Easter

50 Easy, Make-Ahead Easter Recipes We Love

With this prep-in-advance spread—including entrées, side dishes, and desserts—you'll have plenty of time to hunt for Easter eggs.
Two bowls of cream of asparagus soup.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Simon Andrews
  • Colorful Easter eggs on a blue plate.
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    1/50

    Naturally Dyed Pickled Easter Eggs

    Put down the food coloring and make super-colorful eggs that you'll actually want to eat.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Simon Andrews
    2/50

    Italian Easter Bread

    This sweet, yeasted bread can be made up to 2 days ahead or frozen for up to one week.

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  • Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott, Prop Styling by Amy Wilson, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    3/50

    Cold Roast Salmon With Smashed Green Bean Salad

    Served chilled, this entire dish can be made a full day ahead, and will keep you calm, cool, and collected at your Easter dinner.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Simon Andrews
    4/50

    Cream of Asparagus Soup (Crème d'asperges)

    This classic French soup is simple and make-ahead friendly, and a perfect choice for entertaining when asparagus is in season.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    5/50

    Grand Aioli

    Make the various elements for this casual French dinner in the days leading up to Easter, then simply assemble everything on a platter to serve.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova
    6/50

    Cowboy Breakfast Casserole With Sausage and Spinach

    Assemble this easy sausage, egg, and cheese strata the night before you plan to bake it. Then toss it straight from the fridge into the oven—no need to preheat!—while you make coffee and slice some fruit to serve alongside for a casual, comfortable breakfast.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Simon Andrews
    7/50

    Chocolate Mousse

    The great thing about mousse is that it has to be made ahead. That means dessert is ready whenever you are.

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  • Photo by Andrew Purcell, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell
    8/50

    Deviled Egg Salad Spread

    Easier to assemble that a dozen deviled eggs, this spread makes great crostini for an Easter appetizer.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog
    9/50

    Brown Sugar–Mustard Glazed Ham

    A classic brown sugar–Dijon glaze gives this ham amazing flavor. Roast it a day ahead and serve it cold or at room temperature on Easter Sunday.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    10/50

    Citrusy Haricots Verts

    It doesn’t take much to make slender, tender green beans memorable—lemon zest and orange zest warmed in olive oil provide sensational sparkle.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Susan Spungen
    11/50

    Grapefruit Bars with Candied Zest

    With an easy press-in crust, these bars can be made in their entirety up to 3 days in advance. The candied zest garnish is pretty, but by no means necessary if you'd rather skip it.

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  • Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    12/50

    Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

    You can make and chill these mashed potatoes up to two days before you plan to serve them.

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  • Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott, Prop Styling by Amy Wilson, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    13/50

    Cold Roast Lamb with Marinated Eggplant

    Pop the garlic-and-rosemary-rubbed leg of lamb and the eggplant spears into the oven together and they’ll be done at the same time. The dish is designed to be served cold, so you won't even need to reheat anything.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Grace Parisi
    14/50

    Quiche Sardou

    Both the tart shell and the filling for this luscious quiche can be prepped ahead, making it a great dish for brunch entertaining.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    15/50

    Citrus-and-Dill Gravlax

    Many gravlax recipes will instruct you to drain, turn, and babysit the fish while it cures. Not this one: Set it and forget it. Three days later it will be done.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog
    16/50

    Jammy Eggs With Smoked Paprika Aioli

    This irresistible appetizer is just as delicious as deviled eggs, but a whole lot easier to make.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    17/50

    Spring Lamb in Herbs

    Like most roasts, this one is every better served a day or two after it's made. If you want to serve it warm, set oven to 200°F, place the meat and juices in a roasting pan, cover with foil, and reheat for about 20 minutes.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    18/50

    Classic Carrot-Coconut Cake

    Pretty much anything covered in cream-cheese frosting will be a slam-dunk dessert. And this carrot-coconut cake hybrid is no exception.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Susan Spungen
    19/50

    Double Pecan Thumbprints

    These buttery pecan buttons are filled with a sweetened nut butter and topped with a pecan half. Dusting them powdered sugar before baking creates a crackly, glossy coating. Feel free to add more afterward as well.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    20/50

    Creamy Potato and Leek Gratin

    Cutting leeks into large pieces gives them a presence equal to disks of potato, while cooking the vegetables separately before combining—the leeks are braised in butter, the spuds are simmered in milk and cream—preserves their distinct flavors.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog
    21/50

    Pickled Shrimp

    Pickled shrimp is a classic Southern appetizer that comes together in minutes and is best made several days before you plan to serve it.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    22/50

    Cheesy Corn Spoon Bread

    Bake this spoonbread up to several hours before you want to serve it, and then reheat just until warmed through before serving.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Diana Yen
    23/50

    Giant Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup

    An Easter dessert that resembles your favorite holiday candy? That's a win-win.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks
    24/50

    Lemon-Blueberry Poke Cake

    Slice into this lemony cake and you'll be greeted with a surprise: bold stripes of bright blueberry filling.

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  • Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott
    25/50

    Slow-Roast Spiced Lamb Shoulder with Sumac Onions

    At Maydān the lamb shoulder is cooked sous vide until meltingly tender and then finished in the hearth until crisp and golden brown. We adapted their recipe for a simpler oven method to similar effect.

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  • Photo by Amy Neunsinger
    26/50

    Asparagus and Fontina Quiche

    You can bake and refrigerate this quiche up to two days before serving it. Just let it come to room temperature before slicing in.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    27/50

    Orange-Ginger Pickled Baby Carrots

    Crisp pickled vegetables go brilliantly with cocktails (or with sandwiches, a hunk of cheese, a juicy steak...the possibilities are endless). Fresh ginger and dried chiles give them a bracing boost and orange juice plays up their natural sweetness.

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  • Photo by William Meppem and Chris Court
    28/50

    Honey-Roasted Vegetable Salad

    Mix and match your favorite spring vegetables into this delicious side dish. Reserve the spinach and dressing for tossing at the last minute.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Heather Greene, Food Styling by Alison Attenborough
    29/50

    Coconut-Strawberry Ice Cream Pie

    It’s pie without baking and an ice cream sundae without the fuss (not to mention the salted coconut crust). We call that a win-win-win.

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, Prop Styling by Emily Eisen, Food Styling by Molly Baz
    30/50

    Marinated Summer Squash With Hazelnuts and Ricotta

    The dish is equally good hot, cold, or at room temperature and makes an amazing side to roast ham or lamb. Keep all the components separate—the roasted squash, the toasted nuts, the ricotta—and simply layer everything on a platter when you're ready to serve.

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  • Photo by Peden + Munk, Prop Styling by Rebecca Bartoshesky, Food Styling by Sue Li
    31/50

    Spiked Ginger-Mint Lemonade

    The syrup for this refreshing punch can be made up to a month in advance and you can mix the drink together the morning of your Easter party.

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  • Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Kate Schmidt
    32/50

    Classic Blueberry Muffins

    Chock-full of berries, our ultimate muffins have just the right amount of sweetness, plus a gentle tang and tender crumb thanks to sour cream.

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  • Photo by Andrew Purcell, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell
    33/50

    Green Bean Niçoise Salad

    The best part of this lovely, composed salad just might be the crispy fried capers.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova
    34/50

    French's Green Bean Casserole

    Assemble this dish in it's entirety, reserving the topping for right before you plan to serve. Scatter the onions on top and reheat until warmed through.

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  • Photo by Bobbi Lin
    35/50

    Duchess Baked Potatoes

    If you’ve ever asked if mashed potatoes can be cooked ahead, the answer is this recipe. The texture is like that of a twice-baked potato.

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  • Photo by Andrew Purcell, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian
    36/50

    Hot Chocolate Baked French Toast

    Simply put: this is the most indulgent, decadent breakfast you can prep in advance for Easter morning.

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  • Photo by Emma Fishman
    37/50

    Cold-Brew Iced Tea

    Cold-brewing has already made your morning coffee better; now let it work wonders on your afternoon tea, too.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, food and prop styling by Ali Nardi
    38/50

    Herbed Rice with Tomatoes and Feta

    This vibrant green side dish is great served at room temperature, so you can make it a couple hours before your guests arrive for a dinner party.

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  • Photo by Ellen Silverman
    41/50

    Deviled Green Eggs With Roasted Red Pepper and Capers

    This colorful take on deviled eggs packs more flavor and far more nutrition with the addition of mustard greens jalapeño in the filling. For a punchy finishing touch, top the eggs with diced roasted red pepper and capers.

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  • Christopher Testani
    42/50

    Rhubarb-Almond Cake

    This airy almond cake is layered throughout with long stalks of rhubarb for a nutty-sweet make-ahead cake. This beauty can be enjoyed throughout the week—even for breakfast.

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  • Photo by Teri Lyn Fisher.
    43/50

    French 75 Punch

    Typically, the French 75—a bubbly combination of gin, citrus, and sparkling wine—is served int all flutes, but it makes for a great punch, too. Make the base in advance and top with ice, citrus slices, and the bubbly before serving.

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  • Chris Gentile
    44/50

    Gratin Dauphinoise (Scalloped Potatoes)

    The creamy richness of a potato gratin balances out the salty-sweet ham.

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  • Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott
    47/50

    Harissa-and-Maple-Roasted Carrots

    Just a little harissa is all you need to transform plain roasted carrots into a party-worthy side.

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  • Hirsheimer & Hamilton
    48/50

    Minty Pea Soup

    This fresh pea soup is the essence of spring. To serve it as an hors d'oeuvre, offer shot glasses filled with the vibrant, minty pea soup. You'll stretch a pot to feed a bunch, and guests will still have room for dinner.

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