The 30 Best Recipes to Cook This April

updated Apr 1, 2021
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While spring officially started nearly two weeks ago, April always feels like the true start of spring to me. Here in the Northeast, and maybe near you as well, the sun is shining brighter (most days, anyway), flowers are blooming and trees are budding, the warmer weather makes me want to spend as much time as possible outdoors, and there is a bounty of bright, fresh produce hitting the market this month.

This month I plan to cook a few special dishes for Easter at the start of the month, plenty of lemony things, and make-ahead breakfasts and easy weeknight dinners that help me get through the weeks. From a big-batch frittata and a family-friendly three-ingredient chicken dinner to roasted asparagus pizza and a weeknight-friendly rhubarb cake, here are 30 of our favorite ideas for recipes to cook and bake throughout the month ahead.

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Rozanne Gold's Perciatelli with French Breakfast Radishes, Bacon & Greens
Of all the ways to cook with radishes, this is Food Editor Kelli's favorite dish. Any kind of long pasta will work, and even if you don't have bacon on hand you should definitely make this anyway.
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Gluten-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Sure, they're gluten-free — but most importantly these easy muffins are just plain delicious.
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Honey-Glazed Ham
Even if your Easter celebration is small this year, honey-baked ham is a classic.
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Ham and Cheddar Lunch Box Muffins
If you find yourself with leftover ham after Easter, these savory make-ahead muffins are great to have on hand for simple lunches, and they freeze wonderfully. And if you don't have leftover ham, it's worth grabbing some from the deli section on your next grocery trip.
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Lemon Rice Pudding
If you like rice pudding, this is the ultimate comfort food. Scented with lemon and not very sweet, it's perfectly acceptable for breakfast.
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Asparagus & Radishes with Mint
If you want a salad that really screams spring, this is the one.
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Ham, Asparagus & Gruyère Tart
Whether you're making this recipe for your holiday meal, a weekend lunch, or a pizza Friday twist, consider this fast-and-fancy tart a must.
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Spaghetti with Crispy Pancetta, Peas, and Burrata
Food Editor-at-Large, Christine, is excited about cooking anything with peas right now — and she has her sights set on this spring pasta with burrata.
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Garlic Butter Lamb Chops
If you don't want to commit to a big leg of lamb this Easter, go for lamb chops. This version is seasoned with a garlicky butter sauce and comes together in about 20 minutes.
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Diane Morgan's Baby Carrots with Dill
Braised until tender, then showered with fresh dill, this is the one carrot recipe you've got to make this month.
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Deviled Eggs
Perfect deviled eggs — creamy and a little tangy — are an Easter classic! Here's the simplest way to make easy-peel boiled eggs and to devil them deliciously.
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Sabzi Polo (Persian Herbed Rice Pilaf)
This recipe is a true favorite of Studio Food Editor Amelia. It's at the top of her must-make list this month because she simply did not get enough the first time around.
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Sheet Pan Veggie Frittata
This cheesy, veggie-packed big-batch frittata is the best way to meal prep breakfast.
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Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake
Executive Food Director, Nina, says, "Give me ALL the rhubarb!" She'll use her haul (and a box of cake mix) to make this simple upside-down cake.
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Marinated Chickpea and Feta Salad with Spring Veggies
You'll find this crunchy, veggie-packed salad on Managing Editor Lauren's lunch roster all month.
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Make-Ahead Bacon & Leek Casserole
Whether it's for Easter brunch, a regular weekend breakfast, or a make-ahead midweek dinner, this savory egg casserole does not disappoint.
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Sticky Lemon Rolls with Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze
Calling all lemon-lovers! Inspired by cinnamon rolls, these sticky breakfast buns are all about the lemon.
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Spring Tortellini Soup with Peas and Asparagus
Deputy Food Director, Grace, can't wait to make Amelia's gorgeous tortellini soup. "It's the perfect light and veggie-packed meal to eat out on the porch during these first few weeks of spring."
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3-Ingredient Baked Caesar Chicken
We all need impossibly easy weeknight dinners in our back pocket, and here's yours. It's simple, fast, and totally satisfying for the whole family.
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Green Shakshuka
Instead of a fork, try scooping up the leeks, greens, feta, and egg with a slice of crusty bread. You won't regret it.
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Roasted Asparagus & Ricotta Pizza
"With asparagus finally in season, this will definitely be on the menu for our weekly pizza Friday at least one Friday in April," says Senior Contributing Food Editor, Sheela.
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Black Forest Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole
Black forest ham, Gruyère, sourdough, and pumpernickel give this take on the ham-and-cheese breakfast casserole an elegant update.
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Paleo Brownies
Lifestyle Editor Riddley is getting surgery this month, and tells me she's "excited to be on the other side of it and celebrating with brownies!"
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Overnight Blueberry Cheesecake French Toast Casserole
This French toast casserole comes jam-packed with cubed challah bread, blueberries, and warm spices, and is topped with a delicious cream cheese glaze.
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Easy Grilled Pork Chops with Sweet & Tangy Mustard Glaze
The weather is warming, which means grilling season is upon us. Here's how to take family-favorite pork chops from the oven to the grill.
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Easy Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
It's Senior Contributing Food Editor, Sheela's, tradition to make her dad a carrot cake, his very favorite, for his April birthday every year. "Due to COVID, that didn't happen last year, but this year I think we'll safely be able to celebrate together, so I am hoping to make these cupcakes for a small birthday dinner with him and my husband."
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Tarragon Chicken Salad
"The Silver Palate Cookbook (where this recipe hails from) was one of a handful of cookbooks that my family owned when I was growing up," says Production Editor, Tracey. "It always felt so sophisticated. I remember my mom making this recipe and I thought that the tarragon made it taste like spring. This recipe slipped from my memory and I can’t wait to go back to it."
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Mediterranean-Style Chopped Salad with Oregano Vinaigrette
Lifestyle Director, Lisa, has a thing for chopped salads (and feta!), and after hearing the rest of the Kitchn team rave about this one, she'll be making it this month.
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Instant Pot Penne Pasta
Yes, this saucy penne comes together in 20 minutes, but the real beauty is not keeping a watchful eye on the stove.
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The Best Creamy, Cheesy Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice
This is the nostalgic casserole we love, made even easier with help from the slow cooker.
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