easiest big dessert to get ahead of.
Grate the carrots fresh rather than buying them pre-shredded, the bagged kind is drier and the cake loses some of the moisture that makes this version work.
Frost it only once fully cool, warm cake melts the frosting into a thin glaze instead of a proper layer.
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 3 cups finely grated carrots about 4 to 5 medium carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts optional
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease two 9-inch round cake pans, lining the bottoms with parchment.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl.
- Whisk the eggs, oil, granulated sugar and brown sugar together in a large bowl until smooth.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined, no streaks of flour remaining.
- Fold in the grated carrots and walnuts, if using.
- Divide the batter evenly between the pans and smooth the tops.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the tops spring back when pressed.
- Cool in the pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely, about 1 hour.
- Beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth with no lumps.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Place one cake layer on a plate and spread a generous layer of frosting on top.
- Set the second layer on top and frost the top and sides, smoothing with an offset spatula.
- Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before slicing, so the layers set and hold their shape.
Good to Know
🛍 Shopping guide
Lemon Bars
Lemon bars close the meal on something bright instead of another round of chocolate, which matters after a table full of ham and cream sauce. The filling sets just firm enough to cut clean, no fork required.
Bake the crust until properly golden before the filling goes on, a pale crust turns soggy under the lemon curd instead of staying crisp at the base. Chill the bars fully before cutting, warm filling spreads instead of slicing into neat squares.
Once dessert plates are cleared, something built for grown-ups keeps the table going a little longer: 18 Easter Games for Adults That Are Not Just for the Kids works while the coffee goes around.
Lemon Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar plus more for dusting
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter cubed
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice about 4 to 5 lemons
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides.
- Pulse the flour, powdered sugar and salt in a food processor. Add the cold butter and pulse until it looks like coarse sand.
- Press evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Bake the crust for 18 to 20 minutes, until light golden at the edges.
- Whisk the eggs, granulated sugar and flour together in a large bowl until smooth.
- Whisk in the lemon juice and zest until fully combined.
- Pour the filling over the hot crust as soon as it comes out of the oven.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes more, until set around the edges but still jiggling slightly in the center.
- Cool completely at room temperature, about 30 minutes, then refrigerate at least 1 hour to fully set.
- Lift out using the parchment overhang, cut into 16 squares, and dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
Good to Know
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the traditional Easter dinner main dish?
Glazed ham is the most common Easter dinner main in the US, though roasted leg of lamb and roast chicken are both traditional alternatives. Many tables serve ham alongside a second main for guests who prefer something lighter.
What can I make ahead for Easter dinner?
Dinner rolls, hot cross buns, carrot cake and lemon bars can all be baked a day or two ahead. Deviled egg filling, boiled eggs and scalloped potatoes also hold well overnight in the fridge.
How many side dishes should I serve for Easter dinner?
Plan on four to six side dishes alongside the main for a table of eight to twelve guests, covering a starch, a green vegetable, a salad and a bread. Fewer dishes done well beat a crowded table.
What internal temperature should a glazed ham reach?
A fully cooked spiral ham only needs to reach 140°F internally before serving, since it is already cooked and just being reheated and glazed. Pulling it right at that mark keeps the slices from drying out.
What spring vegetables work best for Easter sides?
Asparagus, peas, carrots and green beans are at their best in spring and need very little dressing up for an Easter table. All four roast or blanch in under 30 minutes, which keeps the oven schedule simple.
Buffet or plated, which is better for Easter dinner?
A buffet works better than a plated meal once the table passes eight guests, since it keeps the host out of the kitchen during the meal itself. Set mains at one end and sides down the middle so the line moves in one direction.
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Low calorie veggie breakfast bake with egg whites, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, spinach, feta. 165 c
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