Anyone kicking around Easter dinner ideas yet?

so excited. I just found out my brother and his family are coming for easter weekend.

so, I am hosting both Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday so everyone can see them but still have their own dinners at hteir homes on Sunday if they want.

so I need two fabu dinners. I'd like to poach your ideas if I can.

Re: Anyone kicking around Easter dinner ideas yet?

My mom usually makes lamb (which I don't eat), but I think this year I am going to host it

I have NO CLUE what's traditional for Easter

Re: Anyone kicking around Easter dinner ideas yet?

We always had lamb on the table growing up...I like it but its a little heavy.
I might try poached salmon, with some asparagus and big pearl cous cous...prob not so traditional but whatever.

Re: Anyone kicking around Easter dinner ideas yet?

DH's family usually makes ham. If not ham, pierogies. She makes a pineapple coleslaw and deviled eggs.

Re: Anyone kicking around Easter dinner ideas yet?

This is usually my MILs holiday so I'll help but I can tell you there will be ham....and Italian Easter bread (which I can't wait for ).

Re: Anyone kicking around Easter dinner ideas yet?

Do normal people (ie: not my family) eat meat on Holy Saturday?

Re: Anyone kicking around Easter dinner ideas yet?

Message edited 3/15/2011 2:18:09 PM.

Re: Anyone kicking around Easter dinner ideas yet?

What is Italian easter bread? sounds interesting...

Re: Anyone kicking around Easter dinner ideas yet?

A friend of mine always made lamb with mint jelly on the side.

Re: Anyone kicking around Easter dinner ideas yet?

I always made leg of lamb, and we always enjoyed it.
Last year, though, I discovered this . And OMG, I can't even begin to tell you how delicious this was. We're still talking about it (or my BIL is) almost a year later.

I also do some grilled or roasted asparagus, either roasted or mashed potatoes and buttermilk biscuits. Simple, yes, but really my kids eat candy all day long so I don't really want to go overboard.

Re: Anyone kicking around Easter dinner ideas yet?

Re: Anyone kicking around Easter dinner ideas yet?

Message edited 3/15/2011 9:25:26 PM.

Re: Anyone kicking around Easter dinner ideas yet?

going to MIL for dinner, so i'm just bringing dessert. i'm making carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese icing and olive oil cupcakes with mascarpone cream & orange zest. i know this last one sounds funny, but the olive oil cake i've had at restaurants was so delicious!

Re: Anyone kicking around Easter dinner ideas yet?

We always had leg of lamb growing up. DH's mom usually makes a ham. I have hosted Easter only once and my mom made the lamb! I know, I am no help at all!

Re: Anyone kicking around Easter dinner ideas yet?

Leg of lamb is traditional... although we've always had Ham.
Thanksgiving is Turkey, and Christmas Roast Beast

Re: Anyone kicking around Easter dinner ideas yet?

we always have ham, no one easter lamb
my sil is making lasagna

Re: Anyone kicking around Easter dinner ideas yet?

Rob's MIL will make lasagna and ham with sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and some manner of veg.

Then we'll go to my bff's who will be having leg of lamb with mint sauce, minted peas, baby carrots and mashed taters.

Re: Anyone kicking around Easter dinner ideas yet?

Re: Anyone kicking around Easter dinner ideas yet?

OMG I am soooo excited for MY Easter!!

Since DC will be only a few weeks, I can't go to DH's family for Easter as usual. Soooooo we are going to have an early Easter w/my parents when they are here. So I can make the menu whatever I want and I get to have my mom's cooking again

You HAVE to have ham on Easter, but DH's family doesn't like ham!!1! so I haven't had it in many years

Mashed potatoes, of course. Probably creamed corn and peas. I always make rolls, so hopefully I'll be up to making those. Not sure what else. Maybe some sort of cake for dessert.

Finally i will have MY traditional holiday again!!!

Re: Anyone kicking around Easter dinner ideas yet?

I made an awesome beef tenderloin a few years ago that I plan on making again this year.

Recipe

Re: Anyone kicking around Easter dinner ideas yet?

My favorite thing @ Easter is Easter Pie (traditonally called Pizza Rustica). Great addition to any meal imo!

Message edited 3/20/2011 11:28:19 AM.

Re: Anyone kicking around Easter dinner ideas yet?

We have lamb. Shish Kebab!! It's usually the first big family BBQ of the year.

Have your butcher take a leg of lamb and de-bone a cube it for you. Marinate over night and put meat on shishes (skewers) with cubes of eggplant in between every other/3rd piece of meat.

Line the bottom of your pot with Bread to soak up all the juices from the meat as you cook and throw it on top. We call it dirty bread

We also BBQ whole zucchini, green pepper, onion, and tomato

We make brown rice pilaf and a tossed salad.

All of this usually follows an Armenian Mezza, read= all day appetizers, of cheese bouregs like greek cheese pie, my family's recipe differs from the link in the type of cheese used. (I use munster & mozzerella), stuffed grape leaves, stuffed mussels, olives, string cheese, basturma & soujouk (cured meats), baked clams, shrimp cocktail, croudite/dip, hummus, & pita.

Seriously, no one is even hungry by the time dinner is served

Dessert varies but always includes Armenian Easter bread called choreg. This may not be my mom's recipe, but it's similar: choreg We don't use a filling. Braid the dough and bake. Always make a cross in the dough just before you cover it to rise.

We also always have an egg "war" and crack eggs to see who the winner is before we eat dessert.

My sister (since my grandmother passed) then reads our Armenian coffee cups. (Greek & Turkish coffee work just as well)

Hope this helps

Message edited 3/20/2011 4:36:03 PM.

Re: Anyone kicking around Easter dinner ideas yet?

I usually host Easter... my trad'l items:

Starters:
Stuffed portabello mushroom salad (one of the few Rachel Ray recipes I really love) - it's basically a delicious panzanella on top of grilled mushrooms - very nice, light citrus dressing.

Giada's turkey meatballs

Sometimes I made Giada's cannellini dip and homemade pita chips

Main:
Alton Brown's city ham - best crust ever!
Fresh corn
Yeast rolls
Grilled asparagus
Roasted red potatoes
MIL brings glazed carrots
I feel like I'm missing something else...

Dessert:
Varies - sometimes a cheesecake (I like Giada's mascarpone cheesecake and Tyler Florence's ultimate cheesecake), sometimes apple pie (Cook's Illustrated is the best) - this one changes from year to year depending on requests I get from the family (I'm the baker in the family).

Re: Anyone kicking around Easter dinner ideas yet?

holy moly.

where to begin???

Tine, I like that beef tenderloin recipe. it is right up my alley b.c I am only SLOWLY coming around to lamb.

but I think I would like to make a lamb b/c it's so traditional.

tilde, I am not sure if we follow a no meat rule b/c I've never hosted a dinner before easter dinner....hmmm. (but I must tell you I found a lovely sicilian recipe for roasted leg of lamb with potatoes.)but most of my extended family hates fish (but another day I will tell you how my one year old absolutely devoured blackened halibut the other night ) so I'd have to do meat anyway...

which brings me to Debbie!!! OMG that is the PERFECT Saturday feast for us I think. much more relaxed and we'll have a big crowd. I can't believe I didn't think of it. winter is still too much in my brain.




now, to just turn this jangled mess of ideas into a two day feast!!!!

Debbie, what do you marinate the lamb in?

cucumbergirl, do you have the recipe for Alton's ham handy? I will need to do a ham. my son is a pork fanatic.

Message edited 3/24/2011 1:48:05 PM.

Re: Anyone kicking around Easter dinner ideas yet?

My mom is making, lasagna and a roasted loin of pork. Both have become traditonal in our family for Easter. She is also going to attempt my gigis fratata. No one with exception of my gram can do it right so, since gram wont be home with us, we are going to make it for them both. Saled and most likely asparagus as a veggie with roasted potatoes for the pork.

My moms cooking is seriously the best ever. So, dh and i are looking forward to it.