6 Springy Easter Recipes You Need Right Now
Easter hosting comes with enough chaos: We're talking wrangling kids hopped up on chocolate, squeezing in a last-minute egg hunt or trying to keep your aunt from redecorating your table setting.
But the food? That should be the easy part.
These recipes strike the right note between festive and stress-free, whether you celebrate traditionally or are using the holiday as an excuse for a fantastic midday meal with your favorite people. There’s fresh spring brightness in deviled asparagus and snap pea salad, a creamy, end-of-winter luxuriance in potatoes au gratin and a skillet carrot cake that skips the fuss of layers but still delivers big on flavor.
1. Hot Cross Buns
These fluffy, spiced buns studded with dried fruit are an Easter staple, with the cross piped on top believed to represent the Christian cross. Some trace their origins even further back to pre-Christian spring celebrations. No matter their history, they’re a “quintessential Easter treat,” says recipe developer Clare Maguire. Best eaten the day they’re made, any extras are delicious split and griddled in butter—or turned into a next-level French toast bake. Baking them in your Small Hybrid Roasting Pan gives the buns just enough room to rise while nestling against each other for soft, pull-apart edges.
2. Glazed Ham With Pomegranate Relish
Sure, a store-bought ham gets the job done, but baking your own bone-in spiral ham is well worth the effort. This glaze leans on pomegranate juice for tartness, red wine vinegar for depth, brown sugar for sweetness and honey for that signature glossy finish. There's also a hit of Dijon for sharp balance. A quick orange-scented shallot-and-pomegranate relish ties it all together. Serve slices alongside the gratin and save the leftovers for piling onto a fresh batch of dinner rolls. (P.S. More of an Easter lamb kind of person? You'll love our Rosemary-Dijon Leg of Lamb Roast.)
3. HexClassic Potatoes Au Gratin
When making potatoes au gratin, there’s no room for shortcuts. You're gonna need a generous amount of garlic- and thyme-infused heavy cream, russet potatoes that soak up every bit of creamy goodness and a shower of cheese (ours is a delectable 2:1 ratio of Gruyère and pecorino). A must-have for Easter, this recipe is worth keeping in your back pocket for future dinner parties. It’s just as good alongside roast chicken as it is with pork chops or seared steak. Leftovers are fine microwaved, but for the best results, reheat them in a 350º/175º oven until bubbling, or crisp them in butter in your Hybrid Fry Pan.
4. “Deviled” Asparagus
A surefire way to make asparagus even better? Top it with the best parts of a deviled egg. Hard-cooked eggs, steamed in your Steamer Basket, get grated into a pillowy garnish, while a deviled egg–inspired hollandaise—made with egg yolks, lemon juice and a touch of cayenne—adds richness. Steamed asparagus spears get draped in the sauce, then finished with the grated egg, paprika, dill and chives for a little extra flair.
5. Snap Pea & Radish Salad
A hit of freshness and crunch is essential to any Easter spread, balancing out the richer mains. This bright, crisp salad highlights just-in-season sugar snap peas and tender rounds of radish, tossed in a light dressing that lets the peas' natural sweetness shine. It’s the kind of dish that feels like spring on a plate.
6. Skillet Carrot Cake
This carrot cake doesn’t hold back, mixing grated carrot with crushed pineapple, raisins and pecans for extra texture and flavor. Not a fan of those mix-ins? Swap in equal parts of your favorite dried fruits and nuts. The frosting takes a detour from tradition, incorporating browned butter for a rich, nutty twist that complements the pecans. Baked in your 4.5QT/4.3L Hybrid Deep Sauté Pan, the cake can be frosted and served straight from the pan or turned out onto a platter for a more polished presentation. Either way, it’s an easy, crowd-pleasing Easter (or anytime) dessert. Happy spring!
