Not Sure What To Serve For Easter Dinner?

Easter Day and the Easter recipes we choose to cook play an important role in our lives.

Easter is about life; it's about springtime and welcoming back the flowers and birds; it's about a warmer sun on our backs and a renewed faith in all the good we want and believe in for everyone. Easter is a day to be with family. Easter is about love.

Yes, some people will think about new suits and new dresses and as a time for chocolate bunnies, marshmallow chicks, and colored eggs. Certainly a number of children will. But for me, Easter is about being with family and friends and enjoying a great meal with them.

I recently saw a statistic that says, despite the fact that the better restaurants seem packed with people on Easter, only 35 per cent of Americans go out for their meal. That means 65 per cent of us either stay at home and cook or we are the guests of relatives who are doing so.

I will be cooking and preparing Easter dinner at my house this year for the first time in 24 years! I finally have a fully trained, very competent staff at my restaurant. They will handle everything at the business, allowing me to cook for my family, relatives and friends. I consider this a great honor, not a burden. This is one of the things I do best, and I enjoy it!

One of the most interesting things about Easter is that it is somewhat of a "melting pot" holiday, with traditions from many cultures and religions. But there is no doubt about it, food plays a big part of celebrations in every culture.

Not sure what to serve for Easter dinner? Being a traditional American, the recipes on this page are traditional Easter recipes, or would make good components to an Easter dinner. But don't stop your recipe search here. This is only a small sampling of what you will find at Real Restaurant Recipes.com

Ham is a traditional main course at this time of year, so I have included a wonderful ham recipe here, along with a secret restaurant appetizer recipe, a starch and vegetable to accompany the ham and a recipe for dessert - a fabulous Triple Chocolate And Vanilla Cheesecake.

But on my website I have many other Easter recipes from which to choose. Mix and match components of these menus or other recipes on the website to create your own perfect Easter dinner.

This Crab Artichoke Dip Appetizer is the all-time best selling appetizer at my restaurant, despite the fact that it is a bit pricey because of the crab. But it is so good my restaurant guests buy it frequently. They have asked me for this crab recipe many times and, until now, it has always been one of my secret restaurant recipes.

Hot Crab Artichoke Recipe For 8-10 Preparation time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:8 ounces cream cheese2 cups of mayonnaise3/4 pound of Dungeness crab1 cup quartered artichoke hearts1/2 cup white onions, diced1/8 teaspoon white pepper1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce1/2 teaspoon sherry vinegar1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced2 tablespoons green onions, minced2 tablespoons red pepper, minced2 tablespoons celery, minced1 1/2 teaspoons parsley, chopped1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese1 1/2 cups grated Mozzarella cheese

Instructions:In a mixer, whip the cream cheese until soft but not airyWhile the cream cheese is mixing, prepare the crab, artichoke hearts, onions, garlic, red pepper, celery, parsley and cheesesWhen the cream cheese is softened, fold in the remaining ingredients, adding the cheeses lastRefrigerate until ready to useBake in a baking dish in a pre-heated 375 degree F oven for 10 minutes or until lightly browned on top and bubbly around the edges

Serve with thinly sliced French bread and/or artisan crackers

Apricot Glazed Ham RecipePreparation time: 1 1/2 hours. Serves 15.

Ingredients:One 5 pound old fashioned smoked, boneless ham1 cup apricot nectar1 cup apricot preserves1/2 cup orange marmalade1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions:Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees FPlace the ham and apricot nectar in your roasting panIn a small mixing bowl, combine the preserves, marmalade, cinnamon and nutmegSpread the mixture over the surface of the ham and loosely cover the ham with foilBake for 1 1/4 hours basting your ham with pan juices every 20 minutesUsing a thermometer, check the internal temperature of the ham and remove it from the oven when the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees FSlice the ham and place slices on a serving platter and spoon the pan juice over the slices ham

Scalloped Potatoes Basic, Easy Scallop Potato Recipe Preparation time: 20 minutes. Serves 8-10.

Ingredients:1/2 cup butter, melted8 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (I am fortunate to have a mandoline, otherwise slice the potatoes with your knife)2 medium onions, diced2 cups heavy creamSea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to tasteGround Allspice, optionalFresh parsley, minced

Instructions:Preheat oven to 325 degrees FGrease a shallow baking pan with some melted butterPlace a layer of potato slices on the bottom of the pan and sprinkle with half the onion, salt and pepper to tastePlace a second layer of sliced potatoes over the first layerRepeat the layering process until all the potato slices are gonePour the heavy cream over the potatoes, sprinkle again with salt and pepper and if you wish - AllSpiceDrizzle the remainder of the butter on topBake for one hour in the oven or until most of the cream is absorbed and the top is golden to golden brownSprinkle parsley on top to serve

Fresh Green Bean RecipePreparation time: 5 minutes (once your Dill Butter is prepared). Serves 4.

Ingredients:1 pound green beansDill Butter (or simply use regular butter and salt and pepper if you prefer)

Instructions:Wash beans thoroughly in clear, cold water and trim the endsIf using baby green beans, you probably do not need to cut them into smaller pieces. Otherwise you may want to cut the green beans at least in half. You can cut them straight across or at an anglePlace green beans in a pot of boiling water and blanch them for 3-4 minutes (Some people add a bit of salt to the boiling water, but this is optional and there should be plenty of room in the pot but don't use more water than you have to. If you are cooking more beans than you have room for, it's okay to cook them in batches.)Drain beans in a colanderPlace your Dill Butter in a skillet or sauté pan over medium-low heat to melt the butterPut beans in the pan with the Dill Butter and heat thoroughly, making sure the beans are re-heated but not over-cookedPlate beans and serve

Dill Butter RecipePreparation time: 15 minutes. Makes enough for using with bean recipe above.

Ingredients:1/4 pound soft butter1 table spoon chopped or minced fresh dill1/2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic3/4 teaspoon lemon juice

Instructions:Coarsely chop the dill and process in a food processor with the butter, garlic and lemon juice (or mix thoroughly with a fork)Shape the mixture into a roll and wrap in parchment paper or wax paper and twist the endsStore in freezer until needed

Triple Chocolate And Vanilla CheesecakeFavorite Restaurant Dessert Recipe For Home CooksPreparation time: 30 minutes. Serves 12.

Ingredients For Crust:4 1/2 ounces Oreo cookie crumbs1/2 ounce melted butter

Instructions For Crust:Combine the Oreo cookie crumbs and the butter in a mixing bowl and pour into a springform panSpread the crumbs over the bottom and press down with your hands to firm itSmooth the crust with the back of a spoonChill in the freezer while preparing the cheescake

Ingredients For Cheesecake:2 pounds softened cream cheese1/3 cup flour14 ounces of Eagle Brand condensed milk (no substituting, this is an important ingredient)7 whole eggs1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla4 ounces chocolate chips, melted

Instructions For Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe:In a Kitchenaid mixer, beat the cream cheese on low and then beat until fluffyOn low speed, add the flour and mix wellGradually add the Eagle Brand condensed milk, mixing until smoothAdd eggs and vanilla and mix wellPour half of the batter into the prepared crust in the springform panAdd the melted chocolate chips into the remaining batter and mix wellPour the chocolate batter evenly oven the white layer in the springform panBake in a pre-heated 325 degree F oven for about 40 minutesCool the cheesecake out of the refrigerator until the cheesecake is room temperature, then refrigerate

Ingredients For Glaze:4 ounces of chocolate chips1/3 cup whipping cream (not whipped)

Instructions For Glaze:Combine chocolate chips and cream in a sauce pan over low heat to melt chips and combineCool slightly, pour over the cheesecake and refrigerate

Enjoy your Easter recipes and the company of those you share them with! Cultivate the love!