31 Easter Dinner Ideas That Aren’t Ham or Lamb

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

If chicken piccata is your go-to order at your favorite Italian-American restaurant, you’ll love this simple salmon version. Salmon fillets are cooked in a butter lemon-caper sauce in this easy-yet-elevated Easter dinner.

Partner this special-occasion cut of beef with good wine, a swipe of homemade horseradish cream, and a platter of golden roasted potatoes and you’re on your way to a delicious Easter meal.

This roast chicken recipe features apples, savory chicken with crisp skin, and browned cabbage deeply flavored with all the juices from the chicken.

The slow-cooker yields tender, fall-off-the-bone beef short ribs swimming in a savory broth, made deeper and richer thanks to several glugs of Cabernet. Serve with creamy polenta for an Easter dinner everyone will love.

This vibrant Easter salad takes full advantage of sweet spring asparagus. It’s a celebration of the season’s bounty: crisp asparagus, sweet green peas, tender leeks, and lots of fresh herbs.

This impossibly tender, center-piece cut of beef tenderloin is the Easter dinner of your dreams.

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

The beef brisket that makes the whole house smell like a cozy day perfect for snuggling on the couch.

If you think salmon is difficult to prepare, you’ve probably never tried poaching it before. We’re here to change that with this easy salmon recipe.

This vibrant and creamy pasta recipe is bursting with fresh lemon flavor.

If you're leaning towards roast chicken on Easter, you cannot go wrong with this herb-packed rendition from Zuni Cafe. Take advantage of all the drippings and toss them with a salad of toasted bread and fresh greens, just like they do at the restaurant.

Unlike lasagnas made with marinara, you won’t find a drop of red sauce in sight. Here you get layers of hearty pasta, ricotta, mozzarella, Italian sausage crumbles, and an entire pound of fresh spinach.

Ultra-tender chunks of beef chuck roast, seared vegetables, and a rich, velvety red wine sauce make this French stew ultra-cozy for Easter dinner.

If you're goal is a meat-free meal that's easy, yet irresistibly delicious, this creamy spring pasta is a good idea. If you can find Meyer lemon, it makes a difference; the delicate floral, sweet notes helps puts this dish on another level.

Make a traditional Sunday roast for Easter, with rosemary roasted beef, carrots and parsnips, crispy potatoes, creamy horseradish sauce, and warm gravy. Serve with perfect, pillowy Yorkshire pudding.

A brightened-up version of the classic comfort food, featuring the flavors of Greek spanakopita: spinach, feta cheese, fresh dill, and lots of lemon.

Cook up tender chunks of beef chuck, carrots, and potatoes in a rich gravy in less than hour with an Instant Pot.

This fast and fancy spring dinner is what happens when pantry staples meet fresh indulgence, with creamy burrata leading the charge.

If you prefer to skip ham and lamb on Easter, a juicy pork loin roast is a nice alternative when you need a main to feed a crowd.

Cioppino is a big seafood stew of briny abundance, best shared among a crowd of people. Serve with crusty sourdough bread for dipping in the rich broth.

This creamy, cheesy pasta dish features a silky sauce that’s just thick enough to coat the noodles and wilted spinach leaves. The key to its robust flavor is using a good-quality chunk of Parmigiano Reggiano.

The perfect make-ahead meal for when you're craving seafood and lasagna for Easter.

Crispy-skinned salmon fillets sit on top of a bed of savory sautéed cabbage in this easy skillet dinner.

Chicken pot pie is quintessential comfort food for so many people. Nothing’s cozier than a warm, savory filling encased in a buttery, flaky pie crust.

A cozy recipe for creamy polenta topped with a savory vegetarian mushroom ragu.

This restaurant-worthy dish takes under 40 minutes to put together.

This creamy risotto with salty Parmesan and sweet roasted shrimp feels appropriately fancy.

This double-crusted deep dish pie is filled with an egg and ricotta mixture that has been studded with some of Italy’s finest cured meats and cheeses.

Standing tall like a crown, this roast is an impressive choice for Easter dinner. It delivers juicy, tender pork chops for a crowd using our foolproof oven method of roasting the meat first at a higher temperature to achieve a golden crust, then finishing at a lower temperature to cook it evenly throughout.