What's on the Menu for a Traditional Southern Easter Dinner?

 

Tradition is important in the South. When it's time to celebrate a major occasion like Easter, everyone pulls out their favorite family recipes and treats loved ones to a huge spread of comfort classics.

Whether you're prepping for your first time as host or trying to figure out what's expected of you as a guest, this is what most people expect from a traditional Southern Easter dinner menu.

Snacks and Appetizers

Dinner on Easter Sunday isn't just a meal, it's an event. People usually go to church -- dressed in their Easter finest, of course -- and then it's time for some fun. While the kids are giggling their way through the egg hunt outside or playing with their Easter baskets, the kings and queens of the kitchen pull out their family's favorite Easter recipes and get to work churning out snacks to tide everyone over until the sit-down dinner is ready.

The two biggest traditional appetizers found on a Southern Easter menu are deviled eggs and a relish tray. The basic deviled egg recipe most Southern cooks start with is light on the ingredients -- just egg yolks mixed with mayonnaise, yellow mustard, a dash of hot sauce, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper and stuffed back into the egg white halves and garnished with a sprinkle of paprika. It's not uncommon to see sweet or dill pickle relish tossed into the mix or added on top, and many cooks have a signature addition like bacon, pickled jalapenos, or dill sprigs too.

As for the relish tray, you're usually looking at a snack spread consisting of cut up raw vegetables, cheese cubes, olives, pickles, other pickled vegetables (okra for the win!), and crackers or bread to serve as a vehicle for the other goodies. Make the tray your own by adding a dip for the vegetables or try out something special like a smoked salmon spread or pimento cheese ball. The goal is to whet everyone's appetite for their Easter meal without filling them up entirely.

The Main Course

Southern feasts traditionally center around an impressive cut of meat. This protein might be showy because of how it's prepared -- a whole rack of lamb, for instance, or an oversized turkey perfectly trussed and dressed -- or due to the sheer volume of meat laid out on the table (think of an enormously bowl overflowing with golden-brown fried chicken).

But for Easter, the go-to meat is undoubtedly ham. A large ham glazed with maple and brown sugar or sticky cola is always welcome. You can buy one and glaze it yourself or order a spiral ham from Reid's and you're sure to have a perfectly prepared main dish that's also cooked to please Southern palates.

Other popular options for protein in place of or in addition to an Easter ham include:

• Roasted Cornish game hens
• Prime rib
• Pork roast
• Smothered pork chops

Easter Side Dishes

Meat may be the main focus of the Southern Easter table, but the sides are what makes everybody happy once the oohs and aahs directed at the sticky glazed ham have quieted down.

1. Potatoes

No Southern Easter feast is complete with some kind of potatoes. Some families prepare multiple potato sides, especially if guests are bringing their own signature dishes to contribute to the menu.

You can't go wrong with classic au gratin or scalloped potatoes -- there are carbs galore, oodles of creamy cheese, and those slightly crispy-burnt edges that add both texture and depth.

Mashed potatoes are of course always welcome too. Boil potatoes until fork tender, then mash or pass through a ricer and add sour cream, good quality butter, cream cheese, whole milk, heavy cream or any combination of the above (the dairy will incorporate faster if you warm it up first). This classic recipe is easy to spice up and make your own. Some cooks like to garnish or mix in a fresh spring herb such as chives, while others love the taste of garlic either roasted and stirred in or added to milk while warming, so the garlic infuses the dairy.

Not all Easter potato dishes are hot. Potato salad is a Southern staple, and while it's often served at summer events (it's practically synonymous with Southern picnics), it's graced many a Southern Easter brunch as well. In fact, it's hard to find a better combination than sliced ham and potato salad. It's delicious the day of, and it's arguably even tastier the next day when you put some cold ham on a dinner roll and enjoy it with some leftover potato salad for a quick lunch.

Sweet potatoes are popular too. Sliced yams tossed in a combination of butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar taste utterly delicious once they've spent some time in the oven. There's also the classic sweet potato casserole topped with mini marshmallows and candied pecans, or you can mash your sweet potatoes with warm spices, a dash of white or brown sugar, and a drizzle of maple syrup and pat of butter on top.

2. Greens, Green Beans, and Other Vegetable Sides

Greens are an absolute must at almost any Southern dinner, but especially during Easter. The goal: Collard greens cooked low and slow until they practically melt into the pot.

It's common to come across fresh green beans stewed with bacon or pork belly until the veggies are tender and salty, but some families can their green beans at the end of summer and then serve those reheated until the next year's crop is ready to harvest and can. Those Mason jars filled with cooked green beans are treated like gold -- and they taste almost as priceless. Green bean casserole is another classic way to serve green beans, but it's less common at Easter and more popular during the winter holidays.

Creamed corn is another Easter favorite. Traditional recipes have you combine fresh or frozen sweet corn with heavy cream, butter, bacon or bacon grease, and salt and pepper.

3. Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and cheese is so important in the South that it deserves its own menu section. Southern-style macaroni and cheese is often baked in a casserole dish. Unlike runnier versions made with a cheese sauce, the baked version features a rich egg-based custard that sets up a bit as it bakes. The result is a decadent dish with a creamy inside and crunchy, oven-crisped topping.

4. "Salads"

You won't find too many Caesar salads or kale-based sides on the Southern table around Easter, but you might come across Southern takes on veggie salads that include a lot of bacon, cheese, and mayonnaise.

Broccoli salad is a perfect example. Everyone has their own version of broccoli salad, but most include raw broccoli florets tossed with bacon and shredded cheddar cheese and topped with a mayonnaise-based dressing sweetened with sugar and thinned with white vinegar. Other popular additions include dried cranberries, toasted pecans or walnuts, chopped red onion, and grated carrots.

Bread

Rolls and biscuits are Southern bread staples. Hot cross buns are usually reserved for Good Friday, but that means Easter Sunday can be completely dedicated to flaky biscuits and hot homemade rolls, and you get extra points if you pair them with whipped honey butter. Not everyone is a talented baker, though. That's where Reid's comes in handy yet again. Choose from a full selection of baked goods including Tru South Cheddar Biscuits and the brand's classic buttermilk version, then just replate them on your own dinnerware and wait for the compliments to flow your way.

Cornbread is perfectly acceptable to serve at Easter, although it's more often served in addition to rolls or biscuits rather than as a substitution. Cooking the cornbread in a cast iron pan with lots of butter makes for a lovely presentation, too.

Dessert

Deciding what constitutes a classic Easter dessert might be the most controversial thing about creating a Southern Easter feast. Traditions are often specific to each family. One might serve a carrot cake, pecan pie or banana pudding made from a recipe passed down for generations. Pound cake with fresh fruit and heavily sweetened whipped cream is another favorite, as is Hummingbird Cake, a cinnamon-scented layer cake with coconut, pineapple, and cream cheese.

Other family traditions include more fanciful offerings, like brightly colored Easter cupcakes with miniature eggs or marshmallow chicks stuck into the icing on top. Cookies and candies are equally popular; "bird's nest" coconut macaroons provide the perfect spot for little colored candy eggs to rest, and pastel marshmallow bites taste like heaven and look like spring.

Drinks

Mouthful after mouthful of utterly delicious eats -- but what will you wash it all down with?

Sweet tea and homemade lemonade are definitely the top two beverages served at a Southern Easter gathering, but you can put your own twist by adding strawberry puree to your lemonade or offering both sweet tea and a flavored option like iced peach or mint tea.

For those interested in something stronger, a cocktail that looks forward to summer may be appropriate depending on the host and who's invited to dine. Experiment with a modern take on a mint julep, make a pitcher of mimosas (ideal for Easter brunch), or put a splash of bourbon in that homemade lemonade and iced tea.

Not in love with cooking or just don't have the time to whip up all of these Easter dinner ideas yourself? Shop Reid's gourmet marketplace for prepared foods, main dishes like spiral-cut ham, cakes and pies, and even bone broth for turning leftover ham into hearty soup once the holiday has passed.

Some Reid's locations offer menus designed with special occasions in mind, including Easter. Check with your nearest Reid's to see what menu is available over Easter weekend or to arrange pickup for a stress-free way to fill your holiday table.