Cooking Tips For Easter Dinner

When your family gathers for Easter dinner, you’ll want to show off the skills you have developed by learning to cook. Even you’re still working on the cooking basics, you can make a great contribution to the holiday feast with a few straightforward ideas and tips.

Start off with soup featuring seasonal ingredients
A hot, nourishing broth makes a great appetizer at Easter dinner, helping guests to shake off the lingering spring chill. RealSimple recommended a bunny-appropriate carrot soup. Catch dinner guests’ attention with an unusual touch like mixing in a tablespoon of grated ginger and 3 tablespoons of chopped, fresh dill.

Epicurious presented another great option in pea and mint soup. Early in process, cook the vegetables for a short time so they don’t lose their color. Mix in additional fresh herbs like parsley and chives to add even more flavor.

Make a great Easter ham
Ham is a simple, traditional way to bring the family together for a feast. If the meat comes precooked, you have to do little more than brush on your favorite glaze and heat it up in a roasting pan. Even if you have ham every year, that doesn’t mean it has to be boring.

Bon Appetit suggested a few ways to bring new life to the main course. With a mustard red currant glaze and rhubarb chutney, the ham will have both a moderately strong, wine-like flavor and a delightfully fruity complement. A honey and rye glaze adds a bit of sweetness and spice to the whiskey flavor with honey, molasses and pepper.

Or try something else for the entree
Don’t feel restricted to making ham. If you’re ready to try something new, lamb is another traditional main course with plenty of history behind it. According to Serious Eats, there are a number of excellent ways to dress up this old favorite to impress family or friends. Seasoning ribs with a dry rub featuring cumin, smoked paprika, fennel seed and chili flakes before slow-roasting is one simple recipe. For a more adventurous group, experiment with Asian flavors on a leg of lamb by preparing a dry rub with ground Sichuan peppercorns, cumin, fennel seed, star anise and dried red chilies.

For diners who do not eat meat, you’ll have to try a different approach. The Vegetarian Times advised assembling a buffet with seasonal produce. This might mean a salad including asparagus, bulgur wheat and a vinaigrette. Miniature tarts with artichoke and onion make another tasty choice that’s convenient to simply grab and enjoy.

Contribute a fantastic side dish
If you’re not ready to commit to cooking the star of this culinary show, bringing along a side dish might be more your speed. Food Network provided an easy recipe for scalloped potatoes, calling for 20 minutes of preparation and 30 minutes of baking. You might also bring together peas and pancetta for a classic combination. If lamb is the main course, The Kitchn wrote that Parker House rolls, meaning bread dipped in melted butter, or creamed kale with Parmesan or pecorino cheese would be especially appropriate.

Share an exceptional dessert
Of course, one thing that will always make fellow diners happy is a tasty dessert. You may want to draw on your online baking courses to make something for the whole family, like drawing on Peeps marshmallows to borrow a concept from PopSugar. On the other hand, while the children enjoy candy from eggs, the adults can dig into something a little more sophisticated. Southern Living offered directions for a chocolate truffle pie featuring almonds and amaretto cream, as well as a banana pudding cheesecake.

There’s plenty of room to get even more creative by exploring the endless possibilities for Easter entrees, sides and desserts. Try out a few of these ideas and then develop your own versions.