Make Ahead Easter Dinner Recipes

Easter is this Sunday and I'm looking forward to celebrating with my family and friends all weekend.  On Sunday, my family and I will attend our church's Sunrise Service, eat at the high school youth's group's Easter Breakfast, and then we'll participate in our church's Easter Egg Hunt.  By the time that is all said and done there isn't much time to get ready for dinner with 20 of our family and friends.  So thanks to the Celebrate 365's Easter Recipes Blog Party, I've got a lot of recipes that will help me to have a great day of fellowship, with delicious food, that won't make me stuck in the kitchen all day.

Make Ahead Main Dishes

Ham Balls, Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids

Ham Balls are the perfect dish to include at your Easter dinner.  My recipe makes 12 portions and the best part is that you can make these ahead of time and keep them in the refrigerator, ready to pop in the oven for an hour when you get home for church.  You can also make them a day before, two days before, a week before, whenever, freeze them, and then warm them up in a crock pot.

Easy Citrus Ham, Jolene's Recipe Journal

This easy ham recipe from Jolene's Recipe Journal is perfect for a busy Easter morning.  I love all of the citrus flavors you'll get from this crock-pot ham recipe and that you'll be able to free up space in your oven by making your ham this way.

Make Ahead Side Dishes

Overnight Salad, Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids

My Overnight Salad recipe is always a winner.  First, it makes a huge salad - enough to feed my entire dinner group of 20!  Second, you make it the night before and all you have to do is mix it up five minutes before you're ready to serve it.  Third, it has bacon in it! 😉

Rainbow Delight Salad, The Frugal Pantry

This Rainbow Delight Salad not only has bright colors, but it has bright flavors!  Jan of The Frugal Pantry shares how you can make this salad sugar-free too.  This salad is also best after being refrigerated overnight.  Just before you are ready to serve, flip the salad out onto a serving tray and guests can take as big or small of a piece as they'd like.

Deviled Eggs, A Delightful Glow

Easter isn't complete without some Deviled Eggs, am I right?  And with the amount of hard-boiled eggs I have in my refrigerator after having four kids dying eggs, I always volunteer to bring some!  You can make the hard boiled eggs anytime the week ahead and you can even make the entire deviled egg a day ahead of time.  I usually cut my hard boiled eggs in half and make the inside mixture the day ahead, so then all I have to do the day of is pipe the mixture into the eggs.

Make Ahead Desserts

Easter Egg Blondies, Cooking with Carlee

These Easter Egg Blondies are a perfect dessert for all ages and can be made ahead of time, but warning - probably not too far ahead of time, otherwise you won't have any left...  I actually made these a week ago after seeing them on the Celebrate 365 Blog Party and they were a hit with everyone (and they were gone in just a few days...).

Chocolate Bunny Brownies, Kate's Recipe Box

These brownies are not only festive, but they are simple to make!  They will definitely be an attention getter at your Easter Dinner Dessert table and they are perfect for making ahead of time.  All you'll have to worry about is who gets what part of the bunny while serving the brownies.

Easy Lemon Pie, Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids

I'm looking forward to having a slice of my Easy Lemon Pie on Sunday, and I appreciate that I can make it anytime this week and it'll be ready for Easter.  All you need to do to this simple pie is add a dollop of whipped cream, if you so choose, when serving and you're good to go.

So no matter if you're traveling for Easter or hosting, it is always great to have some recipes you can make ahead of time.  Thanks to everyone that linked up to the Celebrate 365 Easter Recipes Blog Party.  Be sure to check out all 80 recipes shared!  What is on your Easter menu?  Let me know and Comment for a Cause.