Easy-on-the-Budget Easter Dinner

Easy-on-the-Budget Easter Holiday Dinner

The flavors and foods associated with Easter—ham, lamb, eggs, asparagus, strawberries—can make a hole in the food budget when times are tough. The solution is to look carefully for specials, stretch the use of pricey ingredients and look for a delicious new menu, like this one—easy on the cooks in the family, easy on the food budget.

"After dinner, pass out dyed eggs and Easter candies for everyone to take home."

Ann, Food Editor - Betty Crocker Kitchens

The Menu
Party-Guide
Plan Ahead

Make It Special

Tables with Style

Let a platter of Deviled Eggs be your centerpiece. Nestle them is colorful cabbage or kale leaves on a pretty platter and garnish them with herb sprig, radish or red onion slice. Take care with the with the “two hour” rule.
Blooming garden annuals or herb plants in various shades of color placed in a basket surrounded with colorful tissue or moss will find a new home in deck or patio pots after Easter. That’s thinking ahead.
Use a collection to decorate the table. Look around for what’s in your home. A couple of ceramic rabbits or birds with a small houseplant placed on a pretty mat or table runner can be all that’s needed.

Change the Food Game This Year

Cut the cost of dinner out by cooking a good meal at home, even while having the pleasure of restaurant favorites like our Cheese-Garlic Biscuits!
Gardening this year? Fresh greens from the garden or farmers’ market make Spinach Ambrosia and Garden Salad with Honey French Dressing easy and economical choices.
When one of your guests asks what they can bring, ask for help with the salad, a side dish or dessert in this menu. Or ask them anyway!
Our veggie side dishes rely on dressed-up frozen vegetables, always a good value and fresh tasting to boot.
Add an extra hearty side dish, like these, when you have family or guests with big appetites:

Use all fresh strawberries instead of strawberries and blueberries in the Triple-Berry Angel Shortcakes as they will likely be on special. Or use thawed frozen berries for fresh, if they are less costly.
Make use of the hard-cooked eggs you color this year whether in this meal or another one. See our safe-use tips and recipes.
Or forgo coloring Easter eggs and hide reusable plastic eggs filled with a few “treasures” like candies, stickers, beads or notes with promises of an activity your kids like to do with you.
Plan some fun baking instead of an activity out or coloring eggs. You can eat the results! Here are three ideas to get you started:

Earlier in the Day…or the Day Before

Bake and cool angel food cake for Triple-Berry Angel Shortcakes as directed on package. Thaw whipped topping, if used, for Whipped Cream.
Shred carrots for Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole, if you like; store in refrigerator.
Chill pineapple and mandarin orange segments; clean (if needed) and crisp spinach for Spinach Ambrosia (if served).
Make Honey French Dressing; clean (if needed) and crisp romaine for Garden Salad with Honey French Dressing (if served). Chop cucumber, tomato and red onion; store in separate containers in refrigerator.

About an Hour Before Dinner

Make and bake Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole.

About ½ Hour Before Dinner

Bake Cheese-Garlic Biscuits.
Make Baby Peas with Bacon and Almonds.
Mix pie filling and berries for Triple-Berry Angel Shortcakes; whip cream (if served). Store in refrigerator.

Just Before Dinner