Traditional Easter Dinner Menu Ideas

A traditional Southern Easter dinner menu includes: Brown sugar ham, deviled eggs, macaroni and cheese, and either collard greens or turnip greens. There are a few more side dishes that vary from home to home.

Easter Sunday brings the first big holiday meal of the year. Easter isn’t only about sunrise services, candy-filled baskets, and egg hunts. Don’t forget the first big family meal of the year. Easter dinner feels like we are celebrating Spring and leaving winter behind.

Looking for more ways to celebrate Easter. See this list of Family Easter Traditions you can start this year.

Our Easter Menu

Our traditional Easter menu will consist of: Ham, Potato Salad, Macaroni and Cheese, Broccoli Salad, and Deviled Eggs. By request, we will have Strawberry Cake for dessert and possibly these Lemon Bars.

Easter Dinner Main Course

Brown Sugar Glazed Ham is the star of the table on Easter. Because the oven space is always limited during big meal cooking days, I created an easy recipe for Crockpot Brown Sugar Glazed ham. Pineapple rings and cherries dress this ham up to look pretty on Easter.

Other meat options for Easter Dinner:

Tender and delicious Top Round Roast Beef and Gravy. This recipe has only about four ingredients. The secret is to cook it low and long for a tender, juicy meat.
This recipe for Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Beef Tenderloin is a special occasion entree worth the extra effort.
Bacon-Wrapped Herb Butter Pork Loin is another nice option. This recipe is flavorful, and then there is the part about the bacon! Everyone loves bacon. The herb butter recipe is included.
Poultry lovers will enjoy this recipe for Lemon Pepper Whole Roasted Chicken with potatoes. The bird is full of flavor and has tender, juicy meat.

We have been known to throw in a couple more vegetables and maybe even some fried chicken. Our grandsons love fried chicken. Actually, we all do.

A plate full of pastel rainbow deviled eggs How to make Pastel Rainbow Deviled Eggs. Pastel Eggs for Easter. How to make pastel deviled eggs. How to make colored deviled eggs — Pastel Deviled Eggs

Easter Side Dishes

Pastel Rainbow Deviled Eggs are perfect for Easter. My Southern Deviled Eggs recipe with sweet relish is included.
Southern Potato Salad is always a good side dish when serving ham. This is my Mom’s recipe, smooth and creamy, not lumpy, and full of flavor.
We like to get fancy with the Green Beans on Easter. This recipe for Pecan Glazed Green Beans is a family favorite.
What would Easter dinner be without carrots? You might be surprised how easy this Southern Carrot Souffle recipe is to whip up. My recipe is a nod to Piccadilly Buffet’s Carrot Soufflé.
A versatile recipe for Broccoli Salad with Homemade Dressing can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator.
This old-fashioned recipe for Crunchy Pea Salad with cauliflower is another good salad for Easter dinner. This recipe is also great for potlucks.

Easter Beverages and Bread

A simple and easy Homemade Lemonade recipe with no simple syrup. You can make this recipe the day before and chill it in the refrigerator.

How To Brew Southern Sweet Tea. Serve ice-cold Sweet Tea with any meal, any time of the year.
Make Yeast Rolls from scratch using the old recipe, or buy them at the grocery store. I won’t tell.
Are you a biscuit family? You will want to print and save this copycat recipe for McDonald’s Biscuits.

Dessert Recipes for Easter

Easter desserts tend to be pretty, fun, and often made with seasonal fruits. It is common to serve lemon or strawberry desserts for Easter. It is fun to make kid-friendly fun desserts too.

Watergate Salad is very popular for Thanksgiving, but my family always enjoyed it in the spring and especially along with Easter dinner. The pale green of the pistachio pudding adds a pretty color to the Easter table.
These Ultimate Easter Magic Cookie Bars are always popular. This is a newer version of the old Hello Dolly bars.
The most requested cake in our family and a must every Easter is this Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting.
A fun dessert for the littlest guests is these Easter Basket Pudding cups.
15 Cute Easter Dessert Recipes

The Easter Bunny Cake is an old family tradition in my family. Follow these easy instructions to make one. It begins with two cake layers.

Our Easter Sunday plans begin by attending church. Then we will all gather at my home for the afternoon. Everyone helps to prepare the meal by bringing their own dish. My oldest daughter makes the best Macaroni and Cheese. After dinner, we will play games inside and out. Cornhole and Ping Pong will turn into a friendly competition.

What’s on your Easter menu?

More Family Holiday Food and Activities

Grandma Summer Camp Ideas

12 Hilarious Christmas Party Games

Holiday Season Survival Tips

Thanksgiving Menu Including Grocery List & Recipes

Printable Family Christmas Bucket List

10 Comments

Amanda says:

March 25, 2016 at 10:07 pm

I’l have to try some of those recipes for our family reunion potluck this weekend! I’m looking forward to a full weekend of fun with family!

Tonya C says:

March 25, 2016 at 3:51 pm

I love deviled eggs. Perfect time to make them at Easter time. I’ll have to add that to our menu!

Erin says:

March 24, 2016 at 8:28 pm

Okay now I’m starving 🙂 I love the idea of strawberry cake for Easter! 🙂

Heather lawrence says:

March 24, 2016 at 5:58 pm

This Easter will be an interesting one. We are having traditional Dim Sum for dinner tomorrow night and then a big family feast on Sunday with turkey and all the trimmings. Thankfully I get a pass and I don’t have to cook a thing!

Censie says:

March 24, 2016 at 5:22 pm

Looks like a great dinner. WE always do Honeybaked ham on Easter and asparagus. NOM!!! One of my favorite holiday meals.

Lory says:

March 24, 2016 at 3:47 pm

First of all, I can’t even get over that amazing, multicolored layer cake! That will never happen in our house. Lol. Also, yes we love deviled eggs. One of our faves for any occasion at all. 🙂

Monica says:

March 24, 2016 at 8:34 am

What an amazing easter menu! It’s wonderful to have holiday traditions. Now I’m off to find our how to do the rainbow eggs…that is going to be on our Easter table.

1. Shirley Wood says:
  
  March 24, 2016 at 3:23 pm
  
  Monica, I’d love to see the colors you choose for your eggs. I’m sure they will be so lovely.
  
Carlee says:

March 23, 2016 at 8:06 pm

That looks like a delicious Easter menu!

1. Shirley Wood says:
  
  March 24, 2016 at 3:24 pm
  
  Thank you Carlee. We are looking forward to the meal and the fun on Easter. It’s such a relaxing day to spend with family.

Traditional Easter Dinner Menu Ideas

Our Easter Menu