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The centerpiece of a classic Easter dinner is ham. But what do you pair with your ham? Check out these five delicious recipes to round out your holiday meal. All five of these side dishes are also classic Easter dinner fare, but each has a slight twist…a small change or ingredient that has a big taste impact. Classic does not have to equal boring!
Remember to make plenty….Easter egg hunts work up a big appetite!!
Four-Cheese Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for brushing
- 1/2 clove garlic
- 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/3 cup shredded asiago cheese
- 1/3 cup shredded raclette or comte cheese (or you can substitute Gruyere)
- 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 4 fresh bay leaves
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions
Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Generously brush a large skillet with butter, then rub with the garlic. Combine the mozzarella, asiago and raclette in a bowl.
Heat the skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the potatoes, spreading them out. Sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon salt, half of the cut-up butter, half of the shredded cheese blend, and pepper to taste. Arrange the remaining potatoes on top. Sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Pour the cream over the potatoes, then add the nutmeg and bay leaves; simmer 3 minutes. Dot the potatoes with the remaining cut-up butter.
Generously brush a shallow baking dish with butter; slide the potatoes into the dish; arrange with a fork, if desired. (If your skillet is ovenproof, you can skip this step and bake the potatoes in the skillet.)
Sprinkle the potatoes with the parmesan and the remaining shredded cheese blend. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Discard the bay leaves.
Roasted Asparagus
Ingredients
- 2 bunches medium asparagus
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Grated or shaved parmesan, optional (but highly recommended)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Trim the woody ends from the asparagus, usually about 1 1/2 inches. Lightlypeel the remaining stalks (not always necessary, but more of a personal preference). Spread the spears in a single layer on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with the salt and pepper, and roll to coat thoroughly.
Roast the asparagus until lightly browned and tender, about 8 to 10 minutes, giving the pan a good shake about halfway through to turn the asparagus. Arrange the roasted asparagus on a serving platter and top with some Parmesan. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Southern Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons shortening
- 1 cup chilled buttermilk
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using your fingertips, rub butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. (The faster the better, you don’t want the fats to melt.)
Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled buttermilk. Stir just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky.
Turn dough onto floured surface, dust top with flour and gently fold dough over on itself 5 or 6 times. Press into a 1-inch thick round. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cutter, being sure to push straight down through the dough. Place biscuits on baking sheet so that they just touch. Reform scrap dough, working it as little as possible and continue cutting. (Biscuits from the second pass will not be quite as light as those from the first, but hey, that’s life.)
Bake until biscuits are tall and light gold on top, 15 to 20 minutes.
Ambrosia
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 4 ounces sour cream
- 6 ounces homemade mini marshmallows, approximately 3 cups
- 1 cup clementine orange segments, approximately 6 clementines
- 1 cup chopped fresh pineapple
- 1 cup freshly grated coconut
- 1 cup toasted, chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup drained maraschino cherries
Directions
Place the cream and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and whip until stiff peaks are formed. Add the sour cream and whisk to combine. Add the marshmallows, orange, pineapple, coconut, pecans and cherries and stir to combine. Transfer to a glass serving bowl, cover and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours before serving.
Creamy Spring Peas with Pancetta
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 2 cups shelled fresh English peas or thawed frozen peas (about 10 ounces)
- 1 poundsugar snap peas, trimmed
- 1/4 pound snow peas, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 4 ounces pancetta, chopped
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Freshly ground pepper
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Fill a large bowl with ice water. If using fresh English peas, add to the boiling water and cook until tender, about 1 minute. Add the snap peas and cook until bright green, about 2 minutes, then add the snow peas and cook 30 seconds. Drain the peas and plunge into the ice water to cool.
Cook the pancetta in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon. Add the flour to the drippings in the skillet and cook, whisking, until toasted, about 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken broth and cream and cook until reduced by one-third, about 6 minutes.
Drain the peas, shaking off the excess water, then add to the skillet (if using frozen peas, add them here). Cook, stirring, until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with the pancetta.
Lori is a content writer for Discount Party Supplies. She is married with three kids and hosts many family gatherings and parties. In her free time, Lori enjoys taking yoga classes and in her secret life, she likes going to heavy metal concerts (but don’t tell the other soccer moms!).
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