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Easy Easter Dinner Menu, Grocery List + Tips!

This easy Easter dinner menu includes a delicious glazed ham paired with classic scalloped potatoes, a simple carrot recipe, braided bread made in a bread machine, and a decadent sheet of carrot cake for dessert.

I am really excited to share this Easter dinner menu with you! All of the recipes are easy, and most things can even be prepared ahead of time, so you can enjoy this fantastic meal and more quality time with your family and friends! And when I say this is EVERYTHING you need, I mean it! I’ve included step -by-step recipes, tips for hosting a successful dinner party, a prep list to ensure success, and even a printable grocery list!

Yes, holiday meals can be easy!

Serving a holiday meal to a group of people can feel intimidating! So if you are hesitating about hosting an Easter gathering because you feel anxious about what to serve and how to get it all done on time, this Easy Easter Dinner Menu was created just for you! I’ve put together a simple menu of delicious and easy to make dishes, AND created a strategy to get it all on the table, on time, with ease.  Let’s get to it! 

Tips For Hosting a Successful Easter Dinner Party

First, let’s talk about some tips for serving a larger crowd!  If you keep these in mind as you work on prepping your kitchen a day or two before the big day, I promise that everything will go smoothly the day of your dinner. 

1. Serve your guests buffet style.

You are not a restaurant, and trying to plate up each person’s individual meal will take time and energy you don’t need to spend. Place all the food on a sideboard (or even your kitchen counter or island) where your guests can take their plates to fill up, or put it right on the table and let your guests fill their plates as the dishes get passed around. 

2. Set your table before your guests arrive.

This might seem like a silly thing to mention, but setting a pretty table takes time and a bit of fussing. If it’s done before anyone arrives, you won’t have any distractions or eyes watching you do it! Also, here’s a little secret: when the table is set your guests will feel more confident that the food is almost ready, and it buys you some time if you’re running behind! If you’re looking for some simple ideas for setting your table, here are 7 Easy Easter Table Settings & Decor Ideas!

3. Read through all of your recipes beforehand. 

I cannot stress this enough. There is nothing worse than getting halfway through a recipe and finding out you are missing a key ingredient 10 minutes before your guests arrive. Read through everything a few days before, and make sure you have what you need and know how much cooking time to allow each dish. 

4. Print off this grocery list, check off what you already have, and head to the store!

I’d recommend shopping for your dinner a few days ahead of time. These ingredients are pretty accessible at most stores but give yourself some extra time, just in case!

5. Plan out your serving dish strategy ahead of time. 

This is one thing I really try to do ahead of time, because it will honestly save you so much time and stress on the day of your dinner. We have all searched for the one bowl we need to serve that salad in, only to find it holding leftovers in the back of the fridge. Don’t let that happen to you this Easter! Decide which food items you want to serve on what platters or in what bowls, and have them washed and ready to serve!

6. Plan your oven strategy.

Seriously. Make sure the casserole dish for the potatoes and the roaster for the ham will fit in the oven at the same time. If they don’t, you need a different plan, and you have lots of time to make one now instead of panicking a few hours before your guests arrive! Tip: You can cook the ham in an oven safe skillet, covered in tin foil, to save space. 

7. Prep what you can the day before and morning of.

The less you have to do after guests arrive and right before the food goes on the table, the better!  I’ve even made a list of what to do and when to do it, all to make this as easy as possible for you.

8. Ask for help.

You do not need to do it all yourself. I repeat. You do not need to do it all by yourself! Ask your family for help. Get them to chop vegetables, grocery shop or take on any tasks that you need! Ask someone to help with grocery shopping, have someone set the table and help clean. People like to help.

Use this Printable Easter Dinner Grocery List

Everything you need to make the recipes in this Easter Dinner post, is on this grocery list.

  • Just DOWNLOAD this grocery list here.
  • Print the list. You can print it in colour or black and white on to letter sized paper. I set my printer to “Fill Page”

Easy Easter Dinner Prep List:

What to do the Day Before:

  • Make the spinach dip, and put it in the fridge in a glass or plastic container (just don’t put it a bread bowl until right before you want to serve it).
  • Grate one cup of cheese for the potatoes. Store in the fridge.
  • Cut two pounds of carrots into rounds.
  • Make the carrot cake sheet cake. Don’t ice it just yet! Just cover it tightly and keep it on your counter (you don’t have to refrigerate it).

What to do the Morning of:

  • Make the Panettone Bread. Mix your bread dough in the bread machine, then braid it and bake it in the oven. Fresh baked bread is the best.
  • Prep the scalloped potatoes in a casserole dish, cover with tin foil and place them in the fridge for now. 

What to do the Afternoon of:

  • Prep your ham and put it in the oven approximately 2.5 hours before you plan to eat. Set the timer for one hour.
  • After the 1 hour ham timer goes off, place the scalloped potatoes in the oven. Reset the timer for the remaining cook time on your ham (half an hour). The potatoes will need to stay in the oven for about one and a half hours, whereas the ham will come out for glazing and get put back in for 30 more minutes. They should be done at about the same time!
  • Make the cream cheese icing and ice the cake. You can keep your iced cake on the counter until dessert time.
  • Mix the glaze ingredients for both the carrots and the ham.

Shortly before your guests arrive:

  • Put the spinach dip in the bread bowl and place it on the table with assorted veggies, crackers, and bread chunks for dipping. 

What do to at dinner:

  • Cook your glazed carrots (this takes about 15 minutes) and put them in a serving dish.
  • Slice your ham and place it on your serving platter.
  • Slice the bread.

Feeling confident? You got this! Let’s get to the food, shall we? 

Easy Easter Dinner Menu

  • Appetizer: Classic Spinach Dip Recipe 
  • Bread: Easy Bread Machine Panettone Bread 
  • Main Dish: Brown Sugar Glazed Ham
  • Side Dish: Simple Scalloped Potatoes
  • Side Dish: Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots 
  • Dessert:  Carrot Cake Sheet Cake Recipe

Classic Spinach Dip Recipe

A Classic Spinach Dip Recipe that has stood the test of time! This is a delicious appetizer served in an edible bread bowl as a dip for fresh vegetables and chunks of bread. Your guests will enjoy sharing this dish and chatting amongst themselves while you ready the main course in the background! I’m even sharing my delicious spinach dip shortcut that will take this appetizer to the next level of flavour, and make it that much easier to prepare.

Easy Bread Machine Panettone Bread

There’s something about Easter and braided bread that just GOES together, isn’t there?  Use your bread machine to do the hard work of mixing and kneading this slightly lemon-y Panettone bread, and then braid it and bake it yourself! Moist and slightly sweet, this bread is perfect for Easter dinner.  

Brown Sugar Glazed Ham

Ham is one of the easiest dishes to prepare for dinner, and lucky for us it is also one of the most traditional main courses you could ever see on an Easter table! With just a little effort, you can have a delicious and tender ham on your table in less than 3 hours. Bone-in hams are flavourful, easy to cook with a nice texture, and are big enough to feed a crowd.  Add a mustard and brown sugar glaze while you bake it, and this ham will be the talk of the party! 

Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots

While we are talking about glazing things, let me suggest this easy and delicious carrot recipe. Sweet, buttery, and salty all at the same time, these carrots will make a great side dish for your glazed ham! 

Simple Scalloped Potatoes

These Simple Scalloped Potatoes are rich, creamy, and perfectly cheesy.  A classic and delicious recipe, they are a perfect accompaniment for your beautiful Easter ham!

Simple Scalloped Potatoes

Carrot Cake Sheet Cake Recipe

This cake is easy to ice and because it’s a sheet cake, all you have to worry about icing is the top! I’ve made this recipe a little lighter by replacing most of the oil with applesauce, resulting in a healthier, moist slice of deliciousness. And you really can’t go wrong with this decadent cream cheese icing. It is the perfect end to your perfect Easter meal.  

I hope this post has convinced you that you are more than capable of making a delicious meal to feed a crowd! With the right menu and planning-ahead strategy, you can even enjoy yourself while you host! And if you REALLY want to take your gathering to the next level, check out this Easter tablescapes post and see if you can find any inspiration for your Easter table decor there. Some of these tablescapes can be pulled together in just minutes, so they add to the stress-free vibe I am trying to encourage with this holiday menu plan! Happy Easter everyone! 

Hosting an Easter Dinner Party? Check out these posts below:

Happy Easter!

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