Easter Dinner Recipes

Scrumptious food is prepared during the festival. Every other Christian household hosts either lunchor dinner, to please their friends, relatives and far away acquaintances. Easter dinner calls for a sumptuous family feast arranged with delicious Easter dinner recipes. The entire family should gather around the dinner table to gorge on a classy Easter dinner. A typical Easter dinner menu will feature an assortment of traditional dinner recipes, ranging from smoked hams to stuffed Easter lamb. You can also find a number of vegetarian recipes, for dinner and lunch. In our related section, we have given some easy dinner recipes for Easter.

Baked Chicken Recipe
Chicken is one of the favorite meats for non-vegetarians. This is the reason why a variety of dishes is prepared by using chicken as the key ingredient. The mouthwatering taste and enticing aroma of chicken recipes is something beyond comparison. On the wonderful occasion of Easter, if you want to cook delicious chicken recipe for your dinner, then you are reading the right article.

One secret to really flavorful, juicy roast chicken is brining: soaking in salt water. If your chicken is kosher, you're in luck: it's already brined. To brine a non-kosher chicken, 

• Dissolve ½ cup kosher salt (or ¼ cup table salt) in two quarts of water. Immerse the chicken completely in the solution and place in the refrigerator.
• You should let it soak for at least one hour, but no longer than five or six hours.
• Pour off the brine, rinse the chicken under cold running water, and pat it dry with paper towels. For extra-crispy skin, return the bird to the refrigerator and let it air-dry for another hour, or overnight, before roasting.

If you're not brining, still rinse the chicken under cool water and pat it dry with paper towels. Rinsing removes residue and some surface bacteria, and drying off the chicken helps the skin brown.

Citrus Brine Brining Turkey

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DRESS IT UP

A chicken roasted with nothing but salt, pepper, and butter is very tasty indeed. But it's also easy to build on these basic flavors. Chop up fresh herbs and tuck them under the chicken's skin along with a few pats of butter, or stuff sprigs into the chicken cavity along with quartered onions and cloves of garlic. Wedges of aromatic fruit such as lemons or oranges will perfume the bird as it roasts, infusing the meat with extra flavor.

Rosemary Garlic Rub Hugh's Dry Rub Herb Turkey Rub Herb Butter

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RUB IT DOWN

Many cooks use a dry rub: a blend of dried and ground spices, rubbing them under the chicken's skin and inside the cavity. Since they're under the skin, the flavorings won't burn; plus they'll infuse the meat. This is a great way to add some spice if you'll be discarding the skin.

• For a Southwestern flavor, try chile powder or pureed fresh chiles, cumin, and sage.
• For an Indian-inspired bird, mix together equal parts ground coriander and cumin, plus turmeric and a pinch or two of cardamom or garam masala.
• To give the chicken a Thai flair, try a paste of ginger, lemon grass, green chilies, cilantro and lime juice.

Recipes for Rubs

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SKIN IS IN

Crispy, fragrant roast chicken skin is delicious. It is a bit fatty, though. But whether you eat it or remove it, always roast with the skin on, as it holds in moisture and keeps the meat from drying out.

Chicken Cooking Basics

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A BIRD YOU CAN TRUSS

If you like, truss the bird before roasting it--that is, tie it with butcher's twine to keep the legs close to the body. This is not an essential step, but it does make the chicken slightly easier to handle, and it helps hold the stuffing in if you've stuffed the chicken.

• To truss a chicken, cut about a 3-foot length of heatproof butcher's twine.
• Lay the chicken on a clean surface with the breast facing up.
• Hold one end of the string in each hand, and loop the center of the string underneath the chicken's tail.
• Catch the ends of the legs inside the string, then cross the string over the chicken's breast, making an X.
• Loop the string under and around the wings, then tie the string snugly in a knot across the middle of the breast. Make sure that the ends of the wings are tucked in.

Lemon-Stuffed Chicken Raisin Rice Stuffed Chicken Cornbread Stuffed Chicken

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ROASTING METHODS

There are two methods for roasting a whole chicken:

Regular method:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Roast whole (thawed) chickens for 20 minutes per pound, plus an additional 15 minutes.

High heat method (this creates a crispy, darker skin):

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) and cook whole (thawed) chicken for 10-15 minutes.
• Then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and roast for 20 minutes per pound. (Do not add the extra 15 minutes to the cooking time as with the regular method.)

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IS IT READY YET?

Regardless of the method used, a whole chicken is ready when a meat thermometer inserted into the inner thigh (close to but not touching the thigh bone) reads at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

• The temperature of the meat will continue to rise slightly when you pull it out of the oven (this is called "carryover cooking"), so if the thermometer shows a few degrees below the target, give it a few minutes--the internal temperature might still rise to at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• When you remove the chicken from the oven, cover it loosely with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing. This redistributes the juices and results in moister chicken.

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Use this chart to determine how long to roast your chicken:

Roasting Times Chart

Weight (in lbs.)	Regular Method	High Heat Method
2.5 to 3	1 hour 15 minutes	1 hour
3 to 3.5	1 hour 25 minutes	1 hour 10 minutes
3.5 to 4	1 hour 35 minutes	1 hour 20 minutes
4 to 4.5	1 hour 45 minutes	1 hour 30 minutes
4.5 to 5	1 hour 55 minutes	1 hour 40 minutes
5 to 5.5	2 hours 5 minutes	1 hour 50 minutes
5.5 to 6	2 hours 15 minutes	2 hours
6 to 6.5	2 hours 25 minutes	2 hours 10 minutes
6.5 to 7	2 hours 35 minutes	2 hours 20 minutes
7 to 7.5	2 hours 45 minutes	2 hours 30 minutes

Baked Smoked Ham Recipe
Hosting scrumptious dinner is a part of the celebrations of Easter. Usually, traditional Easter recipes are served at the dinner. However, over the passing years, people have come up with a lot of variety in the traditional dishes as well as innovative ideas for new recipes. Ham finds a special place in the menu for non-vegetarians. It is cooked in myriad ways, depending upon the locality as well as the culture of the people.

• Ingredients
• 1 (12 pound) bone-in ham, rump portion
• 1/2 cup whole cloves
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 cups water, or as needed
• 
  
• Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place ham in a roasting pan, and press whole cloves into the top at 1 to 2 inch intervals. Pack the top with a layer of brown sugar. Pour enough water into the bottom of the roasting pan to come to a 1 inch depth. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil or a lid.
Bake for 4 1/2 to 5 hours in the preheated oven (about 22 minutes per pound), or until the internal temperature of the ham has reached 160 degrees F (72 degrees C). Make sure the meat thermometer is not touching the bone. Let stand for about 20 minutes before carving.

Broiled Ham Steak Recipe

Easter is the time to get back to long lost friends and faraway relatives. Traditionally, Easter lunch or dinner are hosted at the Christian households, because many people take the festival as an opportunity to reconnect to their near and dear. While traditional Easter dinner recipes are cooked with a number of ingredients, you can delight the taste buds of your guests by preparing easy-to-make recipes as well.

Ingredients Directions

- 1 1/2 pounds to 2 pounds fully cooked, 3/4" - 1" thick ham steak Optional: glaze of your choice Optional: garnish with pineapple rings Serving Size: 4 ounces Servings: 4 Enter desired servings:    Container: Broiler pan lightly coated with cooking spray. Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Move the oven rack so that the broiler pan can be positioned approximately two inches from the broiling coils. Preheat the oven to the highest temperature setting. Place the ham steak on the prepared pan and broil 6 to 8 minutes on one side. Turn the ham steak and broil an additional 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve hot. Optional: Add a glaze of your choice, brushed onto ham steak after turning. Garnish with pineapple rings.

Greek Lamb Recipe 

For Greeks, Easter is a very special festival. A number of customs are followed on the Fifty Days of Easter, wherein the Greeks exchange beautiful Easter candles with their children and other members of their family. Traditional Greek Easter recipes are prepared during the festive season. One of the prominent dinner recipes is prepared out of lamb and named the 'Greek Lamb'. 

Lamb is one of the symbols of Easter, a prominent Christian festival. It symbolizes the sacrifice made by Lord Jesus Christ, for the goodwill of humanity. This is the reason why lamb finds its place in the decorations of the homes, on Easter. The pictures of the animal can be seen in the homes of every central and eastern European family, during the holiday season of Easter

Ingredients

• 
• 4 large unpeeled garlic cloves
• 1 1/4 pounds ground lamb
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 large cucumber, peeled, grated and squeezed very dry in a clean towel
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh mint leaves
• 1 teaspoon red or rice wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 large, thin tomato slices
• 4 large, thin tomato slices
• 4 small (4 inch) pita breads

Directions

1. Set 4 whole garlic cloves in a small skillet over medium-high heat; toast until spotty brown, about 5 minutes. Peel, mince and set aside.
2. Break up lamb in a medium bowl. Sprinkle roasted garlic, feta, oregano, salt and pepper over meat; stir with a fork to combine. Divide into 4 portions. Toss meat back and forth between cupped hands to form a ball. Pat with fingertips to flatten to about 4 inches wide. Refrigerate.
3. Mix cucumber, sour cream, mint, vinegar, 1 minced clove of garlic, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Refrigerate sauce until ready to serve.
4. Build a hot fire on one side of grill. Replace rack. When coals are covered with white ash, add burgers. Cover and cook, turning only once, until done, about 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium to medium-well burgers.
5. Grill pitas until spotty brown and warm, a minute or so per side. Split crosswise. Spread a couple of tablespoons of sauce over 4 pita halves. Top each with an onion slice, a tomato slice and a burger. Spread a portion of the remaining sauce over each burger. Top with remaining pita halves.

Honey Garlic Meatballs Recipe

Easter is a wonderful occasion to spend quality time with loved ones. On the occasion, you may call on your pals, with whom you might have lost contact due to your busy schedule. You may arrange a small get-together with them and enjoy the festival to the fullest. In case you are planning to host a dinner party for them, then make sure that you prepare the traditional Easter recipes, along with some unique side-dishes
Roast Leg of Lamb Recipe

Ingredients

•  
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup honey

Directions

1. In a large bowl combine eggs and milk. Add the bread crumbs, onion and salt. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-in. balls. Place in two greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pans. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, saute garlic in butter until tender. Stir in the ketchup, honey and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain meatballs; add to sauce. Carefully stir to evenly coat. Cook for 5-10 minutes.