I think most of us feel some pressure when company comes over. And when it’s for a special holiday, the stakes feel extra high. I wish it weren’t that way, because it’s the people around the table, not what’s on the table, that matters most. I say all this as Easter approaches. As I’m hosting this year, I’ve got menu planning on the brain. And so I curated three different Easter menus with you (and me) in mind. Feel free to mix and match, scale your menu down to fewer dishes, swap in recipes from your own archives, pick up a favorite bread or dinner roll from a local bakery, and most definitely, outsource a recipe or two to friends and family who are joining you for the occasion.
Menu One
Classic Easter Menu with Lamb
- Spring Vegetable Pesto Flatbread
- Little Lamb Chops with Mint Gremolata
- Greenest Spring Salad with Lemony Chive Dressing
- Roasted Asparagus with Capers and Chopped Egg
- Lemon Olive Oil Cake with Strawberries
Tips & Make-Ahead Notes:
- The flatbread can be made ahead and reheated just before serving. Cut it into appetizer-size squares.
- You can make the gremolata a day ahead (lay plastic directly on the surface to prevent browning). The recipe serves 4, so scale it up if you’re serving more or opt for a leg of lamb and just scale up the sauce.
- This lamb is excellent with a side of potatoes. My method is to boil little waxy potatoes in salty water until just tender, drain, toss on a sheet pan with olive oil, salt, and pepper (make sure there’s plenty of room) and roast at 425 F until brown.
- You can make the salad fixings and the dressing up to a day ahead and refrigerate. Dress just before serving.
- The cake can be made a day ahead, wrapped, and stored at room temp.
Menu Two
Easter Chicken Dinner Menu
- Avocado Deviled Eggs or Asparagus and Smoked Salmon Tart.
- Greek Chicken and Potatoes
- Snap Pea Salad with Parmesan and Mint
- Roasted Carrots with Harissa Yogurt
- Strawberry Rhubarb Compote Sundaes (spoon compote over vanilla ice cream or plain Greek yogurt sweetened with maple syrup, top with chopped roasted, salted almonds)
Tips & Make-Ahead Notes:
- Dress up the deviled eggs by topping with minced chives or half an anchovy.
- Feel free to make the tart ahead. It can be served warm or at room temp. Cut into appetizer-size squares.
- Ask your butcher to cut the chicken for you. You can cut the potatoes and store in water in the fridge overnight. Drain well.
- The Snap Pea Salad will hold up well for a few hours in the fridge. Add the Parmesan and nuts just before serving.
- The Rhubarb Compote can be made several days ahead.
Menu Three
Easter Menu for a Vegetarian Table
- Fancy Smashed Pea Toast
- Spring Vegetable Farro Risotto or Spring Vegetable Pasta with Crème Fraîche
- Warm French Lentils with Fennel and Mint
- Arugula Salad with Strawberries
- Lemon Yogurt Icebox Cake or Strawberries and Yogurt Whipped Cream
Tips & Make-Ahead Notes:
- You can prep all the vegetables for the risotto/pasta a day ahead.
- Both the lentils and arugula salad include feta. If you’re going to make both salads, you can leave the feta out of the arugula one.
- The lentils can be made a day ahead and reheated in the microwave. Add the feta after heating.
- Make the ice box cake a day ahead.