Help with Easter Dinner

Ok, I know what to cook for Christmas and Thanksgiving, but Easter is a mystery to me. My DH's aunt and uncle are coming in from out of town and my MIL and SIL will be here. I need help!

I'm cooking a ham, SIL insists on scalloped potatoes (real, not Betty Crocker ), DH insists on potato salad which he's buying from the store so that is no problem. I insist on spinach salad (tradition in my family). But I need more ideas for sides. I'm not a big ham fan and usually only eat it with scrambled eggs and hash browns. What goes good with it? I was thinking about getting pickled beets or something....any ideas?

Also, any good receipes for scalloped pototoes out there? There has to be a LOT of cheese!

Have you ever made Harvard beets? They're a tradition at all our holiday meals, and very easy. I like them best made with the little teenytiny baby beets, rather than the sliced ones.

Harvard Beets

16-ounce can beets
1/2 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
salt to taste

In a saucepan, mix together the sugar, salt, and cornstarch until there are no more lumps of cornstarch. Drain the liquid from the beets into the saucepan and stir (or better yet, whisk) over medium heat until the mixture is warmed through. Add the beets and slowly bring to a boil while stirring. (The sauce will become a gorgeous, cloudless deep fuchsia color.)

At this point, you can remove the pan from the heat, put a tight lid on it, and let it sit while you prepare the rest of the meal. That allows the beets to cook slowly and become tender. Just before serving, stir them over medium-high heat until the sauce is smooth and liquid. These go great with cornbread and potatoes!

Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

Have you ever made Harvard beets? They're a tradition at all our holiday meals, and very easy. I like them best made with the little teenytiny baby beets, rather than the sliced ones.

Harvard Beets

16-ounce can beets
1/2 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
salt to taste

In a saucepan, mix together the sugar, salt, and cornstarch until there are no more lumps of cornstarch. Drain the liquid from the beets into the saucepan and stir (or better yet, whisk) over medium heat until the mixture is warmed through. Add the beets and slowly bring to a boil while stirring. (The sauce will become a gorgeous, cloudless deep fuchsia color.)

At this point, you can remove the pan from the heat, put a tight lid on it, and let it sit while you prepare the rest of the meal. That allows the beets to cook slowly and become tender. Just before serving, stir them over medium-high heat until the sauce is smooth and liquid. These go great with cornbread and potatoes!

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Oh, that sounds good, and pretty easy! I'm going to have to try that. Thanks!

Making Scalloped Potatoes is the easiest thing...

What you need:

Potatoes
Onions
2 cans Cream of Cheddar Soup OR Cream of Mushroom Soup
Milk
Salt
Pepper
Flour
Butter or Margarine
3 litre Casserole Dish


Peel the potatoes and leave them soak in cold water so they don't turn brown.

This works great if you have a food processor. Just use the slicing disk.

Slice your potatoes to about the thickness of 2 CDs. Put them back into the cold water.

Slice the onions in 1/2 and then slice each half to the same thickness as the potatoes. You want 1/2 circles, not full circles.

Then assemble it in the casserole dish like you would a lasagna.

Layer of Potato
Layer of Onion
Salt
Pepper
Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of flour over top
1 Tablespoon of butter in the centre

Layer of Potato
Layer of Onion
Salt
Pepper
Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of flour over top
1 Tablespoon of butter in the centre

Keep going and end with a layer of Potato on the top.

Mix the soup with equal parts of milk. Mix well. Pour over the top of the potatoes. Fill to about 1/2 inch from the top of the dish.

Cover. Place on a cookie sheet (it will bubble over) and bake at 350 degrees until the potatoes in the centre are soft. Insert a knife to check. I forget how long it takes.... Maybe 90 minutes, or could be a bit longer.

Remove from oven and let sit for about 15 minutes before serving

We are having Easter Dinner here and my Dad and StepMom are coming. My Sister is coming too. We will pick our Ham up tomorrow. My Dad will be bringing the Potatoes and he said a Vegie. He tried to bring a Beet Dish but I get Sick even from the smell so I said no. I love Potatoes with alot of Cheese too.

How about green bean casserole. I am making ceaser saladto go with our ham.

I was just going to say green bean casserole myself, but you could also have maybe deviled eggs (easter consists of alot of eggs) , a veggie platter, baked beans, chips and dip, maybe some cheesy garlic bread, (might taste better than plain rolls since your having ham) maybe baked mac and cheese, you are having scalloped potatoes, but maybe some mashed potatoes and some good noodles (homemade or store bought) i know alot of people have chicken and noodles with mashed potatoes when they have ham because most people who have dinners have half of the people that like ham and half like turkey so alot of people compromise and boil up a chicken and make chicken noodles so that there is poultry and ham both. Pickled beets and pickled eggs are good too. What about dessert what are you going to do for that. apple or cherry pies, pineapple upside down cake, cheesecake or easter sugar cookies (with colored icing)
just some ideas

I love asparagus as one of the sides, for Easter dinner. It's always been a tradition in my family. Of course, everyone in my family goes crazy for it too!

I'm making Easter dinner for my parents this year. I'm making a yummy seasoned pork loin, with chardonnay & plum sauce, au gratin potatoes, asparagus, cheesy garlic biscuits, and two home made pies, raspberry and blueberry. I hate cooking for just myself, but I love cooking dinner for my parents.

Originally Posted by hammyandwaf

I was just going to say green bean casserole myself, but you could also have maybe deviled eggs

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You know, I'm ashamed to say it, but I've never made deviled eggs in my life! And, my husband and I love them! Even my 13 year old niece can make them, but I've never tried. But yes, deviled eggs is a must!

So many great suggestions here! Thank you!

We are picking our Ham up tomorrow. It is a fire glazed Ham from Raleys. My Sister is making deviled eggs.

i dont know what i am making yet, except for apple cherry crumble with custard!

Its a toss between schnitzle with mashpotatoes and veggies or roast pork with mash potatoes and veggies. I guess we will see when we are in the mood

My recipe for scallopped potatoes comes off the back of a can of campbells cream of broccoli soup. They are really good though.

We are having a turkey dinner tomorrow.

I usually make a sweet side dish to go with ham. You could make a mixed green salad with toasted pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, cherry tomatoes (or strawberry tomatoes), red onion, and raspberry vinaigrette. Everyone loves this salad!

Anything with yams or sweet potatoes would be good, too. My family's new favorite is this: melt a little butter in a pan, toast sliced almonds in it, add two parts honey to one part lemon juice, and toss in steamed carrot slices (or steamed baby carrots) and serve. Even my nine-year-old will eat cooked carrots this way.

Sweet goes well with ham.

Originally Posted by SwampWitch

Sweet goes well with ham.

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I agreee! The spinach salad I make has a homemade boiled sweet/sour dressing on it and I usually make it more on the sweet side when I serve it with ham. I LOVE sweet potatoes but unfortunately I'm the only one in the family that does .

That salad you make sounds delicious! I'm going to have to try that!!

So, this is my menu so far...ham, scalloped potatoes, potato salad (for DH), broccoli w/ cheese, spinach salad, pickled beets and eggs, deviled eggs, rolls, and for dessert I found a chocolate peanut butter cup pie at the market. Yeah, it's not homemade...but it looks just sinful!

Ok, I think I just gained 10 pounds just reading that...not a very healthy meal I guess, but holidays aren't supposed to be healthy, right?