Tag: Easter

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Special Occasions

Suggested Easter Menu

easter dinner

Over the past two weeks, I’ve been sharing recipes, tips, and ideas for a simple and easy to make Easter menu. Today I’m bringing it all together for you in one post (with links)!

suggested easter menu

Easter Menu Appetisers

Easter Menu Side Dishes

Easter Menu Main Dish

Equipment You’ll Need … or Want

To prepare many of these dishes, you’ll need a slow cooker. In fact, it might be a good idea to have more than one! I have two, and one of them comes with a pot that is divided into two parts. There are also slow cookers that have multiple pots, made especially for use at parties.


Getting eggs to hard boil so they create nice, clean halves can be tricky. Often to get a dozen good-looking eggs, you need to cook two dozen! There are two ways around this conundrum: Buy eggs already hard boiled (you can find them in the refrigerator section of your grocery store) or use a specialty egg cooker.

You can simply spoon the egg filling into the halves and it looks just fine. But for that extra touch, you might want to use a pastry cone, cookie press or specialty egg maker.

And finally, to create a nice display, you might want to have a deviled egg tray. This is a special tray with egg-shaped indents that hold the eggs so they don’t flop over.


If you decide to have a sweet potato bar or any other type of “select your own toppings” display, it is helpful to have plenty of small bowls on hand. I like to use ramekins.


 

Planning an Easter Meal at Home?

Easy Easter at HomeMake it a relaxing, easy event with the tips, suggestions and recipes included in Easy Easter at Home, Carma’s Cookery’s latest report. Take a sneak peak at the Table of Contents, then grab a copy of your own!

  1. Introduction
  2. Planning Ahead: Easter Activities & Decorations
  3. Hosting Easter Without the Stress
  4. Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch or Dinner?
  5. Share The Joy – You Don’t Have To Do Everything Yourself
  6. It’s Not Just About the Easter Bunny – A Short History of Easter
  7. Getting Creative with Leftovers
  8. Closing Words
  9. Recipes
  10. Crafting Ideas

Buy it now

Categories
Recipes

3 Ways To Cook Up Leftover Ham in the Slow Cooker

left over ham
Photo by Mack Male via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

One of the best things about cooking up a holiday ham is the leftovers. There are the obvious candidates like ham sandwiches or ham and eggs for breakfast the next day. But it doesn’t stop there. Since you already have your slow cooker out for cooking the ham in the first place, let’s talk about some yummy ways to cook up delicious dinners for the next few days. Or freeze the leftover ham slices and use them to cook up these leftover ham slow cooker recipes on a busy weeknight down the road.

leftover ham
Photo by Mack Male via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Slow Cooker Leftover Ham and Potato Casserole

This makes a hearty weeknight dinner and is a great way to use leftover slices of holiday ham. The recipe calls for 6 thick slices, but use up whatever you have left.

Ingredients

  • 6 thick slices of leftover ham
  • 8 potatoes, scrubbed and sliced
  • 1 small onion, sliced
  • 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
  • 2 cans cream of mushroom soup

Directions for Leftover Ham and Potato Casserole

  1. Layer 1/3 of the ham in the slow cooker, followed by 1/3 of the potatoes, 1/3 of the onions, and 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat twice more.
  2. Pour the undiluted soup over everything and cook on low for 7 hours.

Split Pea and Bean Soup

The key to good, old-fashioned split pea soup is to cook it slow and to cook it with ham. This is a great recipe for all those little bits and pieces of leftover ham from the holidays.

Ingredients

  • 2 (12oz) pkgs dry split peas, rinsed and sorted
  • 1 pound leftover ham, diced
  • 1 lb carrots, peeled and finely diced
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions for Split Pea and Bean Soup

  1. Pour everything into your slow cooker and cover with water.
  2. Cook on low for six to eight hours, stirring occasionally. Add more water as needed to get the consistency you like for your soup.
  3. Season with more salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Leftover Ham and Beans in the Slow Cooker

Let’s wrap this up with another frugal family favorite – ham and beans. The ham bone in this recipe is optional but adds lots of flavor. And don’t worry too much about the amount of ham to add. If all you have left over is 1/2 a cup or just a few bits and pieces, add those.

You can make this recipe with any type of dried beans. Both pinto and northern beans work very well. If you don’t have a ham bone to add, consider throwing in a bouillon cube in for added flavor.

Ingredients

  • 16 oz. dried beans
  • 1 cup leftover ham
  • 1 ham bone
  • 2 tbsp. dried onion (or 1/4 cup fresh onion)
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions for Ham and Beans

  1. Sort and rinse your beans.
  2. Put everything into the slow cooker and add enough water so the level is an inch or two above the beans.
  3. Cook the beans on high for two hours, then switch your slow cooker to low and cook an additional four hours or until your beans are tender and ready to eat.
  4. Remove the bone before serving./li>

These beans are great with a homemade cornbread on the side.

 

Planning an Easter Meal at Home?

Easy Easter at HomeMake it a relaxing, easy event with the tips, suggestions and recipes included in Easy Easter at Home, Carma’s Cookery’s latest report. Take a sneak peak at the Table of Contents, then grab a copy of your own!

  1. Introduction
  2. Planning Ahead: Easter Activities & Decorations
  3. Hosting Easter Without the Stress
  4. Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch or Dinner?
  5. Share The Joy – You Don’t Have To Do Everything Yourself
  6. It’s Not Just About the Easter Bunny – A Short History of Easter
  7. Getting Creative with Leftovers
  8. Closing Words
  9. Recipes
  10. Crafting Ideas

Buy it now

Categories
Recipes

How To Cook the Perfect Easter Ham in the Slow Cooker

Easter ham

Are you serving Easter ham this year? One of the hardest things about cooking for a big gathering around the holidays – including Easter – is the logistics of figuring out what needs to go in the oven when. You don’t want the biscuits getting cold while the ham is still baking. I’ve been known to gather all my recipes and chart my cooking times all out — and still not get the timing right!

There just never seems to be enough time or space to bake the turkey, ham, casseroles, side dishes, pies and rolls to perfection and have it all hot and ready at the same time. That’s where your slow cooker can come to the rescue. This Easter, cook your ham in this handy kitchen gadget and free up hours of valuable oven time.

Easter ham

Step One: Choose Your Largest Slow Cooker

To begin with, get out your largest slow cooker. Ideally, you want one that holds at least six quarts. The size of the Easter ham you’re able to cook depends on the size of your slow cooker. Since these handy kitchen appliances aren’t terribly expensive, it may well be worth investing in a larger model if your current slow cooker is too small to hold a good-sized Easter ham.


Step Two: Choose Your Easter Ham

Choose a fully cooked ham that you think will fit in your slow cooker. It’s fine if it’s a bit of a close fit. You can even get away without the lid closing all the way. When that happens after you put your ham into the slow cooker, grab some heavy duty aluminum foil and make a tent over your slow cooker instead of the lid. Be sure to seal everything well around the rim to prevent too much heat and moisture from escaping.

Note: For easy clean-up, you may want to spray the inside of your crock with non-stick cooking spray before you add the ham. There is no need to add water or any type of cooking liquid.

Step Three: Set it and Forget It

Cook the ham on low for six to eight hours, or on high for four to five hours, or until your entire ham is heated throughout. You can use a whole ham or a spiral sliced one for this cooking method.

If you prefer the outside to be a little browned, heat the ham and then carefully transfer it to a baking dish. Broil the ham for a few minutes until it develops a nice lightly browned crust. Keep an eye on it carefully. When broiling, you can go from perfectly cooked to burnt in less than a minute.

Variations on Ham

Of course, you’re not limited to a plain ham with this recipe.

  • If you prefer a glazed ham, cook up a batch of your favorite glaze and pour it over the ham as you start to cook it in the slow cooker. Baste the meat every hour or two with the glaze and again before broiling, for best results.
  • If you want to reduce the saltiness, try basting the ham with 7-Up.
  • For a more traditional spiciness, poke some whole cloves along the top of the ham.
  • Rub the ham with honey or brown sugar for a sweeter take.

 

Planning an Easter Meal at Home?

Easy Easter at HomeMake it a relaxing, easy event with the tips, suggestions and recipes included in Easy Easter at Home, Carma’s Cookery’s latest report. Take a sneak peak at the Table of Contents, then grab a copy of your own!

  1. Introduction
  2. Planning Ahead: Easter Activities & Decorations
  3. Hosting Easter Without the Stress
  4. Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch or Dinner?
  5. Share The Joy – You Don’t Have To Do Everything Yourself
  6. It’s Not Just About the Easter Bunny – A Short History of Easter
  7. Getting Creative with Leftovers
  8. Closing Words
  9. Recipes
  10. Crafting Ideas

Buy it now

Categories
Cooking Techniques Special Occasions

Enjoy a Relaxing Easter Breakfast Using Your Slow Cooker

Easter breakfast

Easter falls on Sunday, April 16 this year. And you may already be planning for your Easter festivities — at least I hope you are! Have you planned what to eat for Easter breakfast?

Easter breakfast

Easter mornings are a special time. Maybe you head out with your family for a sunrise service at your local church. Or maybe you wake up to the pitter-patter of little feet ready to go Easter egg hunting. In either case, the last thing you want to do is spend an hour in the kitchen cooking up a big breakfast.

Instead, you want to relax and enjoy a yummy meal with your loved ones for breakfast. But you don’t necessarily want to go out to a restaurant in order to do that. There’s an easy way to do this. Put your slow cooker to work.

Keep Easter Breakfast Simple with Baked Slow Cooker Oatmeal

Oatmeal is always a breakfast favorite. It’s quick and easy enough to make in the slow cooker for weekend breakfasts throughout the year, but you can also make it special for Easter (or any other important day) with special add-ins and toppings like chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruits, whipped cream and the like.

Easter oatmealStart with the basic recipe. Be sure to use rolled oats in this recipe, for the finished oatmeal will turn out much better than if you use quick cooking oats.

Ingredients
2 cups dry oats
2 cups milk
2 cups water
sugar, honey or the sweetener of your choice to taste

Directions

  1. Mix oats, milk, and water in the slow cooker.
  2. Add your sweetener and mix well.
  3. Cook on low overnight (for about 8 hours).

Top with your favorite flavors and serve. Topping suggestions include blueberries, apple sauce, cinnamon, walnuts or pecans. Yogurt is also good. For a special Easter treat, you could set out small bowls with various fresh and dried fruit, nuts, chocolate chips and anything else that sounds tasty in oatmeal, and let everyone make their own unique blend.

Get Ready for a Busy Day with a Hearty Breakfast Casserole

If you know you’ll have an early Easter dinner with the whole family, it may make sense to skip lunch and opt for a big hearty breakfast or brunch instead. Here’s an easy way to have your big breakfast cooking while you sleep.

Ingredients
1 lb bacon
1 small onion
1 dozen eggs
salt and pepper to taste
32 oz. of shredded hash browns
2 cups shredded cheese

Directions

  1. The night before, fry the bacon. Allow it to cool a bit and chop it up. Set aside.
  2. Dice the onion. Set aside.
  3. Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Spray the slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and layer 1/3 of the hash browns in the bottom of the crock. Top with 1/3 of the bacon and 1/2 cup of cheese. Repeat these layers two more times (omitting the cheese on the last layer). Pour the egg mixture over everything and top with the last cup of cheese.
  5. Cook on low for 10 to 12 hours and enjoy when you are ready for breakfast or lunch.

Both of these ideas also work well if you’re serving brunch to your Easter guests.

 

Planning an Easter Meal at Home?

Easy Easter at HomeMake it a relaxing, easy event with the tips, suggestions and recipes included in Easy Easter at Home, Carma’s Cookery’s latest report. Take a sneak peak at the Table of Contents, then grab a copy of your own!

  1. Introduction
  2. Planning Ahead: Easter Activities & Decorations
  3. Hosting Easter Without the Stress
  4. Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch or Dinner?
  5. Share The Joy – You Don’t Have To Do Everything Yourself
  6. It’s Not Just About the Easter Bunny – A Short History of Easter
  7. Getting Creative with Leftovers
  8. Closing Words
  9. Recipes
  10. Crafting Ideas

Buy it now

Categories
Recipes

Dressed Up Fresh Green Beans in a Slow Cooker

chopping green beans

Fresh green beans were a staple of Easter meals when I was growing up. The problem with making them, however, is that they often need to be monitored closely, or they get over-done. That said, if you’re having company, you may not have that luxury. This recipe takes some of that worry away.

chopping green beans

In addition, it can be handy to have more than one slow cooker. Even more so if one of them has a divided pot. Then you prepare yesterday’s ham recipe along with today’s green beans and have most of your meal cooking without you needing to hover over the stove.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb fresh green beans, cut into pieces (you can also use 2 cans of green beans, drained and cook for less time)
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup bacon, chopped into pieces
  • 1 Tablespoon vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
  • salt & pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Add all the ingredients to your slow cooker and mix well.
  2. Cook on low heat for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours for fresh green beans. If you’re using canned green beans cook for an hour on high or two hours on low.

Notes

The bacon is what really adds flavor to the beans. Use it uncooked and fresh.

 

Planning an Easter Meal at Home?

Easy Easter at HomeMake it a relaxing, easy event with the tips, suggestions and recipes included in Easy Easter at Home, Carma’s Cookery’s latest report. Take a sneak peak at the Table of Contents, then grab a copy of your own!

  1. Introduction
  2. Planning Ahead: Easter Activities & Decorations
  3. Hosting Easter Without the Stress
  4. Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch or Dinner?
  5. Share The Joy – You Don’t Have To Do Everything Yourself
  6. It’s Not Just About the Easter Bunny – A Short History of Easter
  7. Getting Creative with Leftovers
  8. Closing Words
  9. Recipes
  10. Crafting Ideas

Buy it now

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