I have fallen more in love with Easter the more I grow up. It is such a beautiful holiday that bring family together around around good food, good weather and a solid Easter egg hunt. I am excited this year to be hosting Easter for my family again. This year I wanted to share my menu for Easter Brunch. I have searched though all my cookbooks, Pinterest and family recipes for my menu items. If you are hosting your own Easter this year I hope this menu inspires you or saves you from hours of research.
Nana’s Sausage Balls
A classic that started at my Nana’s house during Christmas. As I got older I would request that she make them for me at various time throughout the year. This recipe has now become my go to for appetizers, snacks or any dish that needs a side. They can be served hot or cold and can be made in advance with no problem. Not to mention, they are so easy to make!
- 1Lb of spicy sausage
- 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 cups of Bisquick
Add ingredients together in mixing bowl attached paddle attachment to your stand mixer. Mix together until all ingredients have stuck together in a large ball. Preheat the oven to 375. Roll mixture into small one/two inch balls and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 18 minutes.
Butcher Family BBQ
You may have guessed by the name that this is not my recipe to share. This BBQ is made in the Crockpot by my father in law and it is to die for. I also like the idea of having a different entrée option other than ham.
Ham Biscuits
There are a lot of variations to these, slider bun, biscuit, rolls, honey ham, salty ham etc. This year to keep with the brunch theme I have chosen homemade biscuits from The Bride and Groom First and Forever Cookbook . After preparing the biscuits, I use country ham, provolone cheese, honey mustard and butter. Bam you’re done, southern classic.
Biscuits
- 1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chilled heavy cream, plus more as needed
Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Stir together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and kosher salt in a large bowl. Add the 1 cup cream and stir just until dough forms. The dough should be slightly sticky. If it seems dry, add a little more cream. Drop 1/4 cup of the batter onto a baking sheet for each biscuit, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Bake until the biscuits are pale golden on the top and golden brown on the bottom, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cook for 5 minutes before serving.
Southern Style Green Beans
I love green beans, they are such a classic and yummy veggie for any dinner. This recpie comes from The Southerner’s Cookbook.
- ½ cup bacon fat
- 2 cups thinly sliced
- shallots or sweet onions
- 3 lbs. fresh green beans, strings removed, snapped into 1½-inch pieces and well rinsed
- 1 qt. chicken stock
- Coarse salt and ground black pepper to taste
In a heavy-bottomed pot over moderate heat, heat bacon fat until shimmery. Add shallots or onions, stirring to coat. Sprinkle with salt. Cook until almost translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add beans and stock, making sure that stock covers beans. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook the beans until the stock is almost gone, about two hours. Add salt and lots of fresh black pepper.
Maple Glazed Spiced Carrots
- 2lb. medium carrots, tops trimmed to about ½”, scrubbed
- 6Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- ⅓ cup (packed) light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- ¾ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes Kosher salt
Preheat oven to 400°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with 3 sheets of foil (you’ll need it!). Cut carrots on a diagonal into 3″ pieces (halved or quartered lengthwise if large). Spread out carrots on foil. Evenly top with butter, brown sugar, syrup, and red pepper flakes. Season with kosher salt and toss to combine. Bake carrots, tossing every 20 minutes, until tender and browned around the edges, 50–60 minutes. Transfer to a platter (with syrup, if desired). Sprinkle with sea salt (if using).
Killer Roasted Potatoes
A nice change from mashed potatoes and could also be served at breakfast. I love a roasted potato!
- 2Lb baby potatoes, quartered.
- 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
- freshly chopped rosemary.
- freshly chopped parsley
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Slice potatoes into 4ths. Boil on the stove in hot water for 15 minutes until tender. Preheat oven to 425°. In a large bowl, toss potatoes, oil, and herbs. Season with salt, pepper. Pour into a 9”-x-13” baking dish. Bake until potatoes are golden and fork tender, 35 to 40 minutes.
My Own Crockpot Mac and Cheese
I have gushed about my mac and cheese in the past. I always love to make a big batch whenever I am entertaining. It is another easy recipe that is made in the crockpot. Freeing up your tome for other dishes. You can find all the details for this recipe here
Banana Pudding
This dish is not only simple and delicious, but has become my contribution to all family meals since I started dating my now husband. There are few family events that don’t have a banana pudding.
- 2 boxes of banana pudding
- I box Vanilla wafers
- 4/5 bananas
- 2 containers of cool whip
Prepare pudding with directions on the box. Pick out your container, I love using a glass jar or trifold dish. start with cookies then layer; pudding, bananas, cool whip, cookies until you are at the top of your dish or out of pudding.
I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I do. Enjoy your Easter with the best family, friends and food.
-MB
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