Recipes for Your Easter Dinner
Last week, we had many recipes that focused on a brunch menu for Easter.
This week, we will feature recipes that are more for a dinner menu, with some great bring-along sides, and even some delicious desserts. Give a new recipe a try for this Easter.
Easter Blessings to all!
Baked Ham with Sweet Gravy
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cook Time: 1 hr. 30 min.
Additional Time: 10 min.
Total Time: 1 hr. 50 min.
Servings: 16
1 (8 lb.) fully cooked bone-in ham
1/2 C. brown sugar
1 (6 oz.) can apple juice
1/2 C. all-purpose flour
1/2 C. milk
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Place ham, cut side down, into a large roasting pan. Press brown sugar evenly onto ham. Pour apple juice into the pan. Cover the pan with a lid or aluminum foil.
Bake in the preheated oven until ham is heated through, about 1 hr. 20 min. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 145°F. Let ham rest for 10 min. before transferring to a serving plate. Pour remaining pan juices into a saucepan.
Combine flour and milk in a jar with a lid; shake until mixture is blended.
Bring pan juices to a boil. Slowly whisk flour mixture into the saucepan and cook until gravy is thick, about 5 min.
Easter Meat Pie
Prep Time: 45 min.
Cook Time: 1 hr.
Total Time: 1 hr. 45 min.
Servings: 12
2 lbs. ricotta cheese
6 lg. eggs
1 lb. cooked ham, chopped
1/2 lb. Genoa salami, chopped
1/2 lb. mozzarella cheese, grated
1/4 lb. prosciutto, chopped
4 (9-inch) unbaked pie crusts
1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Place ricotta in a large mixing bowl. Beat in eggs, one at a time, with an electric mixer on low speed. Stir in ham, salami, mozzarella, and prosciutto until well combined.
Line the bottom and sides of two 9-inch pans with pie crusts. Divide ricotta mixture between the pans. Sprinkle each pie with Parmesan cheese, then cover filling with remaining pie crusts. Crimp the edges and cut several slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
Bake in the preheated oven until crust is golden brown, about 1 hr. Cool pies on wire racks.
Strawberry Romaine Salad
Prep Time: 15 min.
Total Time: 15 min.
Servings: 6
1 head romaine lettuce - rinsed, dried, and chopped
2 bunches fresh spinach - chopped, washed and dried
1 pt. fresh strawberries, sliced
1 Bermuda onion, sliced
1/2 C. mayonnaise
2 T. white wine vinegar
1/3 C. white sugar
1/4 C. milk
2 T. poppy seeds
Combine romaine, spinach, strawberries, and sliced onion in a large salad bowl.
Combine mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, milk and poppy seeds in a jar with a tight-fitting lid; shake well. Pour dressing over salad and toss until evenly coated.
Easter Fruit Salad
Prep Time: 20 min.
Total Time: 20 min.
Servings: 8
1 C. chopped fresh strawberries
1 C. fresh blueberries
1 C. red seedless grapes
1 Fuji apple, cored and chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, chopped
2 kiwi fruit, peeled and chopped
1 (15 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
2 C. lemon yogurt
Combined the strawberries, blueberries, grapes, apples, and kiwi in a salad bowl.
Add drained pineapple, then yogurt. Mix until thoroughly combined.
Magical Egg Salad
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cook Time: 15 min.
Additional Time: 30 min.
Total Time: 1 hr.
Servings: 2
5 eggs
3 T. mayonnaise
2 T. Dijon mustard
2 T. sweet pickle relish
1 tsp. steak sauce
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. dried dill weed
salt & black pepper to taste
1 pinch cayenne pepper
Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and let eggs stand in hot water for 15 min. Remove eggs from hot water, cool under cold running water, and peel.
Chop eggs and transfer to a large bowl.
Stir mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, sweet pickle relish, steak sauce, paprika, and dill into eggs until well mixed; season with salt and black pepper. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, if desired.
Sprinkle with cayenne pepper before serving.
Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes
Prep Time: 20 min.
Cook Time: 20 min.
Additional Time: 5 min.
Total Time: 45 min.
Servings: 24
1/2 C. butter, melted
1-1/2 C. brown sugar
24 maraschino cherries
1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple
1 (15.25 oz.) pkg. pineapple cake mix (such as Duncan Hines Pineapple Supreme®)
1-1/3 C. pineapple juice
1/3 C. vegetable oil
3 lg. eggs
1 T. confectioners’ sugar for dusting, or as needed
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Move an oven rack to the middle of the oven. Spray 24 muffin cups with cooking spray.
Spoon 1 tsp. melted butter into the bottom of each sprayed muffin cup.
Spoon 1 T. brown sugar into each muffin cup. Press a maraschino cherry into the center of the brown sugar in each muffin cup.
Spoon a heaping tablespoon of crushed pineapple on top and compact it with the back of a spoon into an even layer.
Mix pineapple cake mix, pineapple juice, vegetable oil, and eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until moistened, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium; mix for 2 min.
Pour batter into the muffin cups, filling them to the top; do not overfill.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 min. Line a work surface with waxed paper. Allow cupcakes to cool at least 5 min. before inverting muffin cups onto the waxed paper; serve with pineapple and cherry sides up.
Sprinkle cupcakes lightly with confectioners’ sugar before serving.
Italian Cream Cake
Prep Time: 30 min.
Cook Time: 30 min.
Additional Time: 25 min.
Total Time: 1 hr. 25 min.
Servings: 14
Coconut Cake:
1 C. buttermilk
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 C. butter
1/2 C. shortening
2 C. white sugar
5 lg. eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 C. flaked coconut
1 tsp. baking powder
2 C. all-purpose flour
Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 C. butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 C. confectioners’ sugar
2 T. light cream
1/2 C. chopped walnuts
1 C. flaked coconut
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease three 9-inch round cake pans.
Cake: Combine buttermilk and baking soda together in a small bowl; set aside.
Beat butter, shortening, and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs, buttermilk mixture, vanilla, coconut, baking powder, and flour; stir until just combined. Pour batter into the prepared pans.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 min. Cool in the pans for 5 min.; transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely, 20 to 25 min.
Frosting (while cakes are cooling): Beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in cream, a little at a time, to attain the desired consistency. Stir in walnuts and coconut. Spread frosting between the cake layers and on the top and sides of cooled cake.
Caramel-Filled Carrot Cake Roll
Prep Time: 35 min.
Cook Time: 20 min.
Additional Time: 5 min.
Total Time: 1 hr.
Servings: 24
Cake:
4 C. chopped baby carrots
1 tsp. white sugar
1-1/2 C. all-purpose flour
4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
6 eggs
2 C. white sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 C. chopped walnuts
1/4 C. confectioners’ sugar, or as needed
Filling:
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 C. butter, softened
1/3 C. caramel topping
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/2 C. confectioners’ sugar
Combine carrots and 1 tsp. sugar in a saucepan; add water to cover. Cover the pan, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook until fork tender, 3 to 4 min. Drain carrots, mash with a fork, and set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease two 10x15-inch baking pans and line with parchment paper. Lightly grease parchment paper and dust with flour.
Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
Beat eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed for 5 to 7 min. Beat in 2 C. white sugar until thick. Mix in mashed carrots and vanilla extract. Fold in flour mixture. Spread batter into the prepared baking pans and sprinkle with walnuts.
Bake in the preheated oven until top springs back when lightly touched, 10 to 12 min.
While cakes are baking, dust 2 linen towels with confectioners’ sugar.
Remove cakes from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 min. Run a table knife around the edges to loosen. Invert each cake carefully onto the sugar-dusted towels. Peel off parchment paper and roll cakes up in the towels to cool.
Meanwhile, combine cream cheese, butter, caramel topping, and vanilla extract for the frosting in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Gradually mix in confectioners’ sugar until fluffy.
Carefully unroll cakes and spread filling to 1 inch from the edges. Roll up cakes, cover, and chill until serving.
Note: freeze the cake until serving, it cuts much more neatly.
Quote of the Week:
“So let us spread before his feet, not garments or soulless olive branches, which delight the eye for a few hours and then wither, but ourselves, clothed in his grace, or rather, clothed completely in him.”
~ Andrew of Crete
