Easter is just as crazy as every other holiday when you're a married couple. I'll be attending at least four Easters this year. It's always a little challenging to figure out to make for the big feast. I always like to bring a little dish of something delicious with me to every Easter dinner that I attend. I think that meat and cheese trays are great and all, but they can be a little boring.

Easter is a tough holiday...do you go the sugary dessert route or do you bring a dish with substance? I mean, after eating jelly beans all day long it's nice to eat a meal with a little nutritional value. At the same time, who doesn't love eating some coconut bunny cake?!

Here are the recipes I'm bringing to my Easters this year;

Cheesy potatoes--I always make these because they pretty much go great with everything. If you're going the more traditional route with a ham dinner or if you're attending a backyard cookout, cheesy potatoes will be a great pairing for both. Plus, it's one of those comfort foods that's always fun to splurge on once a year.

  • 2 packs of frozen hash browns
  • 1 tsp of onion (this really makes the dish pop)
  • 1 can of cream of chicken soup
  • 2 cups of sour cream (mmm)
  • 2 cups of cheddar cheese
  • 2 cups of corn flakes
  • 1/2 cup of butter

You'll want to mix together the sour cream, cream of chicken soup, cheddar cheese and frozen hash browns. When it's all mixed up, place it all in a nonstick pan and set it aside.

Next, melt the entire stick of butter in a pot on your stove top over medium heat. When the butter is completely melted, stir in the corn flakes.

Once the corn flakes are covered in butter, spread them on top of your pan of cheesy potatoes. Bake the dish at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on how crispy you like the top!

Almond poppy seed bread--I love this dessert because it's very light! Sometimes you want to eat something sweet that isn't so rich after you've been snacking on Cadbury Eggs all day. It's dessert that definitely feels like springtime!

I start by buying a box of the pre-made mix from the grocery store. Then, I make the frosting from scratch!

Frosting glaze

  • 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp of milk
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract
  • pinch of salt

Drizzle the glaze over your bread and then add shaved almonds on top for an extra crunch!

Buffalo chicken dip--This is a good dish for pretty much any get together in my family. It makes for a great appetizer to snack on that'll give you a little break from all of the candy. Plus, did I mention that it's super easy to make? All you really need is a crock pot.

Here's what you'll need;

  • 1/2 cup of buffalo wing sauce
  • 2 cups of precooked chicken (I usually use canned chicken)
  • 1 cup of cheddar cheese
  • 8 oz of cream cheese
  • 1 cup of Monterrey jack cheese

You literally throw all of the above ingredients into the crop pot and stir it up occasionally when the cheese starts to melt. That's it. Make sure to grab a few bags or corn chips or pita chips and crackers. People will love this app!

Little smokies wrapped in bacon--Who doesn't LOVE bacon? I have a lot of bacon lovers in my family and this dish is always a huge hit. We usually run out of the little smokies right away! Try this dish at your Easter get-together and you'll wow them all!

  • 1 Package of Bacon
  • 1 Package of Mini Smokies
  • ½ Cup Brown Sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
  • Toothpicks

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. I usually cut the bacon strips in half. Roll your little smokie up in the half strip of bacon. Then, roll the bacon/smokie combo in a little brown sugar. You'll want to use a tooth pick to hold the pair together. Once you do this for all of your smokies, place them on a pan and lightly sprinkle a little cayenne pepper over the top. Bake them for 10 minutes and then flip them. Bake them again for an additional 10 minutes.

Hopefully if you're stumped these helped give you a few ideas! Do you have any great Easter recipes to share with us?!

 

More From Mix 94.9