Hello, foodies…
Easter is just over a week away—what’s on your menu? And how are you using up those leftovers? Allow me to offer a few suggestions—well, a dozen suggestions. We’ve got a lot of great Easter dishes on “David’s Recipe Page” and I wasn’t going to share just five! Here’s my must-make list. As usual, you click on the recipe titles below to go right to the recipe. And, you can also find them all in a single pin on my Pinterest page.
Hands down, this is the cutest recipe we’ve ever done on In the Kitchen with David. Your guests will just go nuts when they see these chicks in the center of your holiday table. Or, use these little guys as place settings on the table. They’ll surely welcome guests to their seats!
I always like to have a special drink prepared for guests. But on a day like Easter, when I’m also preparing a big dinner, I’ll only consider easy drink recipes. The French 75 has four ingredients and you make the garnish from the lemon you use to prepare it. It’s springy, fresh, and light—everything you want.
Roasted asparagus has long been an Easter staple at my table, but I’ll be serving my Cream of Asparagus Soup this year. This recipe made its debut in March for “It’s Not Easy Eating Green” month, when our goal was to open your eyes to surprisingly tasty green foods. This was one of the tastiest recipes we did...see if you can't convert a few veggie haters!
Orange and Pineapple Ham Glaze
Lots of pre-cooked hams come with the standard brown sugar glaze. While yummy, there are so many other flavors that enhance the flavor of a ham. This recipe, for example, calls for pineapple, orange marmalade, orange juice, and some spices. It takes seconds to whip up and will completely transform your Easter main course.
I was introduced to corn casserole when I worked as a reporter/anchor in central Pennsylvania. Baked corn casserole is a staple there, often served at every holiday meal. After you sample this dish, you’ll understand why…it’s just delicious.
Cabbage, Kale, and Broccoli Slaw
My grandmother loved to serve cold “salads” when she made Christmas or Easter dinner and I think all of them contained Jell-O in some capacity. Cold slaws are coming back...but hold the Jell-O. Try this Cabblage, Kale, and Broccoli Slaw and serve it in spring ramekins. Or, stage it underneath your Deviled Egg Chicks—like edible Easter grass!
Roast Rack of Lamb in a Cherry & Red Wine Balsamic Sauce
It’s common practice in the Venable household to serve two entrees at holiday dinners. If you’re hosting a number of people at Easter, you might consider making lamb and ham. Or, if you’re the kind of person who likes to change things up, swap the ham for this easy-to-prepare entrée.
Pecan Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Holiday feast grocery store bills can really add up, so if you’re trying to keep things reasonable this year, consider this cake. It calls for most pantry staples except for the fresh pineapple, and you can always use canned instead of fresh. Buy a large economy-size can and you’ll have enough for the cake and my ham glaze.
Springtime Lemon-Raspberry Coconut Cake
Both my grandmothers were great cooks and my mom’s mother, “Mother Burns” made a coconut layer cake at almost every family gathering. At Easter, she decorated it with jelly beans. At Christmas, she hand-cranked fresh coconut onto the cake and called it snow. Just as it has in my house, I hope this cake makes its way onto your list of family favorites.
Pink Stuff with Macadamia Nuts and Lemon Zest
If "easy" is your motto this Easter, there’s no better recipe for you than my Pink Stuff. You’re literally dumping six ingredients into a bowl. And it just so happens to look pink when it’s all mixed—talk about a pretty spring dish!
Spring Fruit Compote with Cinnamon
This recipe can be a side, dessert, or topping for your ham! I like to double the recipe and keep some for leftover ham sandwiches. It’s the same yummy concept as turkey and cranberry!
Salted Caramel Chocolate Nests
You don’t need a centerpiece for your table if you make these nests, place some colorful eggs inside, and then stack the desserts on a cookie or cake tower. Again, you could use these as place settings, too, and even write the person’s name on a larger egg, which would fit perfectly inside the nest.
Happy Easter, everyone…keep it flavorful!
—David
