Best Easter dinner ideas
Our guide to the best, most delicious Easter dinner imaginable. Including lamb ideas, a showstopping salmon roast, one of our favourite veggie centrepieces and desserts
We’ve got all you need for an epic Easter dinner, from a light-and-colourful springtime starter to three ways with lamb, a Tom Kerridge salmon showstopper, a cheese-laced filo pastry strudel for vegetarians, and two enticing desserts to choose from (will you go chocolate or simnel?).
Next, check out our best Easter cupcake ideas, more ways with roast lamb, top 10 Easter bread recipes and how to host a perfect Easter.
1. Spring sharing board
It’s the perfect starter for an Easter Sunday feast. Make your spring sharing board super-colourful with radishes, halved boiled quail’s eggs, chilli-flecked marinated feta and asparagus. Serve with a quick pea & artichoke dip, plus a sprinkle of pink pepper salt.
For more seasonal dishes, checkout our Easter starter recipes.
2. One-pan lamb with hasselback potatoes
It’s everything we love about Easter dinner, in one tray! This one-pan lamb with hasselback potatoes recipe comes flavoured with garlic, rosemary and thyme, and cutting your potatoes the hasselback way guarantees crispy edges.
We've got plenty more ideas for perfect Easter lamb recipes.
3. Spring chicken pot pie
Looking for a more affordable alternative to traditional roast lamb? This spring pot chicken pie is bursting with seasonal flavours and makes a crowd-pleasing centrepiece, whilst being friendly on your wallet. The creamy filling combines chicken thigh pieces with smoky bacon lardons, punchy mustard, sweet leeks and fragrant tarragon, all topped with a layer of flaky puff pastry.
Tuck into more comforting Easter pie recipes.
4. Roast leg of lamb with garlic & watercress butter
Celebrate spring by coating your roast leg of lamb with a homemade garlic and watercress butter, made salty and rich by adding finely chopped anchovies. We also love the crunchy parmesan and sourdough crumb that coats this Easter-time dish.
5. Cavolo nero, mushroom, potato & fontina strudel
A beautiful meat-free showstopper, this cavolo nero, mushroom, potato & fontina strudel is perfect for a fancy occasion. Top filo pastry with an irresistible mix of caramelised onions, cavolo nero, mushrooms and cheesy potatoes, then wrap the whole thing up.
6. Bay-crumbed salmon with creamed spinach and wild mushrooms
Prefer fish? Make salmon shine in Tom Kerridge’s bay-crumbed salmon with creamed spinach and wild mushrooms, the perfect centrepiece for a slap-up Easter dinner. Plenty of double cream and a glug of white wine makes this recipe just as indulgent as lamb.
Discover more Easter salmon recipes.
7. Roasted stuffed squash with herby pistachio salsa
A stunning veggie centrepiece to rival any large join of meat, this impressive roasted stuffed squash is taken to the next level with a zingy pistachio salsa. Bursting with herby flavour and a hint of chilli, it adds freshness, texture and spice to the dish and balances perfectly with the salty feta cheese filling.
Get more meat-free ideas with our vegetarian Easter recipes.
8. Slow cooker leg of lamb
Make the most of your slow cooker this Easter Sunday. Despite taking only 15 minutes to prepare, our slow cooker leg of lamb is deliciously tender and moreish. What’s more, this recipe includes a rich and velvety red wine gravy for pouring at the table.
9. Vegan beetroot bourguignon
Make beetroot the star of the show in this vibrant vegan bourguignon. This sweet, earthy root veg is roasted along with onions, carrots and thyme to bring out their flavour, then combined with lentils and mushrooms in a rich red wine stew. Serve in bowls with crusty bread for dunking, if you like.
10. Chorizo-stuffed pork loin with braised beans
Impress your guests with this showstopping stuffed pork loin, complete with juicy meat and crispy crackling. As well as giving the meat a beautiful smoky flavour, the herby chorizo stuffing helps to keep it succulent during cooking. Serve on a bet of braised butter beans along with roast veg and thyme.
Sides
Accompany your dinner with a selection of seasonal sides, from spring greens to fresh carrots and crispy roasties.
Crispiest ever roast potatoes
Treat yourself to a side of the crispiest ever roast potatoes, ideal with lamb, fish and veggie mains. The key to crispy edges is to work with very hot fat (both rapeseed oil and butter) – so make sure you take care! Lemon thyme, garlic and sea salt are all you need for flavour.
No-peel braised carrots
A must-have colourful side to any Easter Sunday dinner, these no-peel braised carrots save so much time by omitting peeling and chopping. Braise baby-topped carrots in butter, sugar, fennel seeds and vegetable stock for a pretty side to your Easter feast.
Desserts
There's always a bit of room of pudding, so why not indulge in a slice of traditional simnel cake or go all out with our showstopping chocolate Easter egg cake.
Easter simnel cake
An absolute classic, this golden Easter simnel cake is perfect if you love marzipan. The cake is packed with dried fruit, citrus zest, spices and ground almonds, and it comes topped with a thick layer of marzipan (plus scorched marzipan balls for decoration).
Triple chocolate & peanut butter layer cake
Looking for a bake to impress? This stunning triple chocolate & peanut butter layer cake is a triumph of chocolate sponge, peanut butter frosting, ganache drip, pretzel bark and chocolate eggs. Kids will love getting involved decorating the top with all their favourite chocolatey treats.
Discover more Easter dessert recipes.
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