{"id":66011,"date":"2021-04-02T13:02:45","date_gmt":"2021-04-02T17:02:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=66011"},"modified":"2025-04-02T15:58:18","modified_gmt":"2025-04-02T19:58:18","slug":"ideas-for-easter-dinner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/ideas-for-easter-dinner.html","title":{"rendered":"Ideas for Easter Dinner"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/em><\/strong> In this article \u2013 in honor of Easter this upcoming Sunday \u2013 Gena Philibert-Ortega searches old newspapers to find recipes for Easter dinner. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book \u201cFrom the Family Kitchen.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

What\u2019s for dinner on Easter Sunday? That\u2019s a question I\u2019m still pondering, but I know it will most likely involve deviled eggs and ham. As I look over newspaper recipes in GenealogyBank\u2019s Historical Newspaper Archives<\/a>, I am slowly coming up with additional ideas.<\/p>\n

What are you serving? Historical newspapers have some great ideas if you need some holiday inspiration.<\/p>\n

The Main Course<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ham makes up part of my family\u2019s traditional Easter meal. In the past we\u2019ve bought a prepared ham and just heated it up, but maybe you want to cook and decorate the ham yourself. Yes, decorate. This 1942 newspaper article explains how to do that, which involves some brown sugar, maraschino cherries, a knife and a round cookie cutter.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Dallas Morning News (Dallas, Texas), 3 April 1942, page 6<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"An<\/a>
Dallas Morning News (Dallas, Texas), 3 April 1942, page 6<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Maybe ham isn\u2019t your favorite and you\u2019d rather have lamb for your Easter dinner. This 1935 food column includes a few different ways to prepare lamb, including recipes for a sausage dressing or a current mint sauce. You can also decorate the lamb with either paper frills or potato and carrot balls.<\/p>\n

\"Lamb<\/a>
Dallas Morning News (Dallas, Texas), 19 April 1935, page 9<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Side Dishes<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now that you\u2019ve decided on the meat, what type of side dishes will you serve? Unless it\u2019s a cold lunch, most people serve some sort of vegetable with the ham or lamb. For me, spring means asparagus. This delicious asparagus recipe is great for a holiday meal: prosciutto-wrapped asparagus. This recipe version calls for the asparagus to be grilled, which is perfect for those of us who will have nice weather this Easter Sunday.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Times-Picayune (New Orleans, Louisiana), 29 March 2012, page 54<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dessert<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m a big fan of cake, and there are various kinds of cakes you may serve for Easter. One example is this coconut almond cake that is topped with a whipped cream frosting, lots of shredded coconut, and candy.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
State Journal-Register (Springfield, Illinois), 23 March 2005, page 16<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you want to try something more \u201ctraditional,\u201d this 1935 newspaper article claims that this cake, Bethlehem Sugar Cake, is from the Moravian Brethren Church from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. One ingredient you might find \u201cinteresting\u201d is the addition of a cup of mashed potatoes. The cake is topped off with cinnamon and brown sugar.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
Knoxville News-Sentinel (Knoxville, Tennessee), 12 April 1935, page 23<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Happy Easter!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Whether you decide to go all out this Easter Sunday and make a dinner that is truly amazing, or decide to have a quiet brunch, I hope it all comes out delicious and you have a wonderful day of food and family!<\/p>\n

Explore over 330 years of newspapers and historical records in GenealogyBank. Discover your family story! Start a 7-Day Free Trial<\/a><\/p>\n

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