Plan the perfect Easter dinner with this complete guide covering Easter recipes, what to serve, how much to buy, cooking times, side dishes, desserts, and leftover ideas.

Easter Main Dishes

The centerpiece of your Easter dinner sets the tone for the entire meal. Below are the most popular options, along with tips and recipes.

Easter Ham

Easter ham is the most searched and most served Easter main dish. It’s easy to prepare, feeds a crowd, and tastes delicious served hot or at room temperature.

If you’re serving ham this Easter, start with our complete guide on how to cook a ham for Easter, and don’t forget to calculate how much ham per person you’ll need for your guest list.

Helpful Guides and Recipes:

• Double Smoked Ham
• Baked Ham With Pineapple
• Ham Gravy
• Spiral Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze – Coming Soon!
• Ham Temperature Chart – Coming Soon!
• How Long to Cook Ham Per Pound – Coming Soon!
• How To Cook a Ham for Easter – Coming soon!

Roast Lamb for Easter

Roast lamb is a traditional Easter centerpiece in many households. A bone-in leg of lamb makes an impressive main dish, while rack of lamb works beautifully for smaller gatherings.

If you’re serving lamb this Easter, start with our complete guide on how to cook lamb for Easter, and don’t forget to calculate how much lamb per person you’ll need for your guest list.

Helpful Guides and Lamb Recipes:

• Lamb Lollipops with a mint Lamb Chop Marinade
• Smoked Rack of Lamb
• Sous Vide Lamb Leg
• Lamb Seasoning
• Lamb Sauce
• How Long to Roast Lamb Per Pound – Coming Soon!

A bone-in leg of lamb makes an impressive holiday centerpiece, while rack of lamb works beautifully for intimate dinners.

Prime Rib or Roast Beef

If you want something slightly different but equally impressive, prime rib recipes or roast beef is a luxurious option for Easter Sunday.

Helpful reads:

• Prime Rib for Easter
• Smoked Prime Rib
• Reverse Sear Prime Rib
• Temperature Chart for Prime Rib
• How To Cook Prime Rib

How Much Food Do You Need for Easter Dinner

One of the biggest questions when hosting is: how much should I buy?

Here’s a quick general guideline when serving Easter as the main meal:

• Ham (boneless): ½ pound per person
• Ham (bone-in): ¾ to 1 pound per person
• Lamb (boneless): ½ to ⅔ pound per person
• Lamb (bone-in): ¾ to 1 pound per person
• Prime Rib: ¾ to 1 pound per person

For full breakdowns and charts, see:

• How Much Ham Per Person
• How Much Lamb Per Person
• How Much Prime Rib Per Person

If you love leftovers, plan for an extra ¼ pound per guest.

Easter Dinner Temperature & Cooking Charts

Cooking meat properly ensures it’s both safe and delicious. Internal temperature matters more than cooking time alone.

Most searched Easter temperature guides:

• Ham Internal Temperature Chart – Coming Soon!
• Lamb Temperature Chart
• Roast Beef Temperature Guide

Always use a meat thermometer to avoid overcooking and to ensure food safety.

Best Easter Side Dishes

Easter sides are often fresh and seasonal. Popular options include sautéed asparagus, brussels sprouts, maple glazed carrots, roasted baby carrots, and homemade rolls.

I’ll be adding the full collection of Easter side dishes shortly.

Traditional Easter Desserts

Easter desserts are often light, sweet, and inspired by the flavors of spring. Popular options include carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, coconut cream pie, Italian Easter bread, pastel sugar cookies, and simple no-bake treats.

Choose one classic dessert or offer a small variety to create a festive and memorable ending to your Easter dinner.

Popular Easter sweets include:

• Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Cream Cheese Banana Bread
• Peach Crisp
• Coconut Cream Pie
• Italian Easter Bread
• Easter Sugar Cookies
• Peach Dump Cake
• Pineapple Dump Cake

Wine Pairings for Easter Dinner

The right wine can elevate your Easter dinner, whether you’re serving ham, lamb, or prime rib. For detailed recommendations and specific bottle suggestions, explore our in-depth pairing guides below:

• Wine Pairings with Ham – Coming Soon!
• Wine Pairings with Lamb
• Wine Pairings with Prime Rib

What to Do With Easter Leftovers

One of the best parts of Easter dinner is turning leftovers into easy, flavorful meals for the days that follow. Whether you served ham, lamb, or prime rib, here are simple ways to repurpose each protein:

• Leftover Ham
  • Ham and cheese sliders
  • Ham breakfast casserole
  • Split pea soup
  • Ham and Swiss sandwiches
• Leftover Lamb
  • Lamb gyros or wraps
  • Mediterranean lamb salad
  • Lamb fried rice
  • Shepherd’s pie
• Leftover Prime Rib
  • Prime rib sandwiches
  • Steak and potato hash
  • Prime rib tacos
  • Beef and mushroom pasta