Along with Christmas and Thanksgiving, Easter is a holiday that is always accompanied by a major meal. My family usually has ham as the centerpiece, but have also enjoyed roast beef, turkey and duck. To me, the most enjoyable part of a holiday feast are the side dishes. There are countless numbers of side dishes that can be used for your Easter brunch, lunch or dinner. Here a several easy recipes that I hope you will try this Easter, or anytime for that matter.
Baked Ham
What you need:
- 5 – 7 lb smoked ham
- 1/2 c maple syrup
- 11/4 t dry mustard
- 21/2 t cider vinegar
- cloves
- 1/4 t pepper
What you do:
- Remove skin and fat from outside of ham.
- Place ham fat side up in shallow baking pan.
- Score outside of ham in a crisscross fashion.
- Insert cloves where scoring lines intersect on ham.
- In a small bowl, mix syrup, pepper, mustard and vinegar.
- Cover outside of ham with mixture.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven 15 minutes per lb.
Mustard Glazed Baked Ham
What you need:
- 5-8 lb precooked ham
- 1/2 c brown sugar
- 2 T spicy brown mustard
- 8 oz can crushed pineapple
- whole cloves
What you do:
- Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil.
- Place ham in pan fat side up.
- Score the top of the ham diagonally 1/2″ deep in a criss-cross style to create diamond patterns.
- In a small bowl, combine mustard and brown sugar and mix.
- Pour or rub mixture onto the ham.
- Place cloves where the scores intersect.
- Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven 18 minutes for every pound.
- In the last 30 minutes of cooking time, pour pineapple with juice on the top of ham.
Bacon Deviled Eggs
What you need:
- 6 hard boiled eggs with shells peeled
- 1/4 c mayonnaise
- 3 T bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
- 1/2 t dry mustard
- 1/8 t salt
- 1/8 t pepper
- paprika
What you do:
- Cut eggs in half lengthwise.
- Carefully scoop out egg yolks and mash in a small bowl.
- Add bacon, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper to egg yolk in bowl and mix with fork until smooth.
- Using a small spoon, evenly distribute egg mixture to the 12 egg white halves.
- Lightly sprinkle with paprika.
- Serve immediately or chill and serve.
Baked Mashed Potatoes
What you need:
- 3 lbs (9 -10 medium) gold, yellow or russet potatoes, peeled
- 4 T butter
- 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
- 12 oz or 11/2 c sour cream
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
What you do:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Quarter potatoes and boil in salted water until fork tender but not mushy; drain.
- Place potatoes in a large bowl with 2 T of butter and mix with hand mixer until fairly smooth.
- Add sour cream, cream cheese, salt, and pepper and mix until well blended.
- Spray a large casserole dish with nonstick spray.
- Add potatoes and dot with remaining 2 T of butter.
- Bake for 30 minutes uncovered; serve.
Green Beans and Bacon
What you need:
- 5 slices of bacon, cooked crisp, crumbled and set aside
- 2 (14.5 oz) cans cut green beans, drained
- 2 T white vinegar
- 1 t brown sugar
- 1 T onion, finely diced
- 1/8 t salt
- 2 T butter
What you do:
- Heat butter in a skillet.
- Add vinegar, sugar, onion and salt and saute for 1 minute.
- Add green beans and stir.
- Cook on medium-low, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
- Top with crumbled bacon and serve.