65 Easy and Classic Easter Dinner Recipes

updated Mar 2, 2023

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Credit: Laura Rege
Bourbon-Glazed Ham

Easter is just around the corner, which means it’s time to start thinking about what to make for dinner. Looking for inspiration? We’ve got ideas for spring celebrations large and small.

If you’re one for sticking with tradition and love leftovers, cooking a glazed ham or roast leg of lamb might be the right main course for you. And if you prefer a scale down the menu, know that you’ve got plenty of options, like a glazed pork tenderloin, stuffed chicken breast, or poached salmon. No matter what you choose for a main course, you’ll want to round it out with a side dish or two, and of course a sweet Easter dessert to finish the meal.

From the appetizer to the main course to the sides and dessert, here are 65 ideas for what to make for Easter dinner this year.

In This Article

Easter Appetizers
Easter Dinner Mains
Easter Dinner Side Dishes
Easter Desserts

In This Article

Easter Appetizers
Easter Dinner Mains
Easter Dinner Side Dishes
Easter Desserts

Easter Appetizers

Kick off your holiday dinner with an appetizer or two. It’s always a wonderful way to ease into your celebration, especially with a festive drink in your hand.

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Creamy deviled eggs with a little tang are a total classic. Here's the simplest way to make easy-peel boiled eggs and to devil them deliciously.

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Instant Pot Artichokes

Tender, tasty artichokes made easy with the Instant Pot.

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Poached Shrimp with Thousand Island Dressing

Gently poached aromatic shrimp served with a tangy Thousand Island dressing

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Mini quiche are a fun addition to any brunch spread. You get all the best parts of a full-size quiche in a bite-size shape, plus they take less time to bake.

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Boiled eggs are wrapped in seasoned breakfast sausage, then breaded and fried until crispy.

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Ham, Asparagus & Gruyère Tart

This buttery, flaky puff pastry tart crowned with roasted asparagus, diced ham, and a cheesy egg custard.

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Lemon-Garlic Whipped Feta with Pesto

This extra-creamy dip is a cinch to pull together, yet feels totally fancy.

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Breakfast Deviled Eggs

Don't be surprised if these deviled eggs remind you of your favorite bagel. The yolk is whipped with cream cheese, then they're topped with everything bagel seasoning.

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Puff Pastry Cheese Straws

These crispy, flaky, cheesy twists require just two ingredients and a few minutes of your time, and yet they deliver big time.

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Matt & Ted Lee's Radish Butter

Radish butter is such a brilliant play on the classic French snack of dipping raw radishes in butter and sprinkling them with salt.

Easter Dinner Mains

Ham and lamb are classic, but there are so many other great options, as well. Pork tenderloin, stuffed chicken breast, and burrata topped pasta are all worthy of the holiday table, and ideal for feeding a small crowd.

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Bourbon-Glazed Ham

Brushed with bourbon, brown sugar, and orange, then roasted until juicy and crispy, this ham is the centerpiece you want on your table while entertaining at the holidays or anytime that you want to serve a crowd.

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Roasted Rack of Lamb

This main course is as quick and easy as it is impressive.

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Beef Wellington

A showstopper entrée of tender beef wrapped in mushroom paste and crispy, buttery puff pastry.

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Roast Leg of Lamb

Roasting a leg of lamb may sound intimidating, but the sweet little secret is that leg of lamb is actually one of the easiest, most foolproof cuts of meat to cook. Here’s our remarkably simple, fuss-free approach to cooking a leg of lamb. It will turn out perfectly every time.

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Honey-Glazed Pork Tenderloin

By now I've made this pork tenderloin more times than I can remember, and what I love most is that it's quick and simple enough for a weeknight dinner yet fancy enough for a special occasion or holiday table.

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Lemon Pepper Salmon

All you need is one baking dish, 10 minutes to mix a marinade, and 20 minutes of bake time to make satisfying and flaky lemon pepper salmon.

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Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Even though it looks like a stunning dinner party dish you took hours on, cooking this stuffed pork tenderloin is surprisingly easy.

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A staple dish in Egyptian celebratory settings, fattah is a dish built on layers of toasted pita bread, rice, broth, and lamb shanks.

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Baked Risotto with White Beans, Herbs, and Lemon

While most risottos are weighed down with cheese, this plant-based one is fresh and vibrant, with a crunchy panko topping.

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Spicy Sticky Lamb Chops

These tender, flavorful lamb chops are easy to make and are sure to steal the show.

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Grilled Lamb Chops with Herb Sauce

These flavorful grilled lamb chops come together in less than an hour, but are absolutely elegant enough for Easter.

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Buttermilk-Poached Salmon

Though you may associate it with pancakes and waffles, buttermilk is actually the perfect poaching liquid for salmon.

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Stuffed Chicken Breast with Spinach and Cheese

Any time you want to dress up an everyday chicken breast into a dinner that feels kinda fancy, all you need to do is stuff it with some greens and cheese.

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Chicken Scallopini

Chicken scallopini is simple, straightforward, and thanks to the bath of buttery lemon-white wine sauce, is far, far greater than the sum of its parts.

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Spaghetti with Crispy Pancetta, Peas, and Burrata

Yes, you can definitely serve pasta for Easter dinner. Soft, creamy burrata steals the show to make everyday spaghetti and frozen peas feel super special. You can always keep it vegetarian by leaving out the pancetta. It will be just as delicious, trust me.

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Slow Cooker Honey-Glazed Ham

Your slow cooker is the absolute easiest way to cook a spiral-cut ham. Here's how to do it.

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Lemony Ricotta Pasta with Roasted Asparagus and Burst Tomatoes

This vibrant pasta dish is packed with bursting cherry tomatoes and tender asparagus, and tossed in a bright, lemony ricotta sauce.

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Honey-Glazed Ham

If you like sticking with the tradition of ham for Easter dinner, here's everything you need to know about baking a classic honey-glazed ham.

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Garlic Butter Lamb Chops

Savoy lamb chops are seared until golden and seasoned with a garlicky butter sauce.

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Caramelized Leek, Spinach, and Goat Cheese Tart

Balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard are flavor standouts in this mouth-watering veggie tart.

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Pan-Seared Lamb Chops

If you have a skillet and a thermometer you can make these easy, delicious lamb chops.

Easter Dinner Side Dishes

You’ll need a springy side or two to round out the meal.

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Cheesy Skillet Domino Potatoes

Thin slices of potatoes are doused in a cheese-bolstered cream mixture and baked in a skillet until it becomes a crispy and tender gratin-like dish that everyone will love.

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Quick & Easy Air Fryer Asparagus

Air fryer asparagus comes out perfectly tender and crisp every time, with just the right amount of char at the tips. Plus, it's ready in less than 10 minutes.

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Scalloped Potatoes

No matter what you're serving for dinner, you can never go wrong with This creamy potato side dish.

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Cheesy Baked Asparagus

Tender spring asparagus baked under creamy Alfredo sauce until bubbly and browned is the ultimate spring side.

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Irish Cheddar Potato Rolls

Donal Skehan's Irish cheddar potato rolls are baked to cheesy, buttery perfection.

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Learn how to make the quintessential British side dish.

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Honey-Garlic Butter Roasted Carrots

Once you’ve tasted these roasted carrots bathed in a honey-garlic butter sauce, you might proclaim that it’s the only way you’ll ever eat carrots again.

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A rich, creamy and refreshing cucumber, yougurt and herb soup

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Italian Green Beans

Cheesy toasted bread crumbs and a splash of balsamic vinegar ensure these green beans are anything but boring.

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Lemon-Pepper Asparagus

This simple side dish is just as much about the tender roasted asparagus as it is about the burnished lemon slices that are tossed in the mix.

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Creamy Spinach with Dill

Less creamy than creamed spinach but just as luxurious, this is the simple spring side you need.

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Dauphinoise Potatoes

Dauphinoise potatoes is how the French say casserole of potatoes, heavy cream, and cheese. It’s delicious and also incredibly easy to make.

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How to Make Soft and Tender Dinner Rolls

A step-by-step guide to foolproof dinner rolls.

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Radish and Goat Cheese Farro Salad Bowl

This hearty grain salad is a celebration of spring radishes and all their flavors, textures, and forms.

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Grapes tossed in a sweetend cream cheese and sour cream sauce topped with toasted pecans and tarragon

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Asparagus and Radishes with Mint

This simple, bright salad will give your dinner spread the spring flair it deserves.

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Air Fryer Carrots

Slender carrot sticks seasoned with garlic, lemon, and fresh herbs air fried until tender and blistered.

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Ukrainian Dill Potatoes

The dish is just four humble ingredients — potatoes, dill, garlic, and sunflower oil — but their combination is magical.

Easter Desserts

And don’t forget dessert. Whether you go for carrot cake, lemon bars, a meringue topped cheesecake, or a coconut-topped Easter cake, there are no wrong choices here.

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Classic Easter Cake with Coconut and Jelly Beans

This cake is a sweet and sticky confection of angel food cake, marshmallow icing, and all the jelly beans you can handle. It’s a little bird’s nest for your Easter table, that's equal parts easy to make and fun to eat.

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This carrot cake is sweet, yet spicy; moist, yet delicate; and beautiful, but not pretentious, all under a mountain of fluffy cream cheese frosting.

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Easy, Old-Fashioned Coconut Cream Pie

This coconut cream pie has it all: a flaky crust, creamy coconut custard, mountains of whipped cream, and crunchy flakes of toasted coconut.

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Layers of fluffy key lime-infused cake with a tangy creamy cheese frosting.

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Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

If you’re searching for a unique, showstopping holiday dessert that will delight everyone in your household, look no further than this lemon meringue cheesecake.

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Angel Food Cake

A classic recipe for light and fluffy angel food cake, complete with step-by-step instructions for foolproof results every time.

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Vegan Carrot Cake

You won't miss the dairy products in this spice-packed vegan carrot cake.

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These lemon bars have a buttery shortbread crust and a thick and luscious filling.

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Easy Mini Cheesecakes

These tiny cheesecakes are equal parts celebratory and homey, which is really the best kind of dessert.

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An ultra-moist, sheet cake-style banana bar with tangy cream cheese frosting.

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Flavored with vanilla and a milky sweet taste, panna cotta is remarkably smooth and creamy dessert that melts in the mouth.

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Lemon Cheesecake

For a zesty, hearty dessert, look to lemon cheesecake.

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Upside-Down Carrot Cake

This version of carrot cake might not have cream cheese frosting, but it’s got a whole lot of pizzazz. Serve fat slices with a bit of sweetened crème fraiche.

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Easy Lemon Bundt Cake with Fresh Lemon Glaze

Not only is it fast, fancy, and packed with sweet citrus tang, but this is the easiest, most foolproof lemon bundt cake you'll ever make.

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Polish Easter Babka

Easter Baba, or babka, babka wielkanocna, has graced the table for Easter for centuries. Here's how to make it.

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Cream Cheese Brownies

These fudgy chocolate brownies feature a decadent cream cheese swirl.

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