20 Easter Lunch Ideas That'll Wow Your Holiday Guests
Make sure the holiday lunch is a memorable meal.
Victor Protasio
Easter is a chance to celebrate with family and friends and enjoy a delicious meal. And while there’s nothing wrong with hosting an Easter brunch or dinner, there’s something about an Easter lunch that just feels right. You have the freedom to embrace egg-based dishes such as Easy Green Shakshuka and Herbed Ham and Cheese Baked Eggs, as well as heavier fare like Parsley-Garlic Salmon and Rosemary Lamb Chops. Plus, you can spend the rest of the afternoon actually enjoying the holiday and catching up with loved ones. Still, Easter lunch can be a tricky meal to plan, which is why we’ve come up with this roundup of Easter lunch ideas that will impress (and satiate) all of your holiday guests.
Related: The Most Popular Easter Traditions, Explained
Easy Green Shakshuka
Greg DuPree
This take on shakshuka is filled with the colors of spring thanks to spinach, artichokes, and salsa verde. It comes together in just 15 minutes, and is ideal for those who want to kick off their Easter celebrations earlier in the day. Serve with plenty of toasted bread so your guests can sop up every last morsel of saucy, eggy goodness.
Bitter Greens and Beet Salad
Victor Protasio
This stunning greens and beet salad recipe is one to turn heads, making it a shoe-in for Easter lunch. Here, eye-catching roasted red and golden beets are nestled in a bed of vibrant and bitter radicchio leaves, while a sprinkling of toasted pecans brings texture and an unexpected hint of umami. And let’s not forget the shallot honey-mustard vinaigrette that ties everything together.
Green Bean and Celery Salad
Greg Dupree
Packed with green vegetables, this salad is a spring menu must, though it really works in any season. You’ll find fresh haricots verts alongside crisp apple and refreshing celery, plus a punchy dressing that includes plenty of fresh ginger. This salad pairs perfectly with a heartier Easter dish, such as lamb or salmon.
Green Goddess Pasta Salad
Pasta salad never fails, and this recipe is perfect for any special spring occasions. Everything is bathed in green goddess dressing, which is made with parsley, dill, and basil, plus crisp-tender broccoli. In this dish you’ll also find tarragon, mayonnaise, sour cream, and umami-rich anchovies, as well as briny, salty feta, pungent chives, and a sprinkling of crushed pita chips on top.
Herbed Ham and Cheese Baked Eggs
Victor Protasio
We love this dish for Easter lunch because it’s satiating without being too heavy for a mid-day meal. The savory baked eggs are studded with onion, Gouda cheese, and chives, with ham scattered on top. To ensure this dish is warm when you serve it for Easter lunch, simply cover it with aluminum foil and reheat it in a 350°F oven until warmed through. It shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes.
Parsley-Garlic Salmon
Victor Protasio
This gorgeous, flavorful salmon serves eight, making it a great choice for Easter lunch. The fish is coated in a sauce made with mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, lemon, and of course, parsley and garlic, which is the undisputed star of the dish. Serve with a side salad or some roasted spring vegetables and dig in.
Grilled Lamb With Plum Mostarda and Blistered Shishitos
For many, it’s tradition to make lamb for Easter. And while lamb might not be the lightest lunch option, this recipe is a great choice if you’re hosting a mid-day Easter celebration. Here, a boneless leg of lamb is seasoned, grilled, and served alongside a bright plum mostarda. Plus, quick-cooking blistered shishitos round out the dish. If you’re pressed for time, go ahead and marinate the lamb the night before. You’ll be rewarded with an especially juicy final product.
Eggplant Tart With Lemon and Feta
Greg DuPree
This colorful, savory tart would fit right in as part of an Easter lunch spread. The stunning dish features thinly sliced eggplant that melts right into the buttery pastry, as well as thin slices of lemon that add plenty of brightness. Meanwhile, creamy feta brings the flavor, as does a bold za’atar spice blend that’s sprinkled on the whole thing.
Smoky-Sweet Steak Supper
CAITLIN BENSEL
This simple recipe delivers an elegant steak meal in 30 minutes. While it can totally work for dinner, we like it as an elevated lunch too, especially if you’re celebrating something. The steak is seasoned with a brown sugar-and-paprika mixture, grilled, and served alongside blanched green beans and fresh tomatoes that have been tossed in an anchovy-spiked vinaigrette.
Related: 26 Easter Side Dishes That Will Go With Any Main Course
Egg & Smoked Salmon Tart
Greg DuPree
An Easter lunch recipe that requires just five ingredients? You bet. This picture-perfect tart boasts a store-bought puff pastry base topped with runny eggs, ribbons of smoked salmon, and a generous schmear of scallion crème fraîche. As a meal, this serves four, but you can also cut it up into smaller pieces and serve it as an appetizer instead.
Farro Salad With Brown Butter Vinaigrette
Victor Protasio
Brown butter is the star of this fresh salad, which also includes hearty farro, chopped asparagus, and petit peas. Crunchy pistachios, juicy orange segments, and salty feta add texture and flavor, while the rich vinaigrette is so good you’ll want to smother it on just about everything. This is a great option for a lighter Easter lunch, but can also be served alongside lamb or grilled chicken.
Rosemary Lamb Chops
Greg DuPree
Stick to the tradition of serving lamb on Easter with this dish that works for dinner or an elevated lunch. An herby mayo-and-olive topping keeps the meat super juicy, while an olive-and-rosemary bulgur with smashed cucumber rounds out the meal. The best part? Everything is ready in just 15 minutes.
Sweet Chili Salmon Salad
This 35-minute meal is sweet, spicy, and definitely worthy of company. The secret here is a bottle of store-bought sweet chili sauce, which glazes the salmon and is the base of the zesty salad dressing that also includes lime juice and salt. The fatty fish gets tossed with peppery arugula and radishes, crisp sugar snap peas, crunchy sunflower seeds, and luscious avocado, resulting in a balanced meal.
Greek Chicken and Potatoes
The secret to this colorful sheet pan meal is marinating a whole chicken in an oregano-spiced lemon marinade, which both tenderizes and flavors the meat. Once roasted potatoes and broccolini join in on the fun, you’ve got a complete, balanced dish that’s delicious and easy to make.
Smoked Salmon Flatbread
VICTOR PROTASIO
While this dish works for dinner, it’s a perfectly suitable lunch option that your Easter guests will love. Here, you’ll slather store-bought naan with a flavor-boosted cream cheese mixture made with lemon zest, chives, and garlic. Smoked salmon, thin slices of red onion, a sprinkling of briny capers, and peppery arugula complete the dish.
Spring Pasta Salad
Celebrate spring (and Easter) with this flavorful and quick pasta salad that's filled with peppery radishes and crisp sugar snap peas—two of the season's finest vegetables. The casarecce pasta used here is perfect for soaking up sauce, which in this case is a honey-mustard vinaigrette spiked with shallots and lemon zest. You'll also find mint and salty ricotta salata, which add a bit of freshness and saltiness, respectively.
Lemony Chopped Salad With Pita
Crunchy veggies (fresh cucumbers, spicy radishes, and tart cherry tomatoes) elevate this lemony chopped salad, which is perfect for a light Easter lunch or side. The meal offers plenty of plant-based protein with its roasted chickpeas, but you can always add chicken or steak to please the carnivores at your holiday table.
Warm Roast Chicken Salad
What we love about this salad is that it pairs roasted chicken breasts with bright and nutritious ingredients, such as sweet and tangy citrus fruits, peppery arugula, and bitter radicchio. Baby potatoes add heartiness, while a buttermilk-based dressing compliments the chicken and the greens beautifully.
Related: 27 Essential, Easy Chicken Recipes for Every Day of the Week
Tuna, Chickpea and Cherry Tomato Salad
Greg DuPree
Chunks of oil-packed canned tuna and tender chickpeas mingle with buttery olives, briny feta, juicy cherry tomatoes, and crunchy pita chips in this 15-minute dish. The best part about this hearty salad is that you don’t even need to go near your oven or stove, which is ideal if you’re preparing a bunch of Easter dishes at once.
Saucy Simmered Eggs
This quick take on shakshuka is perfect for a celebratory brunch or lunch. Italian spices and a jar of marinara help this dish come together quickly and, once you infuse the sauce with sautéed onion, you’re nearly done. Serve with plenty of crusty bread to dunk into those jammy poached egg yolks.
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