Easter is a time of year when the whole family gets together. The right food beautifully prepared can keep them at the table longer, talking and sharing stories, essentially growing closer.
Build Your Perfect Easter Dinner Side Dishes Around the Entree
Choosing the mainstay meat dish of the day is the first thing on the list and some homes will serve perhaps a couple of choices. But the real beauty and variety of a great Easter dinner is in the side dishes you lay along side the main course.The holiday may have deep religious roots with Jews and Christians alike, but to be perfectly honest, personal of all faiths are pretty much focused on the food before them at the dinner table. Keep them interested and satisfied with a variety of Easter dinner ideas which don't take much time, money or effort to create and enjoy. Planning your Easter Dinner ahead and preparing what you can the day before will leave the cook and host in a better mood to enjoy his or her company!
Beef is popular at Easter dinner for its versatility and accepted status with most religious groups. It must be a kosher cut for those of Jewish faith. What this means is a roast or some other beef dish can be used to feed people from many different faiths.
It seems poultry like turkey, duck or chicken have always gone over well at Easter dinners. Nobody will have a problem with a heaping pile of turkey or duck meat and there are many, good side dish foods with which one can accent these birds. Corn, cooked in its own juices and seasoned with salt and pepper is a simple vegetable dish which will go far with bird meats. If you really want to rock, however why not use the corn and add lima beans and tomatoes to create a colorful succotash.
Chicken is notoriously better when complimented with sharp, citrus fruits like oranges, or earthy, fatty nuts like peanuts or cashews. Cranberries as a jelly or juice is another good fruit choice; rich in antioxidants, cranberries add flavor and nutrition to any Easter dinner.
A big, fat, Easter ham could be just the ticket for feeding a large family. Easter is, after all, a Christian holiday and thankfully there are no religious tenets preventing these folks from digging into a side of beef, pork or lamb. Each of these has it's most perfect side compliments. Lamb makes us think of mint, ham is lost without a side of sweet potatoes or baked beans and pork is exquisite with apples and plums baked on the side or in the ensuing dessert.
Mashed potatoes compliment almost any meal with their own starchy texture and more flavor can be added with crushed garlic to make an excellent side. Try scalloped or twice baked mashed and baked potatoes smothered in cheddar cheese for an even fancier feast. And if you are game a side dish of steaming flavorful Easter dinner gravy is always appreciated without the lumps, please.
As for vegetable side dishes, consider corn, on or off the cob, creamed or not and any of many green, leafy selections like spinach, kale or collard greens. This is not the only meal choice for Easter dinner though; many other opportunities exist.
Asparagus tips or whole shoots are soft, succulent and a great side addition to any Spring time or holiday meal when prepared correctly, as in "Do not overcook!" They are as well as highly nutritious. Known as a natural diuretic and as containing a lot of sulfur, asparagus might not be the very best answer for all. So, consider a different vegetable to prevent any unflattering events. Peas, creamed or not, green beans in a mushroom sauce or almadine crunchy topping go over really well.
Consider a fresh Spring fruit salad fancy or plain are always a great complimentary fruit dish and we know the kids are always looking for the jello. something like apples, pears or other non-citrus fruit. Or in place of fresh fruit make a fast and easy sorbet at the last minute by whirring fresh frozen raspberries, strawberries or other fruit in a blender. A fantastic side appetizer!
With three to five different meat choices and a veritable horde of fruits, vegetables and other complimentary foods, Easter dinner can be an Easter smorgasbord of great eats. Remember to cook food appropriately for those who will be at Easter dinner and there won't be any problems. The meals outlined above are only examples of Easter dinner themes.
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