Planning an Easter Lunch That’s Simple and Delicious
April 2, 2012
•Le Cordon Bleu
•Le Cordon Bleu
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Planning an Easter Lunch That’s Simple and Delicious
If you’ve decided to forego that expensive Easter brunch at your favorite restaurant this year, then you’re probably looking for tips and ideas for hosting your own Easter brunch at home. It doesn’t matter if you have hospitality industry training or not. You can put on a great brunch of your own with just a few good ideas and some friends.
The perfect Easter brunch offers a variety of savory and sweet items to choose from – some taken from breakfast, some taken from lunch. Your menu choices won’t be able to please all of your guests, but careful planning and choices will guarantee that everyone finds one or two favorites.
The Main Dish
Easter meals often center on a baked ham or roasted lamb. Don’t be afraid or embarrassed to buy a pre-made honey-glazed ham from that well-known chain or someplace similar. The price is not much more than buying a raw ham and preparing it yourself, and they are really quite tasty.
If you’re looking to cook lamb, you should custom order from a butcher or specialty store. The quality of grocery store lamb is good enough to satisfy FDA regulations, but there is a significant taste difference.
Once done, both ham and lamb can be set up in a homemade carving station, just like at that fancy hotel brunch. Again, you don’t need hospitality industry training to do this. The most important thing is to keep your meats warm at your carving station. You can easily find heat lamps at your local restaurant supply store or online.
Role with Casseroles
For ease and convenience, nothing beats a casserole. They serve at least six people, and most can be made the day before and cooked on Easter morning. You can also cook several at one time. We recommend doing at least two, one savory and one sweet.
Salads
Whether fruits or greens, salads make a wonderful addition to any Easter brunch menu. Most baby greens or spinach salads can be served with fresh or canned fruits like raisins, blueberries, apples, strawberries, and mandarin oranges. Be sure to take the time to make homemade dressings. Your guests will appreciate the effort.
Desserts
Instead of the traditional Jell-O mold, serve a large bowl of fresh fruits like strawberries, blueberries, grapes, and varieties of melons with a homemade fruit dip. A simple dip of whipped cream, cream cheese, and cherry juice can be put together in minutes.
Take advantage of those baking classes you took last summer and prepare a couple of different pastries or muffins, cupcakes, and sugar cookies, if you haven’t used that coupon yet. Even without the baking classes, however, hot cross buns are a simple Easter-themed treat your guests will love.
Potluck
Easter brunch is a great time to throw a potluck meal. Ask your guests to bring their favorite dishes. Find out what they are bringing beforehand so that you can provide complimentary foods.
Follow these tips for planning an Easter brunch and you may never go back to that expensive restaurant again – at least for Easter brunch.
This article is presented by Le Cordon Bleu. Le Cordon Bleu offers culinary, pâtisserie and baking, and hospitality and restaurant management training programs across the United States. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit Chefs.edu for more information.
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