Make traditional Easter dinner recipes for the main course, Easter sides, breads, and more. Fill your Easter menu with family favorite foods fit for a holiday feast! You'll also find simple and festive hosting ideas for your Easter Sunday dinner.
I really enjoyed putting together this collection of Easter dinner menu ideas for a traditional Easter dinner. If you're not quite sure what to make for Easter dinner, I've got ya covered with over 50 Easter menu ideas.
What Is a Traditional Easter Dinner Menu?
I've always thought of honey-baked ham as being associated with the traditional Easter meal because it's usually been our meat of choice and what we've always had for this special occasion, even growing up. However, traditional Easter dinner ideas include so much more.
- Ham
- Rack of lamb
- Leg of lamb
- Lamb shanks
- Roasted chicken
- Roast beef
- Pork roast
- Salmon
Yes, even roast beef, pork roast, and salmon can be part of a traditional Easter feast. I guess it just depends what your family loves to eat this time of year and what traditions have been passed down through the generations.
Our traditional Easter meal favorite is a good spiral cut ham in the oven, along with plenty of Easter sides like mashed potatoes, ham gravy, the most delicious corn casserole (with bacon), green beans with hamburger and onion, and of course, Grandma's bread rolls.
How to Host Easter Dinner
Main things to remember when hosting a family dinner for the first time are the invitations, traditional Easter foods and drinks, the seating arrangements, and the hospitality factor. Let's talk a little bit about each one.
“People will forget what you said, forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
– Maya Angelou
1. Make Sure to Invite Guests
Whether it's a text message or an actual paper invitation, be sure to send out Easter dinner invitations. Otherwise, how will people know you're even hosting dinner?
2. Plan to Make Traditional Easter Foods and Drinks
I think I've covered this enough below, but plan out a menu with all the Easter food ideas and drinks you want to make. Something to think about… If you're hosting an Easter potluck, then make sure you've got enough people bringing sides, others bringing desserts, and so on.
3. Seating Arrangements
When I say seating arrangements, I don't mean who sits next to who, like at a wedding; I just mean, making sure everyone has an actual place to sit, whether it's at a table, or a seat in the living room.
Back in the day at Easter time, my family would sprawl all over my grandma's house, from the living room to the kitchen to the back utility room. Small house for a big family, but we made it work.
You might need to think about borrowing a few extra tables and chairs from someone in the family. Or get up to the attic, and haul down all the folding chairs you have to make it work.
4. Make Your Guests Feel Welcome with Graceful Hospitality
My friend Linda, who blogs over at Life on Summerhill, has so many wonderful ideas for hosting the perfect Easter dinner, including how to create Easter table decor. Beautiful ideas she gives for Easter tablescapes inspire much creativity when it comes to setting a welcoming table for family and friends.
Not to mention all of her wonderful ideas for putting up Easter home decorations, as well. From the centerpiece to festive garland ideas and table settings, you're sure to find loads of ideas for making your guests feel more welcome and at home.
Whew! I don't know 'bout you, but I'm ready for all the Easter food!
Easter Appetizers
No get together or family gathering would be complete without an assortment of finger licking appetizers to whet the appetite.
Easy Deviled Eggs in 30 Minutes or Less
Can't have Easter dinner without deviled eggs, a popular Easter dinner favorite! Mix up a batch of easy deviled eggs in 30 minutes or less with this classic deviled egg recipe.
Get the Recipe
Bacon Ranch Deviled Eggs
Make an easy recipe for bacon Ranch deviled eggs… Because everything is better with bacon. Perfect appetizer for a crowd!
Get the Recipe
Rainbow Easter Deviled Eggs
Wonderful colorful Rainbow Easter Eggs are made with natural dyes and everyone can participate in making these. So fun for Easter to make and eat.
Ham and Stuffing Crescent Rolls
Ham and stuffing crescent rolls are a delicious finger food even the kids will love. They're easy to make too!
Get the Recipe
Baked Potato Roses
Baked potato roses are the ultimate party starter or simply the most gorgeous potato side dish for your every-day-meal plan!
Delicious Salmon Patties Recipe
Salmon patties, made with salmon and crackers, are the perfect Easter appetizer or finger food, especially when served with a tzatziki dipping sauce.
Get the Recipe
Maple Sausage Stuffed Pastry Bites
Made with cream cheese, spinach, and puffed pastry, sausage stuffed pastry bites are the ultimate appetizer for any holiday dinner.
Get the Recipe
Greek Cheese Triangle Pies (Tiropita)
These Greek cheese triangle pies have a savory cheese filling inside flaky, buttery phyllo pastry. These make a great appetizer or side for your Easter dinner.
Vegan Roasted Carrot Soup with Lentils
Easy and delicious Vegan Roasted Carrot Soup with lentils and Moroccan spices. This velvety, rich and healthy carrot soup has a unique and perfectly balanced flavor!
Easter Main Dish Recipes
Traditional Easter dishes that make delicious main dishes, including ham, lamb, beef, and pork.
How to Cook a Ham in the Oven
Everything you've ever wanted to know about how to cook a pre-cooked ham in the oven. Tips, steps, and everything you need to get your Easter ham well on its way.
Get the Recipe
Pineapple Honey Glazed Ham
If you like a sweeter flavor to your ham, you'll love this pineapple honey glazed ham. How to get it perfectly cooked, moist, and delicious for your holiday dinner with family and friends.
Get the Recipe
Crock-Pot Slow Cooker Pineapple Ham
This CrockPot slow cooker pineapple ham recipe is so yummy and plentiful that you could actually freeze left overs for later meals to save you time and money.
Brown Sugar Bourbon Glazed Ham
You and your family or guests will love this easy baked ham with pineapple and cherries, completewith traditional pineapple rings and maraschino cherries, with its yummy, sticky, sweet and savory brown sugar bourbon glaze!
Southern Pecan Glazed Ham
This Southern Pecan Glazed Ham was perfection for us. Not sure I have had a better ham than this one EVER. Honey, brown sugar, sweet mustard with a hint of cloves and oranges and then smothered in pecans.
Roasted Rack of Lamb with Garlic and Herbs
Surprisingly easy to make, Roasted Rack of Lamb with Garlic and Herbs is an impressive, crowd-pleasing main-dish full of herbaceous deliciousness. Traditionally served at Easter, this lamb recipe has the best of everything.
Slow Cooker Leg of Lamb
Incredibly tender Slow Cooker Roast Leg of Lamb that’s tender, juicy and falling apart at the touch of a fork. This is truly the easiest way to cook roast lamb – add a handful of ingredients to your slow cooker and leave it to work its magic.
Braised Herb Lamb Shanks
You will love this recipe for Braised Herb Lamb Shanks! The meat is fall-off-the-bone tender and full of flavor from the herb blend, wine and beef broth. This makes a great Easter dinner.
Grilled Leg of Lamb with Rosemary, Mint, and Garlic
Juicy, tender and ridiculously delicious, this recipe for Grilled Leg of Lamb with Rosemary, Mint and Garlic can be made with either a bone-in or boneless version and makes an impressive meal for family and friends.
Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb
This herb crusted rack of lamb is a classic Easter dinner! It's easy to prepare and so delicious.
Slow Cooker Beef Ribs
Slow Cooker Beef Ribs are a great meal to serve your guests. The flavor is amazing, and they are so easy to make. Your guests will seriously be impressed!
Sous Vide Beef Tenderloin
This recipe for Sous Vide Beef Tenderloin gives you the perfect roast every time. And an elegant beef tenderloin is the perfect centerpiece for a special dinner like Easter that is delicious and surprisingly easy to make.
Best Slow Cooker Pork Roast Recipe
Learn step by step how to make the best ever slow cooker pork roast that's perfectly pull apart juicy & tender. It's the ultimate set-it-and-forget-it recipe, so easy to make, and perfect for holiday dinners, church potlucks, or a weeknight meal!
Get the Recipe
Oven Roasted Pork Roast Recipe
This deliciously easy pork roast recipe with vegetables and gravy is the perfect main dish for Easter dinner. Learn how to cook a pork roast with simple seasoning in the oven.
Get the Recipe
Simple and Delicious Roasted Pork Tenderloin
Learn how to cook pork tenderloin, roasted to a juicy perfection in the oven. This is a very easy recipe for a delicious Easter dinner main dish, paired with simple seasonings and potatoes.
Get the Recipe
Sweet Chili Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs
Sweet Chili Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs are so easy to make. Pair them with a sweet chili dry rub that gives them a wonderful flavor, throw them in your pressure cooker, and walk away. They’re fall off the bone delicious!
Get the Recipe
Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder
Fall-apart-tender pork shoulder cooked in the crock-pot. This super easy recipe takes less than 10 minutes to prep and can be cooked in as little as 4-5 hours on the high setting.
Brown Sugar Dijon Pork Tenderloin
Brown Sugar Dijon Pork Tenderloin – Just two simple ingredients to create a meal your family will rave about!
Roasted Lemon Pepper Chicken and Veggies in the Dutch Oven
Make a delicious dinner with this Roasted Lemon Pepper Chicken & Veggies in the Dutch Oven.
Easter Side Dishes Ideas
All the Easter dinner sides you'll ever need for a traditional Easter dinner table that will fill bellies and warm hearts.
Homemade Ham Gravy
Homemade Ham Gravy, made with leftover ham drippings and cream, is a delicious side dish that pairs with ham, mashed potatoes, and all your Easter dinner fixings!
Get the Recipe
Ham Gravy with Cornstarch
Homemade ham gravy with cornstarch and drippings is perfect if you've got at least one person in the crowd who's gluten-free. It's also super easy and simple to make.
Get the Recipe
Chicken Gravy from Bouillon
How to make chicken gravy from bouillon, no drippings needed! Easy recipe you can make last minute to go with dinner. Simple ingredients!
Get the Recipe
Creamy Mashed Potatoes
This is my family's go to recipe for creamy mashed potatoes, made with yellow potatoes, cream, and butter. They are a must have potato dish at Easter dinner.
Get the Recipe
The Ultimate Mashed Potato Bar
Feed a crowd on Easter day with a festive mashed potato bar at your next party filled with all sorts of delicious, mouthwatering toppings.
Get the Recipe
Easy Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole Recipe
I absolutely love a cheesy hash brown casserole recipe, filled with shredded cheesy potatoes and topped with Corn Flakes. It's a quick and easy side dish perfect for a crowd or potluck on Easter day!
Get the Recipe
Cheesy CrockPot Funeral Potatoes Recipe
How to make cheesy CrockPot funeral potatoes. Easy slow cooker hashbrown casserole, a family favorite side dish, breakfast, or brunch recipe.
Get the Recipe
Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
How to make scalloped potatoes and ham in a creamy sauce, baked in the oven. Easy, old-fashioned, homemade, cheesy casserole recipe perfect for a crowd!
Get the Recipe
Easy Garlic Parmesan Asparagus
Asparagus, topped with lots of fragrant garlic and fresh shredded parmesan cheese, perfectly roasted in the oven. The perfect side dish for Easter Sunday!
Cheesy Slow Cooker Corn Casserole
Throw together CrockPot corn casserole with cream cheese and Jiffy mix. Easy side dish recipe for a crowd. Make ahead for Thanksgiving and Easter.
Get the Recipe
Jiffy Corn Casserole with Cream Cheese and Bacon
Bake up a Jiffy corn casserole with cream cheese and bacon. I love this simple, easy recipe because it's so cheesy and delicious; plus you can make it ahead of time. It's the perfect side dish for Easter dinner!
Get the Recipe
Southern Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
How to make the best southernsweet potato casserole with marshmallowsand pecans. Classic Easter sweet potatoes side dish you can easily make ahead.
Get the Recipe
Easy Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Cauliflower
Throw together a Broccoli Salad with bacon, cauliflower, sunflower seeds, and peas. This salad is a staple side dish and salad recipe perfect for every family gathering.
Get the Recipe
Quick and Easy Ambrosia Fruit Salad
Whip up a classic ambrosia fruit salad with Cool Whip, sour cream, fruit, and mini marshmallows. Easy southern side dish recipe for every holiday dinner!
Get the Recipe
Layered Salad
Layered Salad is the perfect salad recipe for family gatherings. Add fresh, delicious layers like cauliflower, peas, lettuce, bacon, or whatever else your heart desires.
Get the Recipe
Crunchy Kale Broccoli Salad with Cranberries and Macadamia Nuts
Crunchy Kale Broccoli Salad is a perfect side dish, especially when you load it up with tart cranberries and rich macadamia nuts in a sweet balsamic dressing!
Homemade Potato Salad
An easy, homemade potato salad with egg is the best way to use up all those extra eggs from the Easter holiday. This potato salad recipe uses a few key ingredients including gherkins and mustard, and one little secret technique!
Honey Glazed Carrots with Rosemary
Honey Glazed Carrots, made with simple ingredients like butter, honey, and rosemary, make a delicious side dish. They're colorful and packed full of fresh flavor.
Get the Recipe
Easy Roasted Carrots with Dill
This easy recipe for Roasted Carrots with Dill is a simple side dish to whip up for any occasion. With 4 simple ingredients, this recipe for baked carrots with dill is a breeze to make, perfect for a family dinner but also fancy enough for holidays like Thanksgiving and Easter!
Balsamic Roasted Carrots Recipe
Balsamic Roasted Carrots offer a healthy side dish to your next holiday meal or weeknight dinner. The sweet honey mixed with the robust flavors of balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil pair wonderfully to add flavor to this roasted carrots recipe.
Candied Carrots – Butter and Brown Sugar Glazed
These Candied Carrots are the perfect addition to any dinner! With only three ingredients, this delicious dish will be one that people ask for again and again!
Best Mashed Potatoes Recipe
These herb-infused garlic mashed potatoes are the best mashed potatoes you will ever eat. They are creamy, fluffy, buttery and so insanely delicious you will never make another mashed potatoes recipe again.
Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes are creamy potatoes made with Russet potatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, butter, salt and pepper for the must-have side dish for any holiday gathering.
Instant Pot Southern Green Beans
If you've never had Southern Green Beans, made with bacon, onion, and ground beef, you're in for a real treat. Made in the Instant Pot, so they're super easy to make, they're a yummy side dish everyone will love and ask for at every holiday gathering.
Get the Recipe
Instant Pot Lebanese Braised Green Beans
These Instant Pot Lebanese Braised Green Beans have all the flavor you’d get with the traditional slow braise, but without all the time. Make this Easter side dish in the IP and save room in your oven for the main course.
Green Beans Almondine
Fresh green beans sauteed with butter and almonds and finished with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice makes a delicious green bean almondine!
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
This combo of oven roasted brussels sprouts with bacon is the perfect way to convince you that yes, brussels sprouts really can be delicious! It's the perfect dish to grace your Easter table!
Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower
Roasted Cauliflower florets sprinkled with Parmesan cheese are truly the perfect side dish for all special occasions. Includes methods for both oven-roasted and air fryer.
Must Have Dinner Rolls!
Bread rolls are a must have with every family member at any Easter spread. When wondering what to make for Easter lunch, definitely add dinner rolls to the menu.
Grandma's Homemade Dinner Rolls
These dinner rolls have been in our family beyond when I was even born. My grandma made them with love, and they were a staple on the table every Easter Sunday. They're fluffy, light, buttery, and oh so delicious!
Get the Recipe
Homemade Butterhorn Rolls
Bake up an easy family recipe for homemadebutterhorn rolls. How to make the best buttery crescent rolls, perfect for your Thanksgiving or holiday dinner.
The Best Homemade Dinner Rolls
This Best Homemade Dinner Rolls recipe turns out perfectly every time. These easy, soft & fluffy dinner rolls are, slightly sweet and salty, irresistibly buttery and made from scratch!
Gluten-Free Hot Cross Buns
This hot cross buns recipe makes a sweet cinnamon dough filled with currants; top each baked bun with a frosted cross to celebrate the Easter holiday.
Traditional Easter Desserts
Most of us live for the dessert table at family get togethers. Now you can fill Easter baskets with chocolate eggs and other goodies, something many family traditions encompass. But I think most of us agree… Easter dinner would not be complete without dessert.
Carrot Cake in a Sheet Pan
Carrot sheet cake is easy to make, moist, and delicious, paired with a cream cheese frosting that's simply to die for.
Get the Recipe
Caramel Custard Pie
Caramel custard pie, made with an easy shortcut pie crust and a brown sugar caramel twist with creamy egg custard.
Get the Recipe
Bunny Tail Cupcakes
Make easy and adorable bunny tail cupcakes with chocolate cupcakes, frosting, and mini marshmallows. Fun Easter dessert for kids!
Get the Recipe
No Bake Banana Pudding
How to make an easy no bake banana pudding with cream cheese, Cool Whip, and Nilla Wafers. Perfect for a crowd, quick and simple recipe!
Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie
Easy recipe for a strawberry cream cheese pie, made with fresh strawberries, a creamy no bake filling, and a simple homemade crust.
Get the Recipe
Chocolate Meringue Pie
Make chocolate pie with a rich, creamy filling and fluffy homemade meringue on top. Delicious Easter dessert recipe perfect for chocolate lovers!
Get the Recipe
Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake with Pecans
Bake up an easy to make cinnamon streusel coffee cake with pecans, perfect for Easter brunch. This praline coffee cake is moist, buttery, and topped with a crispy cinnamon sugar topping.
Get the Recipe
Blueberry Coffee Cake Recipe with Streusel Topping
How to make the best blueberry coffee cake recipe that's moist and delicious with tons of sweet berry flavor and a simple streusel topping.
Blueberry Yum Yum Dessert
Whip up a dreamy blueberry yum yum dessert with cream cheese, Dream Whip, blueberry pie filling, and a pecan crust.
Get the Recipe
Strawberry Yum Yum Dessert
Easy strawberry yum yum dessert layered with fresh strawberries, cream cheese filling, and a pecan crust. Dreamy delight perfect for potlucks!
Get the Recipe
Lemon Poke Cake with Lemon Glaze
How to make Grandma's lemon poke cake with lemon glaze, a fluffy cake recipe with a simple lemony icing drizzled on top.
Get the Recipe
Aunt Jennie's Texas Sheet Cake
Best ever recipe for moist chocolate Texas sheet cake, topped with rich, fudgy chocolate icing. Easy dessert anyone can make!
Now that you've filled everyone's bellies with good food, who's ready for a good, old-fashioned Easter egg hunt? So many wonderful Easter traditions to enjoy!
CRAVING MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES?Subscribe to mynewsletter, and follow along onPinterest,Facebook,YouTube, andInstagramfor all the latest updates!
If you love these traditional Easter recipesas much as I do, please help me share to Pinterest!