Here are some traditional and non-traditional Easter Dinner Ideas for you to make on Easter Sunday. I’m sharing the main meat, of course, along with sides and desserts. I am even throwing in some breakfast ideas.
I’m excited to share with you some of our family favorites. You can print this post along with each individual recipe. Easter is one of my favorite holidays that we celebrate. It’s not about the bunnies and the Easter egg hunts or even the baskets filled with goodies. Those are all fun things to do but it’s not why we celebrate Easter. Christians observe Easter as the joyful climax of Holy Week, following Good Friday (the day of the crucifixion). The resurrection demonstrates Jesus’ divinity and conquest of the grave, offering hope of new life.
The Origin of Easter
The celebration originates directly from the New Testament accounts of Jesus’ death during the Jewish festival of Passover (Pesach) and his resurrection shortly afterward (around 30–33 AD). Early Christians, many of whom were Jewish, linked the resurrection to Passover themes of deliverance and new life. They initially commemorated it in connection with the Jewish calendar.
- Early observance: Christians celebrated the resurrection weekly on Sunday (the “Lord’s Day”), as evidenced in New Testament passages like Acts 20:7. An annual festival called Pascha (from the Greek/Hebrew for Passover) emerged by the mid-2nd century, with references in writings like those of Melito of Sardis. Debates (such as the Quartodeciman controversy) over exact timing—whether to tie it strictly to the 14th of Nisan (Jewish Passover) or always to a Sunday—show it was already a well-established Christian practice by around 150–160 AD.
- Standardization: The First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, convened by Emperor Constantine, resolved disputes by decreeing that Easter (Pascha) should be celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox (around March 21 in the Julian calendar). This aimed for unity across the church and independence from the Jewish calendar. Easter can thus fall between March 22 and April 25. The Eastern and Western churches sometimes calculate it differently today due to calendar variations (Julian vs. Gregorian).
Just like we set out a nativity at Christmas for Jesus’ birth, set this Easter Nativity out in your home so we can remember that Christ died and rose again on this day.
Meat/Protein
I know ham is a traditional meat to serve for Easter, however, my daughter has mastered the smoker over the past several years. We love having a smoked brisket or even a whole turkey (depending on the size of the crowd we have).
Appetizers
Sides
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Breads
Desserts
Breakfast
Resources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter
I hope you enjoy making these recipes for you and your family for your Easter Dinner. Please share this post over on Pinterest and tag me on Instagram.
Wendy Lea Walker, NTP
Nutritional Therapy Practitioner
I’m Wendy. A wife, empty-nester mama, homemaker, homebaker, gardener and small-time farmer. I love sharing wisdom and mistakes I’ve learned along the way. Anyone can garden or homestead, no matter where you live. It’s a mindset. You just have to start somewhere. I believe food is medicine. Feed the body real whole foods and healing will begin. I’m an advocate for eating real food and enjoy sharing all my fresh-milled flour recipes. I’ve learned to slow down over the years from all the noise that came with life and enjoy creating a simple cottage home.
Leave a Reply