Easter Meal Ideas

I love coming together with family and friends at Easter to celebrate over a delicious meal.

Mom and kids laughing while making cookies in the kitchen with sprinkles

While your celebration might look a little different this year, it's still so exciting to plan and prepare this year’s Easter menu! Below, find some inspiration for your own Easter meals with recipes the whole family will enjoy. Along with traditional Easter dinner ideas, I’ve also included dishes you can enjoy throughout the whole day or weekend.

Easter Breakfast Ideas

It’s not Easter without hot cross buns! Traditionally eaten on Good Friday, these are a delicious, warm fragrant bun with cinnamon and raisins, topped with frosting in the shape of a cross. They’re wonderful for breakfast, paired with fruit and eggs!

Hot Cross Buns in a glass pan ready to be served

Ham is another traditional Easter food, but you don’t have to limit it to dinner. My Ham and Cheese Egg Bake recipe is one of my favorite breakfasts to make for my family. It’s a delicious, protein-packed breakfast that can be customized with any toppings you like.

I also found this adorable Bagel Bunnies recipe. Older kids will also enjoy helping put together the bunnies themselves: a craft and breakfast idea in one!

Easter Lunch Ideas

My Grandma Char was Italian, so I grew up enjoying her delicious Italian Easter Bread. There’s something extra-special about a recipe when it’s made with love, and this bread always was. You can enjoy the bread as a snack or side-dish—soup is a great go-to. Try this Easter Carrot Soup, or my favorite Minestrone Soup recipe.

Egg salad is another one of my go-tos: try my Deluxe Egg Salad recipe. Bonus: it’s a great way to use up hard-boiled eggs!

Egg Salad sandwich on a white plate sitting on white table

Deviled eggs always make a yummy Easter lunch or side dish, and you can make even more of a kid-friendly meal with this Hatching Chick Deviled Eggs recipe.

Easter Dinner Ideas

Historically, ham was a food that was more affordable and widely available, which is why it has become a traditional Easter dinner dish. You can serve this Baked Easter Ham alongside scalloped potatoes and my recipe for Sweet Glazed Carrots for an Easter dinner the whole family will love. My mom used to make us these carrots when I was growing up and it is a kid-approved win in our family: they’re super yummy with just a hint of sweet.

If you’re pressed for time (or avoiding dishes!), you can also try this Easter Sheet Pan Dinner.

Another dinner idea for Easter is roast chicken with veggies. I love my Apple Roasted Chicken recipe because it’s super flavorful and provides plenty of leftovers I can use for lunches or dinners throughout the week. Serve it with your favorite side dishes, like oven-roasted vegetables, or use the Sweet Glazed Carrot recipe from above.

Raw chicken stuffed with apples ready to be roasted in the oven

Easter Dessert Ideas

No Easter meal is complete without DESSERT! These Easter Surprise Cupcakes are always a hit in my house. I make this cupcake recipe with a box of Duncan Hines Signature Pink Velvet Cake Mix.