There is no better reason in the South to have a delicious home cooked dinner than on Easter! Growing up, we had our most glorious family dinners on Easter and Thanksgiving. After we were done taking photos in our Easter outfits and hunting for Easter eggs it was time for our big family meal!

My siblings and I on Easter : )

I loved our Easter dinners! The weather was beautiful, and I’d get to help pick fruits and vegetables from my grandma Barb’s garden that would appear in our family feast. From juicy berries, healthy greens, and sugary sweet cherry tomatoes, Easter dinners in the South were magical.

In this blog post, I want to share some of my favorite Southern Easter recipes that are a staple on my menu.

Click on any of the recipe title links to go directly to my recipe for each dish! (Note: A lot of these blog posts are older. The photos aren’t that great but the recipes are gold! I’ll get around to redoing the photos very soon!

Southern Easter Dinner Roundup. Let’s go!!

Southern Easter Dinner Main Dishes

In the South, ham is usually the meat of choice for Easter. It’s traditionally glazed with sweet brown sugar and baked to perfection. My grandmother has only made Easter ham once that I can remember. She was raised on a farm and had strong health views on eating pork. That has somehow set the standard for generations in our family because I can only name a few folks that eat pork.

So what’s an alternative to ham on Easter? The next best thing (and probably the most popular meat served on Easter) is lamb! I love lamb, however, lamb is not something often served in the South, or maybe it’s just wasn’t served in my house.

So what’s another option? Cornish hens!!!

Roasted Cornish Hens

Roasted, well seasoned Cornish hens on a platter garnished with citrus slices, garden carrots, and fresh herbs look fresh and Springy! There was something about having my very own “turkey” that I loved as a child. It felt so fancy and I knew that Easter was the only time I’d get it.

Oven-Baked Beef Ribs

Prime rib is traditionally served on Easter but my grandmother always did huge trays of oven baked BBQ beef ribs! These ribs are fall-off-the bone good!!

Southern Easter Side Dishes

The side dishes are the best part of a Southern Easter dinner! The options are limitless, but here are a few traditional favorites.

Scalloped Potatoes

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes pair up so well with whatever meat you decide to go with, glazed ham, lamb chops, cornish hens, you name it! A cheesy pan of scallops is in order!

Honorable mentions:

Southern Baked Macaroni & Cheese

This dish deserves to be on EVERY Southern holiday table IMO.

 Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes

  Sour Cream,  Cheddar & Chives Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are always a hit in my family. I mean, let’s face it, creamy whipped mashed potatoes are a gift from heaven. You’re more than likely to find more than one potato dish on a Southern Easter Menu.

Roasted Mixed Vegetables

Vegetables get their chance to shine on Easter menus! Now’s the time to create a colorful medley of vegetables to welcome in Spring! Roasted vegetable area quick and easy way to prepare and serve an assortment of savory veggies.

Honorable mentions:

That Good Broccoli Salad

If you want to serve cold, raw vegetables, this creamy broccoli salad is a delicious way to do it! It’s so good!

Fresh Southern Creamed Corn

Southern-Style Green Beans

Fresh green beans simmered in a broth makes one savory side dish and are perfect on Easter. Or you could go with a more decadent dish and serve a green bean casserole. (my recipe coming soon)

Honorable mentions:

Soulful Collard Greens

Collard greens were always flourishing in my grandmother’s garden this time of year, so they were always on our Easter menu.

Southern Baked Candied Yams

Candied yams aren’t just for the Fall and Winter holidays! They add a beautiful pop of color and sweetness to your Easter menu and are a popular Southern side dish. Glazed carrots are another perfect Easter side dish. However, I’d much rather have candied yams than glazed carrots any day!!

Southern Spicy Deviled Eggs

No Southern Easter Menu is complete without deviled eggs! You can make deviled eggs a million ways with different add-ins like bacon and herbs. I prefer them the traditional way or kicking them up a bit with some cayenne!

Southern Potato Salad

Ham and potato salad are practically best friends, so it’s no wonder this dish is seen often on Southern Easter Menus. They go so well together. Potato salad is one of those dishes that pair up well with any savory main dish, making it a perfect companion for grilled and roasted meats! My aunt always a brings a big pan of Southern macaroni tuna salad! It’s a dish you either love or hate. I LOVE it!

Homemade Dinner Yeast Rolls

Every Easter dinner needs to have bread! Fresh, hot homemade rolls are menu staples. These delicious rolls are brushed with honey butter and so pillowy soft.

Honorable mentions:

Angel Biscuits

These light and airy biscuits are the perfect choice for a Southern Easter dinner! It’s like having a biscuit and roll all in one!

Easter Drinks

There are only two drinks that need to be on a Southern Easter Menu: Homemade Lemonade & Sweet Iced Tea! Case closed! These guys are so sweet and refreshing! Make double because they go fast!

Homemade Country Lemonade

Sweet Iced Tea

Try something different:

Strawberry Iced Tea

Fresh Peach Lemonade

Easter Desserts

I know this post is about Easter dinner, but how could I wrap it all up without mentioning at least a few desserts! Seriously, Easter desserts need their own blog post, and I’ll work on that soon. For now, here’s a lil tease!

Grandma’s Carrot Cake

This is a no-brainer, right? Carrot cake so belongs on the Easter menu!

Italian Cream Cake

We always had an Italian cream cake for Easter. This recipe is one of my favorites!

Honorable Mention:

Fruit Pizza

This colorful fruit pizza looks so gorgeous on the Easter dessert table! It’s full of delicious fruit!

Coconut Pound Cake

If you’re not an Italian Cream Cake fan, try this coconut pound cake!

I hope you enjoyed this round-up of some of my delicious Easter Dinner recipes? Didn’t see a recipe for your favorite Easter recipe mentioned? Perhaps you love coconut cream pie, or a fresh fruit salad on Easter?

Have a quick search in the search bar. Chances are, I’ve got a recipe for ya! You can also check out over 600 of my youtube videos recipe  here to help guide you through or see more idea?

Happy Easter to all those celebrating!!