30 best Easter dinner ideas

To keep the celebrations going from the start of the day to the end, why not also check out our most indulgent Easter brunch recipes and top 10 Easter lunch ideas? For more general inspiration, browse our collection of Easter recipes. We've also got plenty more entertaining tips for how to host a perfect Easter.

Finally, Easter is as much about activities as it is about food. Think outside the box and keep children entertained with activities other than the usual Easter egg hunt with our top 10 Easter craft ideas. Or, get down to a spot of baking with our 10 Easter baking ideas and best Easter cupcake ideas,

Easter starter ideas

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. Asparagus soup

This vibrant green asparagus soup is a fantastic light starter to begin your Easter feast. It takes only 30 minutes to make from start to finish, but is also freezable, so you could simply reheat it for a fuss-free start to the meal. Serve with homemade bread, such as our delicious crusty bread.

Discover more spring soup recipes.

2. Greek bouyiourdi

This baked feta with tomatoes, garlic and chilli is a beautiful, low-carb, vegetarian starter. Enjoy it with fluffy pitta bread to scoop up the flavourful juices, or keep it keto-friendly with our keto bread.

Discover more Greek-style recipes.

4. Avocado panzanella

This delicious avocado panzanella is a great healthy vegan starter that takes only 20 minutes to prepare and involves no cooking. However, bake your own ciabatta or crusty bread if you’d like to impress your guests.

Discover more panzanella recipes.

5. Crab & tangled asparagus salad on toast

For something a bit fancy, we recommend Tom Kerridge's elegant seasonal starter. Sourdough toasts are topped with citrussy white crabmeat, shaved asparagus ribbons and rocket salad. Ready in under 15 minutes, this speedy yet sophisticated dish will kick off your Easter menu in style.

Easter dinner mains

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

Get more meat-free inspiration from our collection of vegetarian Easter recipes.

10. Bay-crumbed salmon with creamed spinach and wild mushrooms

Prefer fish? Make salmon shine in Tom Kerridge’s showstopping dish. The salmon is cooked in a bay crust along with rich 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.

11. 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.

Browse more of our Easter vegetarian ideas.

12. 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.

13. Vegan beetroot bourguignon

Make beetroot the star of the show in this vibrant plant-based 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.

See our vegan Easter recipes for more plant-based seasonal inspiration.

14. Baked mackerel with fennel, chilli & lemongrass

Looking for a more affordable alternative to salmon on Good Friday? Mackerel is in season this time of year, making it both a cheaper option and also more sustainable. Serve this spicy, sweet and sticky whole fish for a simple crowdpleasing main, along with mixed green vegetables. This dish is also cooked in one tin, so will save on washing-up.

Find more money-saving entertaining ideas with our guide on budget Easter recipe ideas.

15. 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 bed of braised butter beans along with roast veg and thyme.

16. Creamy fish & leek pie

Fish pie has become a firm family favourite as it’s both rich and comforting. Enhance it even further with the addition of king prawns to the filling, plus parmesan and cheddar cheese to the mash. Everyone’s going to want seconds!

Discover more fish pie recipes.

17. One-pot braised lamb breast with beans, carrots & mint

Looking for an impressive Easter lamb dish but can't justify the price of a premium cut this year? Slowly braised lamb breast will help keep costs down while still delivering a sense of occasion. This French-inspired classic combines lamb breast with beans in a hearty one-pot. We’ve used traditional flageolet beans for this recipe, but canned cannellini or haricot would work just as well, too.

18. Roasted carrot & whipped feta tart

Carrots take on a beautiful caramelised flavour when roasted which balances perfectly with salty whipped feta and citrussy pesto. This budget-friendly veggie main can easily be adapted. If you don’t have walnuts, you can use any nuts you have at home. We’ve also used the carrot tops in the pesto to reduce our food waste. If you aren’t using carrots with tops, swap the tops for parsley or use up any leftover pesto you have in the fridge

19. Greek roast lamb

Serving eight people, this Greek roast lamb is perfect for entertaining a large crowd at Easter. With only 15 minutes of preparation time, there’ll be no slaving away in a hot kitchen.

Discover more leg of lamb recipes.

Sides

20. Baked new potatoes with wilted wild garlic

Forage for seasonal wild garlic to make these incredible baked new potatoes. They’re a healthy vegetarian side that can serve up to six people. You can also replace the wild garlic with watercress if you’d prefer.

Discover more wild garlic recipes.

21. Next-level cauliflower cheese

This next-level cauliflower cheese makes a rich and indulgent side dish. The parmesan, cheddar and spices in its sauce pair fantastically with the crunch and sweetness of the crispy onion and breadcrumb topping.

Discover more cauliflower cheese recipes.

22. Dauphinoise potatoes

Make our decadent dauphinoise potatoes for a mouth-watering side dish. Slow-cook slices of potatoes with cream, garlic and cheese, and watch as it bubbles and oozes. Follow along with our helpful video tutorial, perfect for absolute beginners and seasoned pros alike.

Discover more dauphinoise recipes.

Desserts

23. Chocolate egg baked tart

Bespeckled with golden chocolate eggs, this eye-catching baked chocolate tart makes a fantastic, showstopping end to any meal despite being incredibly simple to make. Enjoy with a dollop of crème fraîche, or for extra indulgence, why not pair it with our ultimate vanilla ice cream?

Discover more chocolate tart recipes and Easter dessert recipes.

24. Chocca mocca caramel cake

This chocca mocca caramel cake is beautifully light and spongy with pockets of delicious melted chocolate caramel. Decorate with a handful of your favourite miniature easter eggs or broken pieces of full-sized eggs.

25. Salted caramel & hazelnut banoffee pie

Need a break from all the Easter chocolate? Try our inventive take on a comfort food favourite for a dazzling dinner party dessert. This banoffee pie is taken to the next level with a salted caramel filling, muscovado whipped cream and crunchy hazelnut praline topping. It make look impressive but is actually deceptively easy to make with a few cheat’s ingredients, like dulce de leche for the filling and chocolate oat biscuits for the base. Make it ahead for a no-fuss Easter showstopper.

Indulge in more of our gooey banoffee recipes.

26. Hot cross bun & butter pudding

If you love bread and butter pudding, you’ll love this twist on the classic dish which uses hot cross buns instead. This is a great dessert to make with leftover buns or freshly baked buns – try our simple hot cross buns recipe. Or, go even more decadent, and check out our chocolate hot cross bun bread & butter pudding.

Discover more bread and butter pudding recipes.

27. Easter egg cheesecake

Need a simple but impressive dessert to round off your Easter dinner party? This easy no-bake cheesecake takes just 20 minutes to prep and is sure to please kids and adults alike. Add chopped-up chocolate mini eggs or leftover Easter eggs into the plain vanilla cheesecake mixture and decorate on top with all your favourite Easter chocolate for a colourful and moreish showstopper.

Find more sweet treats to round off your feast in our Easter dessert ideas guide.

Drinks

28. Mini egg martini

Satisfy a nostalgic chocolate craving and enjoy this creamy Easter cocktail with moreish mini chocolate eggs and a splash of Irish cream.

Discover more chocolate cocktail recipes.

29. Rhubarb gin

Use seasonal rhubarb to make this G&T with a difference! Top the finished gin with soda water for a refreshing and gloriously pink springtime drink.

Discover more flavoured gin recipes.

30. Easy iced tea

Make a jug of refreshing iced tea to rehydrate kids after a day spent running around hunting for Easter eggs. With a subtle tea flavour, oranges, lemons and mint, it’s also an excellent alcohol-free party drink, so adults will enjoy it too.

Discover more non-alcoholic drink recipes.

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