9 Amazing Menus for Your Special Easter Dinner

Wondering what to serve for your special Easter dinner? Grits and Pinecones and I teamed up to bring you 9 amazing menus that are sure to take the guess-work out of your planning. From simple to elegant and everything in between, these 9 menus include 41 incredible tried and true dishes. You can complete your special dinner with one of our 15 Awesome Sweets and Treats for Easter. Happy Easter 🙂! 

This post is updated from April 2, 2017 to include new recipes.

Traditional Ham

• Brown Sugar and Bourbon Glazed Ham
• Classic Southern Seven Layer Salad
• Terry’s Sweet Potato Casserole
• Grown-up Green Bean Casserole
• Homemade Slider Buns

1. Brown Sugar and Bourbon Glazed Ham (courtesy of Grits and Pinecones): Easter is right around the corner, and nothing says Easter like glazed ham! Lots of it! And, I that know you and your family or guests will love, my Glazed Ham with its brown sugar and bourbon glaze!

2. Classic Southern Seven Layer Salad: When you’re planning the perfect make-ahead dish for your holiday gathering, look no further than Classic Southern Seven-Layer Salad. It’s as versatile as it is delicious, and always receives rave reviews!

3. Southern Style Baked Mac and Cheese (courtesy of Grits and Pinecones): Macaroni and Cheese is synonymous with Southern entertaining and you would be hard-pressed to find any type of holiday or celebration involving food in the South without a macaroni and cheese casserole front and center on the table.

4. Grown-up Green Bean Casserole: Are you tired of the mandatory cream of mushroom soup Green Bean Casserole? If so, you should try this Grown-up Green Bean Casserole. It’s easy to make and absolutely delicious! What’s even better is that this Grown-up Green Bean Casserole can be made ahead of time, and reheats beautifully.

5. Homemade Slider Buns: Sliders are all the rage these days, and for good reason. They’re mini sandwiches and are perfect for leftover ham. Although you can buy slider buns, the homemade variety is so much better, and is super easy to make! What’s even better is that they make perfect dinner rolls. 

Elegant Crown Roast of Pork

• Crown Roast of Pork
• Spinach Apple and Cranberry Salad
• Easy Stove Top Roasted Potatoes
• Green Bean Bundles Wrapped in Bacon
• Crusty French Bread

6. Crown Roast of Pork: Looking for a replacement for the traditional ham for your Easter dinner? Try Crown Roast of Pork. It is an elegant entrée for your special holiday dinner.

7. Spinach Apple and Cranberry Salad (courtesy of Grits and Pinecones: Are you looking for delicious ways to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet? Are you short on time but still want to put a healthy and satisfying meal on your Easter table that your family will enjoy? Today I have for you, easy and healthy, Spinach, Apple, and Cranberry Salad with delicious homemade Poppy Seed Dressing.

8. Easy Stove Top Roasted Potatoes: Who doesn’t love roasted potatoes that are crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside? Well, now you can make them. They’re super easy to make and are made on the stove-top for a winning combination!

9. Green Bean Bundles Wrapped in Bacon (courtesy of Grits and Pinecones): Delicious Green Bean Bundles Wrapped in Bacon will lend an elegant touch to your Easter dinner table. These divine little packages of tender green beans, wrapped in smoky bacon with a touch of brown sugar, are sure to be a favorite of your family and friends.

10. Crusty French Bread: This is the ultimate recipe for french bread. It’s a breeze to make with a bread machine, and consistently produces amazing french bread. I’ve been told by both Susan and the Master Taste Tester not to try any other french bread recipe!

Tender and Juicy Smoked Turkey

• Fresh Herb and Garlic Smoked Turkey
• Southern Style Potato Salad with a Twist
• Sweet and Sour Green Beans
• Old Fashioned Southern Corn Bread

11. Fresh Herb and Garlic Smoked Turkey (courtesy of Grits and Pinecones): Fresh Herb and Garlic Smoked Turkey is a delicious choice for Easter or any holiday when your oven is space challenged! And, if you have never smoked a turkey before, you will be surprised at just how easy it is.

12. Southern Style Potato Salad with a Twist: We do a lot of things right in the South, especially when it comes to Potato Salad! This classic Southern Style Potato Salad with a Twist is perfect for Easter brunch or dinner, or anytime for that matter. It’s good served warm, but even better served cold after the flavors have had a chance to meld together!

13. Sweet and Sour Green Beans (courtesy of Grits and Pinecones): Sweet and Sour Green Beans is definitely one delicious green bean recipe that deserves a place of honor in your repertoire of “go-to” recipes for green beans.

14. Old Fashioned Southern Cornbread (courtesy of Grits and Pinecones): Are you looking for a recipe for delicious traditional Southern cornbread? Old-Fashioned Southern Cornbread made in a cast iron skillet with buttermilk is a true Southern staple and an easy and quick gluten-free recipe!

Elegant Chicken Kiev

• Elegant Chicken Kiev
• Roasted Potatoes with Onions
• Easy Make-Ahead Zucchini Gratin
• Southern Sweet Onion Casserole
• Buttery Dinner Rolls

15. Elegant Chicken Kiev: Chicken Kiev is elegant dish made with a breaded tender chicken breast wrapped around an oozing core of herbed butter. Done correctly, the crispy Chicken Kiev releases a flowing stream of herbed butter when you cut into it. 

16. Roasted Potatoes with Onions: I’ve been making these roasted potatoes (I actually call them “little potatoes”) for as long as I can remember.  I’m not sure how I came up with the recipe which, by the way, is very simple, and is a favorite of Susan’s. Interestingly, the caramelization of the onions as they cook adds a subtle flavor to the potatoes.

17. Easy Make-Ahead Zucchini Gratin: A gratin is a dish topped with a golden browned crust of breadcrumbs and/or melted cheese. In France, gratins are generally made with potatoes. This Easy Make Ahead Zucchini Gratin is an amazing deviation which will have you coming back for more!

18. Southern Sweet Onion Casserole (courtesy of Grits and Pinecones): Just in time for Easter, this easy Southern Sweet Onion Casserole is the best side dish ever! Caramelized sweet onions, Vidalia if you can find them, are meltingly tender and paired with buttery, crunchy Ritz crackers, sour cream, and cheese, this decadent onion casserole literally melts in your mouth!

19. Buttery Dinner Rolls: These soft and fluffy dinner rolls are full of buttery goodness. From start to finish, they take less than 3 hours to make, with the bread machine doing most of the work. In addition, the dough is a dream to work with. These dinner rolls are incredible on their own or with a pat of butter.

Easy and Flavorful Skillet New York Strip Roast

• Skillet New York Strip Roast
• Cucumber Dill Salad
• Creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
• Easy Spicy Southern Corn Casserole
• Oat Rolls

20. Skillet New York Strip Roast (courtesy of Grits and Pinecones): Skillet New York Strip Roast is quite possibly the most delicious and tender roast beef you will ever taste! And, did I mention this flavorful roast beef is incredibly easy to prepare?

21. Cucumber Dill Salad (Gurkensalat): Cucumber Dill Salad or Gurkensalat is an incredible salad that is easy to make. It’s not only tasty, but also very refreshing, making it perfect for an Easter dinner.

22. Creamy Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes (courtesy of Grits and Pinecones): Check out this easy recipe for Creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes and find out how to make everyone’s favorite side dish, delicious and decadent homemade mashed potatoes in 15 minutes.

23. Easy Spicy Southern Corn Casserole (courtesy of Grit and Pinecones): Easy Spicy Southern Corn Casserole is a fiesta for the senses with luscious corn deliciousness, spicy chilies, jalapeños, bacon, and a decadent cream cheese filling that brings it all together.

24. Oat Rolls: These oat rolls are absolutely delicious and are easy to make, especially with a bread machine. Just pop all of the ingredients into the bread machine, and let it do most of the work!

Awesome Mushroom Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

• Mushroom Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Madeira Cream Sauce
• Corn Tomato and Avocado Salad
• My Mother’s Southern Scalloped Potatoes
• Ultimate Broccoli Cheese Casserole
• Amish Potato Rolls

25. Mushroom Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Madeira Cream Sauce: If you’re looking for an elegant entrée for your special Easter dinner, look no further. Mushroom Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Madeira Cream Sauce is absolutely delicious and is guaranteed to produce the WOW factor!

26. Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Salad (courtesy of Grits and Pinecones): This delicious and healthy Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Salad is the very essence of summer eating! You know those days when the temperature is soaring, and all you want is something light, cool, and refreshing to eat.

27. My Mother’s Southern Scalloped Potatoes: Full of cheesy goodness in every bite, my Mother’s Southern Style Scalloped Potatoes are perfect for any occasion. This is especially true for Easter!

28. Ultimate Broccoli Cheese Casserole (courtesy of Grits and Pinecones): When you see a recipe with the name Ultimate Broccoli Cheese Casserole you expect it to be, well, something pretty spectacular. This delicious casserole loaded with cheesy goodness lives up to its name!

29. Amish Potato Rolls: Amish Potato Rolls are the quintessential soft dinner roll. Because they stay fresh-tasting for several days, they’re the perfect make-ahead roll for your special holiday feast. Even better, they make the ultimate slider buns to wrap around your leftover turkey or ham.

Sumptuous Beef Tenderloin

• Beef Tenderloin with Gorgonzola Sauce
• Ultimate Blue Cheese Au Gratin Potatoes
• Caesar Salad
• Southern Flaky Biscuits

30. Beef Tenderloin with Gorgonzola Sauce (courtesy of Grits and Pinecones): Beef Tenderloin with Gorgonzola Sauce is the perfect entrée for your Easter Dinner. It’s elegant and easy to make. Everyone will love it!

31. Caesar Salad: Caesar Salad is a wonderful dish on its own or paired with any number of toppings or entrées. What makes a great Caesar Salad is a great dressing and freshly made croutons, both of which are quick and easy to make.

32. Ultimate Blue Cheese Au Gratin Potatoes (courtesy of Grits and Pinecones): Are you looking for a delicious side dish for a special dinner or your Easter table? How about something just a little different from traditional mashed potatoes? Well, hold on to your Bunny hat because Blue Cheese Au Gratin Potatoes will rock your world.

33. Southern Flaky Biscuits: Light and flaky biscuits are a staple in the South. They’re delicious on their own with butter, sandwiched around a piece of leftover beef tenderloin, or a host of other options. In addition to being delicious, these southern flaky biscuits take only minutes to make. They’re perfect for your Easter dinner.

Make-Ahead Stuffed Chicken Breasts

• Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Crème Dijon Wine Sauce
• Potatoes Lyonnaise
• Make Ahead Broccoli Rice Casserole
• Honey Wheat Rolls

34. Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Crème Dijon Wine Sauce: For an elegant meal, try these tender, juicy chicken breasts stuffed with mushrooms and leeks and topped with a delicious crème Dijon wine sauce. The uncooked stuffed chicken can be made ahead of time, and refrigerated. Cook it 30 minutes before dinner for a five-star restaurant quality meal.

35. Potatoes Lyonnaise: Potatoes Lyonnaise is a buttery dish of pan-fried sliced potatoes cooked with caramelized onions. It’s origins are French, referring to the city of Lyon. When used as an adjective, lyonnaise means cooked with onions. Whatever it’s origins or meaning, Potatoes Lyonnaise is simple to prepare, and absolutely delicious!

36. Make Ahead Broccoli Rice Casserole: This creamy and cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole is a delicious make ahead side dish for your Easter or anytime feast. It contains just a few ingredients, and is a snap to make. Add 2 cups of leftover ham and you have an outstanding after Easter dish that is company worthy!

37. Honey Wheat Rolls: One of my absolute favorite things to make is bread/rolls.  The fact that one can add a little bit of salt and yeast to what I used as paste when I as a kid is totally captivating.  I don’t think that there is a time when I don’t marvel at the magical powers of yeast. The Honey Wheat Rolls is no exception.

Simple and Succulent Roasted Pork Tenderloin

• Herb Crusted Roasted Pork Tenderloin
• Pancetta and Rosemary Mashed Potatoes
• Roasted Carrots with Lemon Vinaigrette
• French Bread Rolls

38. Herb Crusted Roasted Pork Tenderloin (courtesy of Grits and Pinecones): Are you in the mood for a simple yet delicious dinner tonight? If so, check out this recipe for succulent and fragrant Herb Crusted Roasted Pork Tenderloin.

39. Pancetta and Rosemary Mashed Potatoes: (courtesy of Grits and Pinecones): Pancetta and Rosemary Mashed Potatoes is a new, delicious twist on a traditional classic. It is a perfect Easter side dish, and guaranteed to wow your family and friends.

40. Roasted Carrots with Lemon Vinaigrette (courtesy of Grits and Pinecones): Roasted Carrots with Lemon Vinaigrette are delicious roasted, crisp-tender and sweet carrots topped with a yummy lemon and fresh herb vinaigrette. This elegant side dish would be a stunning and flavorful addition to your Easter dinner table.

41. French Bread Rolls: Ever since I got my little bread machine, I’ve been experimenting and trying to perfect different breads. One success story is my french bread rolls! I make these incredible rolls at least once a week. 

I hope you enjoyed reading about these incredible tried and true recipes. If you’d like to receive notifications of new posts by email, enter your email address in the Subscribe box. Thank you so much for visiting Pudge Factor. I hope you have a wonderful Easter!