Easter brunch recipes highlight eggs, spring ingredients
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Whether your Easter morning involves a sunrise service, an egg hunt or just relaxing at home, at some point you’re going to need a good meal — boiled eggs and chocolate bunnies aren’t going to sustain you for the whole day.
Easter brunch is a tradition for many people, whether prepared at home or eaten at a restaurant.
“Even in Bible times, it was all about food,” said Theresa Kappel, who hosts family holiday gatherings with her husband, Wayne, in their Ligonier Township home. “The people always gathered around the table to celebrate.”
A hearty Easter repast is often centered around a glazed ham or leg of lamb, complemented by an array of other savory and sweet dishes.
Here are some recipes guaranteed to make for a tasty and memorable holiday.
Orange Cream Salad
Kappel has loved this staple of potlucks and family gatherings since childhood. It was a go-to dish for her mother to prepare for a crowd.
“I remember her making it when I was a young girl,” she said. “It’s yummy.”
Ingredients
20-ounce can pineapple tidbits, drained
16-ounce can peach chunks, drained
11-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained
2 medium sweet apples, peeled, cored and chopped
2 medium bananas peeled and sliced (to be added just before serving)
1 small box instant vanilla pudding
1 ½ cup milk
½ of a 6-ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate
¾ cup dairy sour cream
Directions
In a small bowl, combine pudding mix, milk and orange juice. Beat with mixer until blended. Beat in sour cream and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine all of the fruit except bananas. Fold in the cream mixture.
Cover and chill for 3 hours. Add bananas just before serving.
Lemon Zucchini Bread
Kappel found this recipe in a cookbook she bought as a wedding present.
“Before I wrapped it, I looked inside and saw this one, and I jotted it down,” she said.
It turned out to be a brunch favorite. She said she never told the newlyweds that their gift technically was used, but she doesn’t think they would mind.
Ingredients
3 ¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemon extract
Juice and rind of 1 lemon
2 cups grated zucchini
½ cup sweet flaked coconut
1 box instant lemon pudding
1 cup chopped walnuts
In a small bowl, sift dry ingredients together. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat eggs and oil until mixed. Add sugar, lemon extract, juice and rind. Stir in zucchini, then add flour mixture and mix well. Fold in coconut, pudding mix and walnuts
Pour into 2 greased and floured loaf pans. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.
Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and let cool completely.
Overnight Breakfast Casserole
Teri Bowes often entertains in the Greensburg home she shares with her husband, Jerry. This breakfast casserole is a frequent choice when the house is full of family members and friends, especially because it can be prepared a couple of days in advance.
Ingredients
1 pound ground breakfast sausage
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 gloves minced garlic
12 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
30-ounce bag frozen hash browns
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
Directions
Place sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook for about 10 minutes, breaking up the meat into small pieces, until no pink remains. Add onion and bell pepper, cook an additional 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, remove from heat and set aside.
Crack 12 eggs into a large mixing bowl, then beat well. Add milk, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Add the reserved sausage mixture, the entire bag of frozen hash browns and 1 cup of shredded cheese. Mix well.
Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray then add egg mixture. Spread into an even layer, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Cover dish with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove casserole from refrigerator, uncover and let it sit at room temperature while the oven preheats. Bake 40-50 minutes until the center is firm.
Remove pan to a wire rack and cool 10 minutes before serving.
Norvelt Special
Owner Shane Hissem says this is a customer favorite at Tap-It Brewery & Grill in Mt. Pleasant Township — and his family loves it, too. The recipe makes one hearty serving but can be increased to satisfy a houseful of brunch eaters.
Ingredients
¼ cup green bell pepper, diced
¼ cup yellow onion, diced
¼ cup ham, diced
¼ cup crumbled breakfast sausage (precooked)
¼ cup crumbled bacon (precooked)
¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 large eggs
4 tablespoons butter
2 medium-sized russet potatoes
Directions
Boil whole potatoes until a fork can be inserted with little resistance. Remove from water and set aside to cool. Once cooled, dice into ½-inch pieces.
Add 2 tablespoons of butter to a cast iron skillet over medium-to-high heat. Add potatoes, season with salt and pepper and cook until browned and crispy, flipping often (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat.
Add 2 tablespoons of butter to a separate large pan, melt over medium heat. Add peppers and onions, cook for 2 minutes. Add ham, sausage and bacon and cook for 3 minutes.
Whisk eggs in a separate bowl, then add to pan. Stir all ingredients in the pan until eggs are scrambled firm, about 3 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in cheese.
Plate the scramble and top with crispy home fries.
Easter Salad
Chef Brandon Gorelli of 1844 Restaurant in Gilpin said a salad is always a great addition to any meal. He said eggs are a perfect choice for Easter because of “their traditional association with the holiday.”
He complimented the eggs with Bibb lettuce, which he said allows for easy portion allocation. The other ingredients have a touch of spring.
The best time to make the salad is on Easter.
“Get everything ready the morning of, then assemble before setting up your table,” Gorelli said. “It’s easy to put together, and eats well at room temperature.”
Ingredients
1 pound cauliflower florets
1/4 cup real bacon pieces
1 head Boston or Bibb lettuce
2 large eggs
4 ounces asparagus tips
1 ripe D’ Anjou pear
1/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries
1/4 seedless lemon
Brianna’s Homestyle Poppy Seed Dressing
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees (400 degrees for a convection oven)
Place cauliflower into a bowl and toss with olive oil, kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Bake until golden brown and set aside.
Boil water with a splash of white vinegar. Gently lower eggs into water with a slotted spoon, being careful not to break. Cook 8 minutes and immediately place in an ice bath with a slotted spoon. Let cool.
Heat sauté pan to medium-high heat and brown asparagus in a teaspoon of salted butter and set aside
Pick four large leaves of lettuce, rinse in cold water and dry. Quarter pear and slice into 1/8 inch thick pieces.
Carefully peel eggs under cold running water then cut in half.
Place lettuce on platter as a bed and then top with eggs. Place roasted cauliflower, asparagus, and pears on the platter, then sprinkle cranberries and bacon on top
Heat dressing on low in a small sautéed pan and drizzle over salad.
Drizzle olive oil, squeeze lemon over, and season with fresh ground pepper and kosher salt.