The whole family is probably excited for the weekend. The young kids can’t wait to hunt for eggs and play other games. Everyone else is probably eager to find out what Easter recipes you made this year. If you’re still trying to figure out what to prepare this weekend, go with something more traditional like the Easter dishes we listed down here.
Classic Glazed Ham
Turkey is to Thanksgiving Day like glazed ham is to Easter. Fortunately for carnivores, no presidential pardon will keep you from enjoying a traditional Easter ham come Sunday.
This sweet and juicy dish started gaining fans in the 19th and 20th century. Glazed ham became a traditional meal mainly because ham was readily available compared to other high quality meats. Since then, glazed ham has become a dinner table staple, particularly during special occasions like Christmas Day and Easter Sunday.
Every family has their own glazed ham recipe. If this is your first time making it, you should definitely try the more classic version. It’s easier and safer so you don’t have to worry about ruining your Easter Sunday feast.
To make this Easter recipe the old-fashioned way, you will need ham (obviously). Choose a bone-in ham or a boneless one if you don’t have a pet dog. If it’s frozen take your ham out from the refrigerator first and let it thaw in room temperature for half an hour.
Preheat your oven to 325° Fahrenheit. In a bowl, add 1 cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons prepared mustard, and 1 or 2 tablespoons cider vinegar. Mix the ingredients together until you produce a paste.
Score the surface of the ham using a sharp knife. Make a diagonal cuts about `1/4 inch deep. Avoid cutting through the meat. If you’re using whole cloves, put them at the points where the cuts intersect.
Place the ham with its flat-side down on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Add water about 1/ 4 inch deep into the pan. Place the pan in the oven and bake the ham for about 1.5 to 2.5 hours or when a thermometer reads 130° Fahrenheit.
Turn the oven up to 425° Fahrenheit then take the ham out. Brush it with half of the glaze. Add water into the roasting pan if necessary. Put the ham back in the oven and bake for another 30 to 45 minutes. Baste it with the remaining glaze every 10 minutes. Keep a close watch so you don’t end up burning the sugar.
Roasted Lamb
Next to glazed ham, roasted lamb seems to be the most popular of all traditional Easter recipes. The leg of lamb, in particular, is a holiday favorite since the bone gives the meat a more savory flavor. Have the butcher de-bone the lamb then put the bone back before tying it. This will make it easier for you to serve the lamb.
The classic stuffed leg of lamb recipe requires pancetta or bacon, flat-leaf parsley, garlic, red wine, veal or beef stock, butter, and extra virgin olive oil. You can also use fresh rosemary and thyme if you wish.
Heat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit first before preparing the lamb. In a bowl, combine the pancetta, parsley, garlic, olive oil, sea salt, ground pepper, and the other herbs if you’re using them.
Use paper towels to pat dry the lamb then make shallow cuts on the top side with a sharp knife. Open the leg meat by removing the kitchen string.
With the fat side up, spread the pancetta mixture over the meat. Spread them evenly making sure the mixture gets into the cuts. Next, sprinkle olive oil over the surface then season with a bit more salt and pepper. Bring the joint back up then tie the whole thing again.
Place the leg on a roasting pan then bake in the oven for one hour if you want it rare. Add another 15 to 30 minutes if you prefer it medium. Afterwards, wrap the lamb in foil and let it rest for about 10 minutes.
While the leg of lamb is done, you may want to have savory sauce to go with it. Pour the fat left in the roasting pan into another pan. Heat it on the stove as you pour in the red wine. Use a spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan to dislodge any stuck juices. Carefully pour the stock into the pan. Stir the sauce until it is reduced to half.
Use a sieve to strain the sauce into a small saucepan. Mix the butter into the sauce. Pour it over the roasted leg of lamb upon serving. This Easter recipe goes well with potatoes so you better bake some, too.
Prime Rib Roast
It’s close to Easter Sunday and stores may have run out of ham or lamb. If that’s the case, you can opt for a prime rib roast. If you haven’t tried this yet, you’ll find out later that prime rib roast deserves a spot on your list of favorite Easter recipes.
The classic prime rib roast recipe does not require any fancy ingredient. You just need a bunch of fresh rosemary, a tablespoon of kosher salt, and two teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper. For your standing rib roast, each person can consume about half a pound. Multiply that by the number of people you’re having for your Easter Sunday feast. This’ll make sure everyone gets their fair share of this delightful dish.
To start off, take the rib roast out of the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature. This may take up to 3 hours. If your meat is not frozen, just leave it in a roasting pan for half an hour. You want your roast to be at room temperature so it will cook evenly.
While preheating the oven to 450° Fahrenheit, pat the rib roast dry with a paper towel then rub it with salt and pepper. Make sure you cover the whole thing. Once done, place the roast with the rib bones down and fat side up. Put the rosemary around the roast.
Place inside the oven and cook for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350° and roast for another one and a half hours. This will cook your meat medium rare. Use a meat thermometer to cook your roast right. It’ll be such a waste if you don’t roast this expensive piece of meat properly.
Once the roast reaches your desire temperature, take the roast out of the oven and wrap it in foil. The roast will continue cooking even if you remove it from the oven. Let it rest for about 20 minutes. Slice the roast along the ribs to separate each one. Serve in a platter garnished with fresh rosemary and enjoy.
Hot Cross Buns
Hot cross buns are traditionally served on Black Friday in many countries. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy such Easter recipes on Sunday, though. In fact, there are places that serve hot cross buns even if it’s not the Lenten season.
This hot cross buns recipe calls for 1/2 cup raisins (currants or craisins will also work), 3/4 cup warm milk, 1/2 cup white sugar and another 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 3/4 tablespoon active dry yeast, 2 large eggs, 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (not sifted), 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg. You’ll also need another well beaten egg with 1 teaspoon water for your egg wash. For the glaze, you need to mix 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 2 1/2 teaspoons milk.
Combine the raisins with 1 cup boiling water in a bowl and let it sit for 10 minutes. Afterwards, drain and set aside.
Mix 1/4 cup of very warm milk and 1/2 teaspoon sugar in a measuring cup then sprinkle with yeast. Stir and set aside at room temperature for 10 minutes or until the mixture doubles in volume.
Pour another 1/2 cup of warm milk in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer then add 1/2 cup sugar, butter and salt. Combine thoroughly then add 2 beaten eggs and the yeast mixture. Stir in the ground cinnamon and the ground nutmeg. Mix in the flour one cup at a time until it turns into soft dough. Continue kneading the dough using for 8 to 12 minutes or until it turns smooth and elastic to not stick to your fingers.
Pat the raisins dry then mix them into the dough. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and into a large bowl that has been buttered. Turn it so that the buttered side is up. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and place in a warm area that’s draft-free. Set it aside for 1 1/2 hours. This should be enough time for the dough to double in size.
Lightly flour your working surface and divide the dough in to 12 equal sizes. Roll each one into a ball then place in a buttered baking pan. Cover with the towel and set aside for half an hour.
Preheat the oven to 375˚ Fahrenheit. Brush the top of the puffed dough ball with egg wash. Place in the oven then bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until golden brown. Remove then let it cool.
Mix 1/2 powdered sugar and 2 ½ cups milk together until thick then pour into a Ziploc bag. Snip the tip off then squeeze some of the glaze onto the warm buns. Make a cross since your making hot cross buns. This is best eaten warm.
Easter Pie
You know it’s one of the popular Easter recipes around when it has the word “Easter” in its name. The Italian Easter pie is easily one of the best pies ever just because it has prosciutto, salami and Italian sausage along with mozzarella cheese in it. Other recipes call for different kinds of meat and cheese.
The crust is also important since it hold everything together. Plus, its texture gives each bite a divine experience. To make the crust, place 3 cups flour, 2 teaspoons salt, and 12 tablespoons cubed cold unsalted butter in a food processor. Pulse until they turn into fine crumbs. Add 1 large egg and keep pulsing.
Pour 7 tablespoons ice water slowly into the mixture. Keep blending until mixture turns to shaggy dough. Remove the dough from the food processor then cut it into two. Flatten each one into a disk then wrap in plastic wrap. Put the dough inside the refrigerator.
Prepare the pie filling by cooking 8 ounces sweet Italian sausage first. Break the sausage apart and cook in a skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until browned. Set aside.
In a large bowl, add 15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese, 8 ounces shredded or cubed mozzarella cheese, 3 eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper. Whisk the ingredients together until blended fully. Add 8 ounces of cubed salami and mix.
Sprinkle flour over your working surface and roll out the first crust with a rolling pin. You can flatten the crust into a circle about 16 inches large. Place the crust in a springform pan then press the bottom gently. There should be about an inch of dough hanging from the sides of the pan.
Now for the fun part. Layer 4 ounces of thinly sliced prosciutto on the bottom of the crust followed by a generous amount of the cheese mixture. Add an even layer of the Italian sausage. Press down a bit to compress the filling and even the layer. Next, layer 1 cup of roasted red bell peppers followed by 20 ounces frozen chopped spinach and, finally, 1 cup parmesan cheese.
Get the other crust and roll it out into a 12-inch circle. Place it over the rest of the pie. Crimp the top and bottom crusts together. This will seal the pie.
Preheat the oven then proceed with the finishing touches to your Easter pie. Beat an egg in a bowl then slice the top of the pie with four long cuts. Brush the top with the beaten egg. Place the pie in a baking sheet and put inside the oven. Let it bake for an hour and 20 minutes. The top should turn golden brown. Check the internal temperature if it has reached 150° Fahrenheit. Take the pie out of the oven and let it cool for three hours or more.
There are definitely more Easter recipes you can make this weekend. The ones we mentioned here are just some of the more popular ones. Of course, you can prepare whatever dishes you prefer. The important thing is you have fun on Easter Sunday and remember why you are celebrating it in the first place. Go to Gentleman Pirate Club for more exciting recipes for every occasion.
