29 Classic Easter Recipes That Are As Simple To Cook As They Are Totally Crowd-Pleasing
Easter is right around the corner, and between the Easter egg hunts, family activities, and (inevitable) chomping of chocolate bunnies, somehow a ~full meal~ will need to get thrown together. 🐰
While a few of these recipes may look intimidating, they all have one thing in common: They're simple enough for a first-time host to whip up (and delicious enough to impress just about anyone). If you're looking for a crowd-pleasing dish to serve this year, you'll find it here — from grab-and-go apps to main courses to festive desserts.
1.Spinach And Cheese Strata
Making a strata for Easter brunch looks impressive, but it actually couldn't be any easier. You'll prepare and assemble the entire thing the night before you bake it, so all you'll need to do to get a warm, filling breakfast on the table is pop it into the oven. Trust me: With all the other to-dos on your list, make breakfast as easy as possible.
Recipe: Spinach And Cheese Strata
2.Deviled Eggs
Listen, I've never met a deviled egg that I didn't like, regardless of what they were (or weren't) topped with. That said, when it comes to this Easter staple, I think the classic reigns supreme — this version just ups the ante with a bit of tangy Greek yogurt and punchy celery seed.
Recipe: Deviled Eggs
3.Pea And Mint Crostini With Garlic Whipped Feta
Easter dinner is all about celebrating bright spring flavors (and making the most of spring produce). These simple crostini are fresh, vibrant, and seasonal, with plenty of sweet peas and a salty bite from whipped feta.
4.Spring Salad
This salad is basically as fresh and vibrant as it gets, and since the veggies get quickly blanched all in the same pot — just until crisp-tender — it's also a surprisingly simple dish to throw together.
Recipe: Spring Salad
5.Mini Quiche
For a grab-and-go app that just about everyone will love, add mini quiche to your holiday cooking rotation. You can customize the fillings exactly as you want 'em, and if you're looking to make things even simpler, store-bought crust will work perfectly here.
Recipe: Mini Quiche
6.Charcuterie Board
Charcuterie boards look intimidating, but honestly, assembling one is just about following a few simple rules. This guide to making a picture-perfect charcuterie board — including how to arrange it and exactly what to buy — will make the process totally painless...and yes, your guests will love you for it.
Recipe: Charcuterie Board
7.Hot Spinach Dip
Do "future you" a favor and make this mouthwatering dip for your guests. It's un-fussy, remarkably delicious, and requires very little effort to whip up. To make Easter Sunday even more hands-off, assemble the dip ingredients ahead of time so you can just bake it off the day of.
Recipe: Hot Spinach Dip
8.Easy Baked Brie With Jam And Nuts
I love a brie that's wrapped in crisp puff pastry, but honestly, this sweet and savory baked brie is virtually just as delicious as the pastry-wrapped version — and made with a fraction of the effort. Use whatever jam you have on hand here, and if you're fresh out, even some drizzled honey would work just as nicely.
9.Whipped Ricotta Dip
Making a bowl of whipped ricotta is the easiest way to turn a humble container of fresh ricotta into something undeniably delicious. It's all about the garnish with this dish — a simple drizzle of olive oil and honey and a sprinkling of fresh herbs turns this five-minute recipe into something that's truly restaurant quality.
Recipe: Whipped Ricotta Dip
10.Scalloped Potatoes
Honest question: Is it Easter without a hearty serving of some creamy, cheesy potatoes? In my humble opinion, nope — but you do you. I'll personally be serving these never-fail scalloped potatoes this year because they're always the first side dish to completely disappear. Try it for yourself, and you'll see exactly why.
Recipe: Scalloped Potatoes
11.Hot Cross Buns
Hot cross buns are practically synonymous with Easter, but beyond tradition's sake, they're just so good. If just the thought of bread-baking gives you anxiety, hot cross buns are actually a really easy one to start with, and they're much better (and cheaper!) than the store-bought ones.
Recipe: Hot Cross Buns
12.Spring Pea And Asparagus Risotto
Making a homemade risotto can easily conjure up images of stirring a pot of rice for...well, far too long. Lucky for you, this risotto actually comes together in the oven, which means you won't be trapped in your kitchen while it cooks up into a pot of creamy, springy deliciousness.
Recipe: Spring Pea And Asparagus Risotto
13.Brown Butter Maple-Glazed Roasted Carrots
You could make this side without rainbow carrots...but if you have access to them, they'll make this dish absolutely stunning (without requiring any additional effort). Maple-glazed carrots are nothing new — but a hint of nuttiness and umami from some brown butter makes these ones pretty darn spectacular.
14.Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Lots of people have a go-to mashed potato recipe. My go-to packs in as much flavor as humanly possible with the addition of creamy roasted garlic. Once you try it, you'll never go back to boring mashed potatoes.
Recipe: Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
15.Roasted Asparagus With Lemon
Asparagus is one of my favorite spring veggies, and IMO, it doesn't need all that much to make it absolutely spectacular. Here, all you'll need is a little bit of garlic and a generous squeeze of lemon. It's nothing fancy, but it's certainly impressive.
Recipe: Roasted Asparagus With Lemon
16.Baked Mac 'N' Cheese
I've made many a mac 'n' cheese in my life — still, nothing beats the homemade baked version with plenty of crunchy breadcrumbs on top of all that ooey, gooey cheese.
Recipe: Baked Mac 'N' Cheese
17.Ina Garten’s Mustard-Roasted Potatoes
There are no hacks or gimmicks to making these mustardy, crispy potatoes — just high heat, whole-grain mustard, and plenty of olive oil to get things nice and golden brown. Using red potatoes is a must in this recipe — they hold their shape nicely as they soften, so you won't end up with mushy potatoes.
18.Simple Roasted Radishes
As the president of the Radish Fan Club, I don't think these spring root veggies get the publicity they deserve. Roasting them brings out their natural sweetness, and they're far more complex in flavor than other similar root vegetables.
Recipe: Simple Roasted Radishes
19.Easiest Rack Of Lamb
If the idea of serving a literal rack of lamb to your guests sounds stressful, you're not alone. I'm here to tell you that it's less complicated and terrifying than it sounds. My number one piece of advice: Use a meat thermometer and you'll never have to worry about overdone lamb. Once it registers 135ºF for medium-rare (or 125ºF for rare), take it out and let it rest. It's perfect every time.
Recipe: Easiest Rack Of Lamb
20.Braised Lamb Shanks
OK, let's say you really want lamb this year but you're still terrified to make a whole rack of the stuff. Enter: lamb shanks. They're tougher than the former, which means they need to slowly braise in liquid until they're fall-off-the-bone tender. To translate, that just means they're basically impossible to screw up.
Recipe: Braised Lamb Shanks
21.Honey Baked Ham
You could pay lots of money to buy one of these ready-to-eat, or you could just whip it up yourself. Honestly, I think the homemade version tastes even better. Add in the fact that you'll save a ton of money doing it this way, and it's a total no-brainer. (Just be sure to save some for next-day ham sandwiches.)
Recipe: Honey Baked Ham
22.Roasted Pork Loin
If you're having a smaller holiday get together, this roasted pork loin is a perfectly-sized main to serve your guests. Letting this cut of meat rest before carving is crucial, and waiting those 10 minutes before diving in is honestly the hardest part of this recipe.
Recipe: Roasted Pork Loin
23.Vegan Mushroom Wellington
If you'll have vegan or vegetarian guests this year, adding this vegan-friendly mushroom Wellington to the table would be an A+ decision. It's a crowd favorite between vegans and non-vegans alike, and unlike beef Wellington (which is tricky to cook juuuust right), this mushroom version is way more user-friendly.
Recipe: Vegan Mushroom Wellington
24.Carrot Cake
I love every single element of a carrot cake, but I gotta say: the cream cheese frosting might just be my favorite part. Carrot cakes are always on the moist side (as a result of the liquid that's released from the carrots as it bakes), but this one is SUPER moist and velvety, making it the perfect way to polish off a big Easter meal.
Recipe: Carrot Cake
25.Chocolate Easter Nest Cupcakes
On today's edition of "Looks Too Good To Eat," we've got these so-cute-I-could-cry "Easter nest" cupcakes. If you're not ready to meticulously decorate a whole tray of cupcakes, I'm happy to share that you won't have to! The topping is just a swirl of frosting, a sprinkling of shredded coconut, and a few candy Easter eggs. No epic baking skills required.
Recipe: Chocolate Easter Nest Cupcakes
26.Easy Lemon Bars
Name me a person who doesn't love lemon bars...I'll wait. I've personally never met someone who doesn't love these citrusy-sweet confections, so I'd highly recommend making the biggest batch you possibly can. After all, more lemon bar leftovers for you is never a bad problem to have.
Recipe: Easy Lemon Bars
27.Egg Sprinkle Cookies
I'll admit that not all holiday-themed desserts are worth the effort that goes into them...but these? Yeah, totally worth it. The outlines of the eggs are actually created with pre-made fondant, so there are no fancy piping skills required, either.
Recipe: Egg Sprinkle Cookies
28.3-Ingredient Crème Brûlée
Yep, you can make the best-ever crème brûlée with three ingredients only. The secret, you ask? Melted ice cream. It's rich, impressive, and hardly requires any effort.
Recipe: 3-Ingredient Crème Brûlée
29.Easter Crunch Bars
This festive treat is perfect for the kiddos since it basically looks as good as it is to eat. The recipe calls for Chex, but you can substitute an equal amount of whatever cereal you have on hand — in a twist that'll surprise absolutely no one, yes, Rice Krispies would be incredible here.
Recipe: Easter Crunch Bars
