Is it just us, or does it feel like Easter is happening incredibly early this year? If you’re running behind on your planning, we’re here to help! From tips for a simple, semi-homemade brunch to tasty recipes, you’ll be hopping to a happy Easter in no time.
Brunch can be a supremely easy meal to pull together. Here’s what to buy premade from a store or restaurant, what to make at home and what to assemble from a mixture of homemade and premade ingredients.
Pastries from a local bakery - Arrange these neatly on tiered trays on a sideboard or bar for guests to nosh on at their leisure.
Quiche - Cut some fresh herbs to scatter on top. If you like, transfer the quiche to your own pie plate.
Hot cross buns - Serve these warm in a basket.
What to Make Yourself:
Deviled eggs - While you could buy these, homemade is always going to make a big difference in texture and enjoyment. Plus, these are incredibly easy to customize. We’ll talk more about that later!
Glazed carrots - This dish always looks like it took more work than it actually did.
Ham - Ham is a Choose Your Own Adventure journey. You can score the skin, coat it in a homemade glaze and dress it up to your heart’s content… or you could just stick that bad boy in the oven and let it go.
Eggs benedict - The hardest part is the eggs, as the Canadian bacon and English muffins can come from a store. You can make hollandaise yourself or use a mix; we won’t tell!
Casserole - Whether it’s hashbrown casserole, overnight French toast or a covered veggie dish, have one hot casserole to accompany your brunch.
Fruit tray - Feel free to buy some fruit precut, such as pineapple and cantaloupe. But grabbing fresh fruit that doesn’t require much work – think grapes, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries – allows you to make a tailored spread that looks like it took a lot of work.
Drinks - Choose cocktails and other drinks that utilize premade mixes or juices that you can quickly whip up or batch.
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place carrots in a single layer on the baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over carrots; gently toss to combine.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until carrots are just fork tender.
Drizzle honey and sprinkle thyme over carrots. Return to oven for an additional 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with parsley and cubes of butter; let rest until butter is completely melted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. (adapted from Damn Delicious)
Notes: If you can get carrots with stems on, it adds a beautiful, rustic charm to your table. Just trim the stems down to ~2”. No need to peel or trim the carrots unless that’s your preference.
Let your decorations be inspired by Easter baskets! So many seasonal sweet treats easily double as festive décor. Chocolate bunnies, candy eggs, Peeps, molded chocolates and more can add a fun – and edible – element to your tablescapes.
But don’t stop there! Also let Easter candy inspire your dessert toppings. These cute cupcakes feature piped icing, shaved chocolate and candy-coated chocolate eggs. When arranged around a white chocolate bunny, this is a cravable dessert spread that looks effortlessly adorable. Super simple, yet completely charming!
Think about how other items from Easter baskets could be incorporated into your home décor. Ribbon, Easter basket grass, eggs and even the baskets themselves lend themselves to cute, sweet, festive tablescapes.
Deviled eggs are the “must-have” Easter dish, period. It’s just not a springtime celebration without these tasty little appetizers. While we would never turn down a classic devilved egg, we are always super impressed when we’re served one that’s been gussied up just a bit. Here are some easy ways to make your deviled eggs extra special this year.
Drain beets (see notes), reserving 1 cup of juice. Place beets and eggs in a large glass jar.
Bring reserved beet juice, sugar, water and vinegar to a boil. Let cool slightly, then pour over beets and eggs in jar. Cover tightly. Refrigerate.
Note: if you want to scale this recipe to do more eggs at once, don’t worry about sourcing more cans of beets; just reserve more juice.
For a delicate pink edge, soak the eggs overnight. For egg whites that are completely pink, let sit for up to a week before the big meal.
These are great as-is, or prepare as you normally would for deviled eggs. If you’re a big fan of beets, feel free to chop up some of the beets from the jar and add to your deviled egg mixture!
In a bowl, combine scooped out avocado flesh and 2-4 yolks; mash with a fork. Stir in lime juice, sour cream, cilantro and pepper. Scoop or pipe into halved egg whites.
Garnish with chopped chilies, chives or cilantro. Little slices of radish will add some texture and festive color.
Note: Feel free to stir in other ingredients you typically enjoy in your gaucamole, such as minced onion, tomato or chilies. If you like a little spice, a shake of hot sauce, such as Cholula or Valentina, can bring the heat.
Boil and halve eggs once cool. Combine yolks, cheddar, sour cream, cream cheese, mayonnaise, mustard and relish in a food processor; blend until smooth. Fold in pimentos and pipe into egg while halves. (adapted from Food Network)
Notes: Garnish with chopped green onions, additional pimentos, paprika and/or crushed butter crackers. If you like, add a dash or two of hot sauce, either to the mixture before processing or at the end.
