Hosting for Easter
As we prepare for Easter, we also prepare to host. Whether you are hosting family in your home or going somewhere as a guest, we have tips for the holiday and a menu to make planning easier.
Decor
We have found ourselves gravitating towards greens this season. Specifically, we are loving celadon and chartreuse which pair beautifully with pinks, oranges, and blues. Ginger jars as vases are always a good idea, especially if you have some lying around the house. Paper table runners bode well for the look of the table, but also for cleanup! We paired this green table runner with a white tablecloth which created a beautiful base for us to work with. Additionally, we used brown rattan chargers to break up the greens and whites throughout the table. We topped the plates with glass Easter baskets filled with Easter egg crackers. This is a fun interactive touch that we love to incorporate at all of our holiday gatherings.
Menu
Each item on the menu we prepared included glazes, sauces, dressings, or jams from a local store in Brenham, TX called Hermann's General Store. You can buy most everything that we used from the store on their website linked here.
Hors d’Oeuvres
Relish Tray - We love to start with a relish tray filled with pickles, onions, okra, olives, peppers and more. It was an easy way to start everyones pallet and provided some light food to munch on.
Pineapple Bourbon Bites - We bought pre-made frozen phyllo dough shells and filled them with a goat cheese and pineapple bourbon mixture that we blended together. One log of goat cheese combined with a half cup of pineapple bourbon sauce provided a great ratio for our mixture. Then, we added a dollop of the pineapple bourbon sauce to the top of the cheese mixture stuffed in the phyllo dough shells and cooked it in the oven on 325 degrees for twelve minutes.
Bacon Apple Jam Butter Board - This is without a doubt the easiest appetizer we have ever made and definitely the most popular! We whipped 1.5 sticks of room temperature salted butter, a half cup of bacon apple jam (or to taste) with two cloves of fresh minced garlic, and a tablespoon of olive oil. We whipped with an electric mixer until all was combined and the butter was light and fluffy. We spread the butter on a board and garnished soft bread around it. We used pistachio cranberry bread and it was a big hit!
The Main
Raspberry Honey Mustard Roasted Chicken - We marinated six boneless skinless chicken breast in one jar of raspberry honey mustard, two cloves minced garlic, a heaping spoon of salt, pepper, herbs de Provence, and a drizzle of olive oil. We moved it to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cooked it in the oven for 45 minutes at 400 degrees or until the chicken reached an internal temp of 165 degrees. We basted every fifteen minutes and then let the chicken rest for about ten minutes before serving.
Rosemary Garlic Greek Yogurt Dip - We used plain greek yogurt mix, salt, rosemary, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder to taste to create this delicious dip. We wanted the dip to still have a smidge of the greek yogurt's tanginess mixed with the strong notes of the seasoning we added in. The taste in the end is truly based on your personal preference. We thought it paired beautifully as a dip for our chicken.
Sides
Spring Strawberry Walnut Salad - We used a spring salad mixed with fresh cut strawberries, chopped walnuts, dried cranberries, shallots, and feta cheese. We tossed the salad with a champagne shallot walnut vinaigrette and served.
Lemon Artichoke Pesto Pasta - We boiled bucatini pasta al dente, covered it with a whole jar of lemon artichoke pesto, and topped it with shaved parmesan cheese. We made sure to generously cover the pasta with the sauce to get that wonderful pesto flavor.
Balsamic Glazed Asparagus and Tomatoes - We coated cherry tomatoes and asparagus in olive oil, salt, pepper, and herbs de Provence. We placed the veggies on a cookie sheet and drizzled balsamic honey vinegar over the veggies. We cooked it in the oven at 400 for twenty minutes, which roasted the veggies and gave the vinegar a glaze like coating.
Dessert
Lemon Pound Cake - This was the easiest of all the things we made because it was out of a box! The box came with the glaze and everything we needed -- and it was delicious! We paired it with homemade whip cream and a lemon wedge for garnish. However, if you don't have access to this great mix, we prefer to use Southern Living's recipe.
Cocktail
Bee's Knees - We mixed 1.5 oz of Bluecoat Gin (or your gin of preference), 0.75 oz of honey, and 0.75 oz of lemon juice. We shook it and poured it into a flute. We garnished with a peep marshmallow for Easter of course! On other occasions we would have garnished it with a lemon or lime wedge.
We hope this helps in your Easter prep. If you are attending Easter at someone's home, it's always great to offer to bring something as simple as wine or dessert! We celebrate a good God this season and practicing hospitality is one of the many ways we honor Him this season.
If you are looking for a good playlist, we have created one for you to use here.
Cheers and Happy Hosting,
G&G