A Traditional Easter Dinner Menu

A Delicious Easter Dinner Menu That Is As Easy As Pie. 

That is quite an expression"easy as pie." Actually, it is hilarious for I have to admit that pie making, for me, is NOT easy. It is my absolute favorite dessert but it is something that I always struggle with so you will not find any pie on this menu plan. Instead, you will find my simple but delicious Easter dinner menu which includes glazed baked ham, creamy scalloped potatoes and all the fixings plus a very special carrot cake.

I have been making this springtime meal for as long as my oldest son has been around. That is, for 22 years. We enjoy every single morsel; I have not been able to find any reason to change a thing.

You can choose to follow my entire menu or just add one or two new recipes to your existing Easter dinner tradition!  I hope you will enjoy it, too!

A Formal or A Casual Easter Dinner Menu?

A formal or a casual Easter dinner menu? The choice, of course, is up to you but no matter how you choose to serve it up, this meal is delicious.

I have in the past served this Easter Dinner in one of two ways. Originally, it was a very traditional dinner in the dining room with the good china, candles and so on. Of late, as life has become busier and time harder to find, we have taken to serving this meal in a more casual way. That does not mean it is not special or delicious, just that we also enjoy it whether we (and the dining room) are dressed up or not. In the casual option, we might set the kitchen table with Easter-colored napkins, a small pot of live daffodils and a vintage bunny rabbit in the center. In the formal version, we take out the Royal Doulton china. Whichever way you choose to serve it, you are going to love it!

My Easter Dinner Menu Includes:

The Best-Ever Glazed Baked Ham
The Best-Ever Creamy Scalloped Potatoes
Steamed Asparagus, Peaches and Cream Corn and Carrots
The Best-Ever Country Seed Bread Recipe
The Best-Ever Homemade Carrot Cake

The Best-Ever Baked Ham Recipe

My Mother-in-Law always said that this ham was delicious because of the ham that we used which still has the bone in it. It is almost failproof and I sometimes 'cheat' and skip the glaze... Find the recipe here.

The Best-Ever Creamy Scalloped Potatoes Recipe

Funny, my sister-in-law does not like scalloped potatoes except for my best-ever creamy scalloped potatoes. Helpless to explain why, I can only attribute it to the top quality ingredients... Find the recipe here.

Steamed Asparagus, Peaches & Cream Corn and Carrots

In my mind and in our home, this menu is matched perfectly by the addition of two or three vegetables, depending on how many people we are feeding. They include asparagus, peaches and cream corn and carrots. Usually, I prefer my vegetables plain. Plain side dishes and vegetables are perfect for me. That is, unadorned. I appreciate their true flavour that way and am also conscious of the health implications of putting sauces, etc. on everything we eat.

Achieving perfect asparagus is not difficult. Steaming for three minutes, until just tender when pierced with a fork, cooks it perfectly or you can just trust your nose. I find that when I start to smell the asparagus, it is cooked. Try it and see if it works for you.

In Canada, we have a brand of frozen corn niblets called Green Giant. They make two types of corn and we love the peaches and cream variety. It is the only brand that I buy because nothing else compares save, fresh corn in the summer and early fall! To cook corn, I find the easiest method to be the microwave oven. A small casserole dish filled with enough for six people takes about six minutes to cook in my microwave.

Previously, I would have added baby carrots to this recipe. However, what I have learned lately about how Baby Carrots are created so I will instead recommend carrot coins. Regular carrots, peeled and sliced to be shaped like coins.

Using an asparagus steamer is the best way to steam your asparagus as the tender tips of the stalks are the farthest away from the heat and the thicker stems are just above the boiling water. In case you are wondering about the versatility of an asparagus steamer, it can also be used for corn-on-the-cob, hard-boiling eggs and artichokes. It is not the sort of tool that you have to have but it is one that you will be glad to own. Learn more about this asparagus steamer on Amazon by clicking here.

Baby Carrots Why NOT To Serve Them To Your Family

Did you know that most baby carrots are not grown as baby carrots? Instead they are regular carrots that are cut down into the shape of baby carrots and then processed through a chlorine rinse. For all of the details, read my page about baby carrots. Learn more about baby carrots here.

The Best-Ever Country Seed Bread Recipe

We have been making the best-ever country seed bread recipe for about 16 years. A friend passed the recipe to me from her Mother and it soon became one of our favorites. We have it quite frequently and find it is the perfect accompaniment to a homemade soup dinner. It is, however, also a perfect addition to this Easter dinner menu. I would say that bread is not required as the rest of this menu is plenty of food for a gathering. I started adding this bread because I have one son who did not care for potatoes. Now, the bread is a set part of our meal. Find my recipe here.

The Best-Ever Carrot Cake Recipe

An amazing carrot cake, you will want to make sure you save space for at least a tiny sliver! Moist & delicious, this carrot cake also carries some nutrition along with the dreaded calories. But every bite is worth it so make sure you save enough room for your slice of the best-ever carrot cake. Find the recipe here.

The Best-Ever Wooden Easter Decorations

The image at the top of this page is of a few handmade wooden decorations from the Rusty Old Barn Company on Etsy. You can find them by clicking right here. I love the tradition of a few Easter-themed items that I place on my kitchen table every year. You will, too.

Do you celebrate Easter? Were you inspired by this page to make an Easter dinner? I hope my ideas help you put together a family Easter tradition.

See you
in the kitchen!
Brenda

More Reading:

My Best-Ever Recipes Collection
I have shared many of my family's favorite recipes online. You will find your way to them through this, the index page to my best-ever recipes collection.

The Best-Ever Maple Cupcakes, A Maple Syrup Recipe
Yummy! That's the only word for these Canadian maple syrup cupcakes!

The Best-Ever Lemon Cupcakes Recipe
The Lemon Cupcake recipe from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes cookbook is absolutely amazing. On this page, you will find the lemon cupcake recipe and my story. My story actually starts with Martha Stewart's Mile High Lemon Meringue Pie.

Easter Dinner Menu by Martha Stewart
This menu was an Everyday Food Martha Stewart magazine menu and included baked ham, produce and a billowy meringue that takes the cake.

Image Credit:

The beautiful Easter decorations shown at the top of the page is available from Etsy by clicking here.