Festive & Fun Recipes To Make For Easter

Easter is this Sunday, April 9th. So many of us will be celebrating Easter at church, with Easter egg hunts & the Easter baskets. We hope many of you will also be enjoying some quality time with family and friends surrounding your tables with great food and conversation to be had. Last year, we shared some of our favorite Easter brunch recipes with you all and this year, we have added to that collection. We hope you enjoy them!

Deviled Eggs (taken from Magnolia Cookbook)

Our family loves deviled eggs and I first used this delicious recipe about 5 years ago and have not gone back to the classic deviled egg recipe since. It is so yummy and everyone that tries it wants the recipe as well.

Ingredients

12 large eggs 2 Tbsp dill relish

1/2 pound bacon (optional) 1 Tbsp minced fresh dill

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (optional) 1 Tbsp minced chives

Kosher salt 1 tsp mustard powder

1/2 cup mayonnaise 1 Tbsp sweet paprika (optional)

• If using the bacon, preheat the oven to 375° and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.

• Spread the brown sugar on a plate. Press both sides of each bacon slice in the brown sugar to coat and arrange the slices on the lined baking sheet. I love to line my baking sheets with this silicone mat. Bake until crispy, 14-16 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet.

• To boil my eggs, I like to use my instant pot. This deviates from the original recipe of boiling on the stove but it's so very easy. To do this, place the metal rack in your instant pot and add eggs to the rack. Pour in 1 cup of cold water and seal the lid. Press the manual button and decrease time to 5 minutes (high pressure). Once time is up, let naturally release for 5 minutes. Once done, quick release steam and place eggs in ice water bath for at least 5 minutes. Peel & slice them in half lengthwise. Gently scoop out the yolks into a large bowl. Set the whites aside.

• Add the mayonnaise, relish, dill, chives, mustard powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt to the egg yolks. Mix well, mashing the yolks with the back side of a fork. Use a spoon to gently fill the whites with the filling. (Alternatively, transfer the filling to a zip-top plastic bag, snip 1/2" off one corner and pipe the filling into the egg whites).

• Chop the reserved bacon (if using and why wouldn't you?) and generously top the eggs with it. If desired, sprinkle dill and/or chives on top or dust with paprika.

Arrange the deviled eggs on a platter, cover lightly, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours before services.

Makes 24 deviled eggs; 8 - 12 servings.

Hash Brown Potato Dish

Our family has been enjoying this potato dish for the past 22+ years! I love that I can prepare it ahead of time and then just simply pop it into the oven to bake. Everyone will come back for a second helping so I will typically prepare two 13x9 pans. With just five ingredients and a few seasonings you'll love how easy this is to make and it will become a new family favorite on your Easter table.

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter

2 pound package of frozen cubed hash brown potatoes

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup sour cream

1 10 3/4oz can Cream of Chicken soup

onion flakes

salt and pepper

Steps:

1. Melt butter in a large bowl.

2. Stir in remaining ingredients; reserving 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Stir well.

3. Spread potato mixture into a 13x9 pan and top with the reserved cheese.

4. Bake at 375° for 1 hour.

Note: The hash browns should be added frozen and not defrosted.

Green Bean, Walnut and Feta Salad

Because this salad is light and refreshing it makes a great addition to your Easter table! You may want to double this delicious recipe to be sure you have plenty for second helpings and it tastes just as great served with any leftovers during the week.

Ingredients:

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

3/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans

1 small purple onion, thinly sliced

1 (4oz) package crumbled feta cheese

Steps:

1. Bake the walnuts in a shallow pan at 350°, stirring occasionally, 5-10 minutes or until toasted; set them aside.

2. Combine the olive oil and the next 5 ingredients in a jar and chill in the refrigerator.

3. Cut green beans into thirds, and arrange in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover and steam cook for 15 minutes or until the green beans are crisp-tender. Immediately plunge the green beans into cold water to stop the cooking process; drain and pat dry.

4. Combine cooked green beans, walnuts, onion and feta cheese in a large glass bowl; toss well. Cover and chill in refrigerator.

5. Pour oil mixture dressing over the bowl of green beans 1 hour before serving and toss again.

Carrot Cake Bars

This is a delicious alternative to Carrot Cake. Much easier and finger friendly. Carrot cake batter with a creamy cheese filling swirled throughout delivering a delicious bite every time.

Carrot Cake Batter

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1 T. vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 t. ground cinnamon

1/4 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1 cup shredded carrots

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 baking pan with non-stick spray and set aside.

Melt butter in microwave 30-40 seconds until melted completely. In a medium bowl, add the melted butter to the brown sugar and mix. Stir in egg and vanilla extract. Add flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Stir until completely combined. Fold in shredded carrots and set aside.

Cream Cheese Swirl

4 ounces room temperature cream cheese

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg yolk

3/4 t. vanilla extract

In a medium bowl mix cream cheese and sugar and beat with a hand mixer until smooth. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat until smooth and creamy.

Put half of the carrot cake batter into the pan and spread out evenly. Add half of the cheesecake batter by dropping dollops of batter over the carrot cake batter. Don't swirl yet. Add remaining carrot cake batter on top and around the cheesecake batter. Add remaining cheesecake batter, again, using dollops across the top. Using a knife or skewer, swirl the batters together. Swirl as much or as little as you like. Bake for about 35-40 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Cool completely before cutting. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

You may want to double the recipe if you are serving a larger crowd.

Quiche Lorraine

This is another dish that works wonderful for an Easter Brunch. It is easy to make and can be made the day before and reheated. I like to serve it with a side of fruit or a nice Spring salad.

1-9 inch unbaked pastry shell

8 slices bacon - cooked and diced

1/2 lb. Swiss cheese - shredded

1 T. flour

1/2 t. salt

dash of nutmeg

3 eggs - beaten

1 3/4 cups of milk, half and half or heavy cream. ( your calories - your choice)

Bake shell in 450 degree oven for 7 minutes. Reduce oven to 325.

Fry bacon until crisp. Drain and crumble. Place bacon in shell, reserving 2 T for garnish if preferred. Spread shredded cheese over bacon. Combine remaining ingredients together and pour over bacon and cheese. Sprinkle reserved bacon on top and bake 35-40 minutes.

There are so many variations you can do to personalize it to your taste. I often use chopped ham and add onions and mushrooms. My family also likes ham with broccoli and a little cheddar cheese. I found a Swiss Cheese and Gruyere Cheese mixture that I am going to try this Easter.

Easter Floral Arrangement

You all know by now that I love flowers. I thought I would suggest a quick and easy flower arrangement to add to your Easter table.

I have recently been so amazed at the beautiful tulips that are currently in season. Their vibrant colors and cheerful shapes scream "Spring" and can fill your space with beauty. They are so easy to work with and will last if you follow some simple tips.

Purchase Tulips that are firm, not fully opened and on the shorter side. Cut at a 45 degree angle and immediately place in cold water. They love cold water and this will keep them fresh and hydrated for days. Remove the lower leaf and any that would touch the water. Leaves in the water can produce bacteria. Decide what container you are using and that will determine the length you want your tulips to be. They look great compacted in a short glass vase as well as a tall vase where they can stand tall. I personally love how they drape and bend giving them a natural organic look. Tulips look beautiful on their own or you can add some filler if you prefer. One or two in a bud vase are a very fun accent for around your home.

Tulips also grow in the water, up to an inch or more, so trimming and giving them fresh cold water will lengthen their life and they should last at least a week or more if kept out of direct heat or sunlight. They tend to reach for the sun so turn them occasionally if you want them to stay upright.

Here are a few ideas I found on Pinterest along with two I made at home, the hot pink and red.

We hope you have a blessed Easter holiday with family and friends! If you're still looking for ideas for Easter baskets, be sure to check out this blog post for some great gift suggestions.

Enjoy!

The Gigi Ladies

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