20 Make-Ahead Easter Dishes All Ready in Time for Sunday
Give yourself more time to enjoy the holiday.
If you're anything like the Drummond family, Easter is jampacked with activities. "Easter Sunday is like a mini Christmas in our house," Ree says. The day is filled with Easter traditions like attending church, hunting for eggs, and opening Easter baskets. And then there's Easter brunch! How does she juggle it all? Well, it takes planning, and that includes plenty of the best make-ahead Easter recipes.
Prepping an Easter menu ahead of time saves you a ton of time on the big day, so you can actually enjoy the time with your family and friends. But it also saves on oven space if you've got a lot to serve. And let's be honest, it helps with all that cleanup, too. So skip the holiday stress and consider all the recipes you can make one, two, or even a week before the big day. (There are even some you can freeze for months if you're really efficient!)
So what can you make in advance that everyone will love? Think: make-ahead breakfast casseroles, homemade quiche that can be served hot or lukewarm, and homemade muffins that you can snack on anytime of the day. You can even make ham in the slow cooker and have it ready no matter what time you plan to dine, along with spring salads as Easter side dishes, and a showstopping dessert. Oh, and don't forget the hot cross buns! They're a Drummond family classic.
Asparagus Casserole
Meet your new favorite side dish! Tender, seasonal asparagus is coated in a creamy cheese mixture and then sprinkled with a crunchy panko topping. It can all be assembled a day ahead and just popped in the oven when you're ready.
Get the Asparagus Casserole recipe.
Easter Breakfast Casserole
Inspired by the classic French croque monsieur, this casserole has layers of ham, cheese, and bread melded together with a creamy custard mixture. Assemble it a day ahead and just pop it in the oven when you're ready.
Get the Easter Breakfast Casserole recipe.
Slow Cooker Ham
Make an impressive ham without having to babysit it. It stays super moist in the slow cooker, and it soaks in all that glaze when you cook it low and slow. Just set it and forget it for six hours!
Get Ree's Slow Cooker Ham recipe.
No-Bake Easter Cheesecake
Not only can you make this impressive dessert up to five days ahead, but you also don't even need to turn on the oven! It's creamy and coconutty and easy to decorate, too.
Get the No-Bake Easter Cheesecake recipe.
Carrot Soup with Carrot Top Pesto
Serve this as a first course, and everyone will be hopping for joy! It's silky, vibrant, and wonderfully creamy with a zippy pesto made from the carrot tops, so nothing goes to waste. Make it up to two days in advance.
Deviled Eggs
"I always associate deviled eggs with Easter brunch," Ree says. And if you do too, you can make the eggs up to three days in advance and fill them a day ahead of time.
Get the Deviled Eggs recipe.
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Brighten up your brunch with a basket of zesty muffins. The lemony glaze gives them an extra burst of sweetness, and you can make them up to three days in advance.
Get the Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins recipe.
Pea Salad
Head back to Ree's childhood for this easy, classic side! It can be made up to two days ahead of time. Just wait to add the bacon until just before serving so it stays nice and crisp.
Get Ree's Pea Salad recipe.
Strawberry Sweet Rolls
Talk about a berry good idea for brunch! These sweet rolls feature both strawberry preserves and freeze-dried strawberries. Bake them off and stash them in the fridge for up to a week or freezer for three months.
Get Ree's Strawberry Sweet Rolls recipe.
Green Goddess Salad
Yes, it's possible for a green salad to stay fresh for three days even with a homemade dressing! Cabbage, sugar snap peas, green onions, and cucumber base will stay crunchy when refrigerated.
Get the Green Goddess Salad recipe.
Hot Cross Buns
Bake up a double batch of these traditional buns to share with church-going friends at Sunday's potluck. You can prepare the dough the day before and then just finish them off the next morning.
Get Ree's Hot Cross Buns recipe.
Egg Salad
Pickles, paprika, cayenne, fresh chives, and dill all make this egg salad extra interesting. You can make it up to four days ahead of time, too. It's great on sandwiches, crackers, or as a side dish.
Get the Egg Salad recipe.
Asparagus Salad
Easy spring entertaining at it's finest! You can make the base of asparagus and radishes up to four days in advance and just wait until you serve to sprinkle on the crunchy bacon and walnuts.
Get the Asparagus Salad recipe.
Carrot Cake Muffins
If you love carrot cake but want to make it more breakfast or brunch friendly, make muffins the day before! They're spiced with cinnamon, topped with a streusel, and drizzled with cream cheese icing.
Get the Carrot Cake Muffins recipe.
Ham and Cheese Quiche
The classic combination of ham and cheese feels particularly perfect for Easter brunch. Make it the day before and just heat it up when you're ready to eat. It'll be great hot or at room temp.
Get the Ham and Cheese Quiche recipe.
Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole
Like the flavors of a classic Caprese salad? You'll love this casserole. Assemble most of it the night before and just pop on the tomatoes and mozzarella before you bake it in the morning.
Get Ree's Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole recipe.
Baked French Toast
French toast is such a treat, but it can be cumbersome if you make it for a lot of people. That is, unless, you make it in a casserole form that you assemble the night before.
Get Ree's Baked French Toast recipe.
Lemon Pound Cake
This cake is bright, sunny, citrusy, and sweet. Don't be shy with that lemon drizzle! It should keep covered at room temperature for a few days, too.
Get Ree's Lemon Pound Cake recipe.
Biscuits and Gravy Casserole
Biscuits and gravy are a great way to kick off a holiday! Make most of this recipe the night before, then finish it off with a drizzle of gravy on Easter morning.
Get the Biscuits and Gravy Casserole recipe.
Cabbage Salad
Crunchy and flavorful cabbage will still taste fresh up to two days in the fridge. Just wait to add the apple until you serve so it doesn't turn brown.
Get the Cabbage Salad recipe.
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