10 Menus to Make On Easter Weekend Since We Can’t Gather with Family and Friends.

Easter is almost here and all I can think about is how different it’s going to be. So I’m determined to make it delicious! Hello 2020 Easter menu! I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t majorly disappointed to miss out on the holiday with our extended and even immediate families. Many of you have […]

The post 10 Menus to Make On Easter Weekend Since We Can’t Gather with Family and Friends. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Easter is almost here and all I can think about is how different it’s going to be. So I’m determined to make it delicious! Hello 2020 Easter menu!

Sharing my 2020 easter menu here! 10 different options ranging from full day menus, brunch and dinner ideas to make at home.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t majorly disappointed to miss out on the holiday with our extended and even immediate families. Many of you have asked what to make on Easter Sunday, especially now that you’re no longer gathering with a group.

I still plan on making something special, so I’ve included a few menus down below for inspiration. A few full day menus and some brunch and dinner options. I’m thinking we will go the brunch route here in our house!

Oh and P.S. if you’re wondering why there is no ham here – it’s because I just don’t love ham! I make it up for it with my love of pork and bacon though, right?

Sharing my 2020 easter menu here! 10 different options ranging from full day menus, brunch and dinner ideas to make at home.

FULL DAY EASTER MENU

Sharing my 2020 easter menu here! 10 different options ranging from full day menus, brunch and dinner ideas to make at home.

I live for these cinnamon rolls! They make the entire day. You can prep them the night before and bake in the morning! Use up your dyed eggs for the salad.

Carrot cake cinnamon rolls

Egg salad sandwiches

Lemon roast chicken + asparagus potato salad 

Sharing my 2020 easter menu here! 10 different options ranging from full day menus, brunch and dinner ideas to make at home.

This breakfast and lunch can be interchangeable! Finish things off with my mom’s chicken marsala.

Everything smoked salmon puff pastry tart

Shaved egg avocado toast 

Chicken marsala with almond green beans 

Sharing my 2020 easter menu here! 10 different options ranging from full day menus, brunch and dinner ideas to make at home.

Veggies for breakfast, creamy artichoke soup for lunch and some incredible salmon and potatoes for dinner!

Asparagus croque madame

Creamy artichoke soup 

Lemon basil butter salmon + greek yogurt twice baked potatoes

EASTER BRUNCH MENU

Sharing my 2020 easter menu here! 10 different options ranging from full day menus, brunch and dinner ideas to make at home.

These sliders here are so fun and delish. They just make the entire meal. Maybe make some extra vanilla bacon?

Hummingbird mimosas

Espresso rubbed brunch sliders w vanilla bacon

Avocado citrus salad

French onion deviled eggs

Sharing my 2020 easter menu here! 10 different options ranging from full day menus, brunch and dinner ideas to make at home.

I love a good quiche! Don’t stress about exact ingredients – you can use up with you have. Serve with the best asparagus ever!

Strawberry citrus punch (cut the recipe in half)

Burst tomato prosciutto quiche

Bacon wrapped caramelized sesame asparagus

Chocolate peanut butter peeps skillet s’mores

Sharing my 2020 easter menu here! 10 different options ranging from full day menus, brunch and dinner ideas to make at home.

A slightly lighter-in-size menu here. The spring nicoise salad is huge and can be served/eaten in multiple ways! I like to make the naan with it too. 

Frozen mimosas

Spring nicoise salad

Garlic butter naan

Easter snack mix 

EASTER DINNER MENUS

Sharing my 2020 easter menu here! 10 different options ranging from full day menus, brunch and dinner ideas to make at home.

This meal is pure comfort food. Do a pan of lasagna or the rollups, some salad, broccoli and maybe even garlic bread. 

Lasagna bolognese or French onion chicken lasagna rollups

House salad 

Parmesan roasted broccoli 

Sharing my 2020 easter menu here! 10 different options ranging from full day menus, brunch and dinner ideas to make at home.

This is a fun meal to make – more of a project. It doesn’t really NEED a side dish, but the carrots are delicious. You could also throw some bread on the side. 

Homemade ricotta gnocchi with asparagus pesto 

Bacon roasted carrots

Sharing my 2020 easter menu here! 10 different options ranging from full day menus, brunch and dinner ideas to make at home.

This is a big meal – the potatoes can be prepped the day before or the morning of, just reheat before serving. The chicken is wonderful for leftovers. Use only what you have/love in the cobb!

Spring cobb salad

Whole roasted chicken

Asiago scalloped potatoes 

Sharing my 2020 easter menu here! 10 different options ranging from full day menus, brunch and dinner ideas to make at home.

These shrimp rolls remind me so much of summer that I had to add them to the list. The clam sauce pizza is also incredible – you can use canned clams of course. Serve with one of my favorite kale salads!

Shrimp salad rolls or White clam sauce pizza

Parmesan pistachio kale salad

Sharing my 2020 easter menu here! 10 different options ranging from full day menus, brunch and dinner ideas to make at home.

Pretty sure it’s fair to say every day should end with peeps skillet s’mores!

The post 10 Menus to Make On Easter Weekend Since We Can’t Gather with Family and Friends. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

My 2019 Thanksgiving Menu and Timeline! Plus, My Must-Have Kitchen Tools.

Oh my gosh I’m so excited – my 2019 Thanksgiving menu is here! Last year I shared my Thanksgiving timeline and while this is almost identical, it helps me SO much. I don’t change a ton in terms of dishes I’ll be serving, and now that I have kids, it helps me SO much to […]

The post My 2019 Thanksgiving Menu and Timeline! Plus, My Must-Have Kitchen Tools. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Oh my gosh I’m so excited – my 2019 Thanksgiving menu is here!

Sharing my 2019 Thanksgiving menu, all the kitchen tools that help me pull it off and the timeline from a month out! Organization freaks unite!

Last year I shared my Thanksgiving timeline and while this is almost identical, it helps me SO much. I don’t change a ton in terms of dishes I’ll be serving, and now that I have kids, it helps me SO much to be able to plan and organize in advance. It allows me to enjoy the day so much. Because I love cooking a giant spread for everyone!

I’m sharing my full menu below, along with the kitchen tools I MUST have in order to pull off such an extensive meal. And then, my crazy timeline starting from four weeks out.

ENJOY! xo

My 2019 Thanksgiving Menu

Guests are bringing:

  • Pies pies pies!
  • Dinner rolls

Sharing my 2019 Thanksgiving menu, all the kitchen tools that help me pull it off and the timeline from a month out! Organization freaks unite!

The 14 Thanksgiving Tools I Can’t Live Without.

While practically EVERYTHING gets used in my kitchen on Thanksgiving (and the week prior!), these are the ones that I can’t live without. The meal has to happen with these things!

Sharing my 2019 Thanksgiving menu, all the kitchen tools that help me pull it off and the timeline from a month out! Organization freaks unite!

THE MONTH BEFORE (OR, UM, RIGHT NOW):

  • I determine who is coming and how many people I’ll have for dinner.
  • I figure out the menu! What exactly I’m serving, buying and what are others bringing. See above for details.
  • I go through every.single.recipe and write down the ingredients. I take inventory of what I have. From there, I build a grocery list around what I need.
  • I go through all of the serving dishes, place settings, glasses and everything I’ll need. This is personal preference but I love to use real dishes and set the table for Thanksgiving. It’s probably because my mom and grandma always did. I think it just makes for such a nice meal and it also allows people to linger at the table for conversation after!
  • I also go through all of my cookware. Do I have the turkey roaster, kitchen twine, baster, enough pots, baking dishes, etc.
  • I make a master list, based on all of the above, on EVERYTHING I will need.
  • I order a fresh turkey.
  • I usually make a list for Eddie to do that includes errands he can run during the week at lunch. Things like grabbing extra propane for the grill, light bulbs for any that may be burnt out in the house, etc.
  • You can order florals if you wish. I learned this the hard way two years ago when I spent $100 upfront ordering one that looked like it belonged in a funeral home. I ended up buying my own flowers and making my own, so I don’t order any.
  • I buy as much as I can right now. This includes wine, pantry ingredients, things like crackers for the appetizers, foil containers or packaging for people to take home leftovers – EVERYTHING. And I check it off the list!

Sharing my 2019 Thanksgiving menu, all the kitchen tools that help me pull it off and the timeline from a month out! Organization freaks unite!

TWO WEEKS BEFORE:

  • I take some inventory of the fridge and figure out what we can eat/cook to free up space.
  • I pick up any pantry ingredients or items I couldn’t get in the weeks prior.

THE WEEK BEFORE:

  • I do a massive fridge clean. I clean the entire fridge, get rid of what I don’t need, make room for the turkey, the dishes I’ll make ahead of time, etc.
  • I go over my master list again and see what else I may need.

Sharing my 2019 Thanksgiving menu, all the kitchen tools that help me pull it off and the timeline from a month out! Organization freaks unite!

THANKSGIVING WEEK

SATURDAY

  • I grocery shop for the things that are fresh but will last until Thursday, such as milk, potatoes, squash, etc.
  • I also think about next weekend and a lunch and dinner plan right now. I know that at some point we will be sick of leftovers and won’t want to eat out every single meal (and will want something light!) so I try to plan a light meal or two and have some things on hand for easy lunches and dinners during the long weekend.

SUNDAY

  • I do any miscellaneous house things and regular life things that must get done to live. Ha! Things like laundry, etc.

MONDAY

  • I go over my list again. DO I HAVE EVERYTHING? Probably not. I always forget things.
  • I clean out my dining room and set the table. I set up my own centerpiece space – or at least as much of it as I can. I also like to set out all of my serving and baking dishes with post-it’s of what will go inside.

TUESDAY

  • I do one final grocery shop. Grabbing anything else I may need.
  • I pick up the turkey.
  • I prep my dry brine and prep my turkey, get it all together and stick it in the fridge. Let the magic happen.
  • I make the chocolate pecan pie bars and stick them in the fridge!

WEDNESDAY

  • Our house is getting cleaned – amen.
  • I’m making the lightened up sweet potato casserole. I don’t bake it yet. I measure out the topping ingredients and set them aside for tomorrow. I’ve done this for 6 years and it works great! This is a great dish to bring if you are going to someone else’s house.
  • I also make the green bean casserole. I make it up until the point of baking, then store it in the fridge.
  • And I’m making the cranberry sauce, the pumpkin dream cake and prepping the bread and veggies for the stuffing. I leave the bread in baking dishes and sauté the vegetables, then stick them in jars in the fridge.
  • I chop and measure ingredients out for the brussels gratin. Same goes for the salad – wash and chop the lettuce, toast the nuts, etc.
  • I prep the pomegranate cheese ball. This actually tastes better as it sits.
  • Before I go to sleep, I make sure that the kitchen is clean and the dishwasher is running!

THANKSGIVING DAY

9:30AM:

  • Turkey (for the oven) comes out of the fridge to take the chill off.
  • I peel the potatoes and place them in a pot of cold water in the fridge.

10:30AM:

  • Prep the cheesecloth, butter/wine mixture for the turkey.

10:45AM:

  • Turkey is stuffed, legs trussed, ready to go.

11AM:

  • Turkey goes into the oven! A 15lb turkey using this recipe takes about 4 hours. I’m giving myself more time for a slightly larger turkey. I set an alarm on my phone so I know when to baste the turkey.
  • I run the dishwasher again if needed, only so I can have a completely empty dishwasher after dinner!.

12PM:

  • I make the sangria and keep it in the fridge. Also make sure coffee and dessert space is prepped!
  • This is probably when I will shower and get ready myself.

1PM:

  • The turkey for the grill comes out of the fridge. We preheat the grill.

1:30PM:

  • The turkey goes on the grill! I set an alarm to check it every 20 to 30 minutes.

3PM:

  • I prep the mashed potatoes.
  • I also prep the brussels gratin!
  • I prep the halloumi for the salad.
  • I take other dishes out of the fridge that have to be heated soon, like the sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, corn and the cranberry sauce.
  • Then I clean up the mess that I probably made.

4PM:

  • It’s snack time. Pomegranate cheese ball coming right up!

4PM:

  • Take the turkey temperatures. GUESTS come!
  • We eat and snack and chat.

5PM:

  • Turkey is out of the oven. Turkey is also off the grill! Both are resting for 30 to 45 minutes. Side dishes that have to be warmed/baked go into the oven. I start making the gravy. I love the gravy made fresh with the turkey drippings. I follow my exact recipe! It’s worth it, trust me.
  • I throw together the salad quickly. Everything is measured, washed, made and chopped so it takes a few minutes!

5:30PM:

  • Eddie carves the turkeys!

5:45PM:

  • Fill up water and wine glasses, sides come out of the oven, everything is set out and arranged for serving.

6PM: Give thanks and EAT.

Sharing my 2019 Thanksgiving menu, all the kitchen tools that help me pull it off and the timeline from a month out! Organization freaks unite!

I live for this day. This week! Truly. It’s all the prep  – that’s where the fun is.

Now I’d love to know if you prep something crazy like this? Tell me your menu (and your ways!).

The post My 2019 Thanksgiving Menu and Timeline! Plus, My Must-Have Kitchen Tools. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.