Easter Dinner, MetroFamily Style - MetroFamily Magazine
MetroFamily Magazine

Where OKC parents find fun & resources

Easter Dinner, MetroFamily Style

Reading Time: 7 minutes 

Easter celebrations around the Oklahoma City metro are soon to be in full swing and one thing we can always gather around is good food! Here are a few treasured recipes from the staff at MetroFamily.

We’d love to see your family recipes too! Email recipes to tips@metrofamilymagazine.com or post in the comments below.

Skiier’s French Toast

provided by Kirsten Holder, former senior project manager

1 stick or 1/2 c butter
1 c brown sugar
3 tbsp dark corn syrup
1 loaf French bread, cut into thick slices
5 eggs
1 1/2 c milk
2 tsp vanilla
Pinch of nutmeg

Cook butter, brown sugar and corn syrup until sugar is dissolved. Pour into a 13 by 9 in. pan. Layer the bread on top of the syrup in pan. Mix together the eggs, milk, vanilla and nutmeg and pour the mixture over the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning uncover the casserole and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes. Serve with your favorite toppings like powdered sugar, a fresh fruit like strawberries, syrup and/or whipped cream.

Cheesy Brunch Tater Tot Casserole

provided by Lindsay Cuomo, digital editor

4 slices, bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 lb breakfast sausage, cooked and crumbled
32 oz frozen tater tots
8 large eggs
1 c of milk
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp ground black pepper
Pinch of salt
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese

Cook sausage on medium high heat, breaking up the meat and browning it. Once cooked through, drain and layer onto the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking pan. Evenly sprinkle 2 cups of the cheese over cooked sausage. In a large bowl, hand-whisk together the milk, eggs, pepper, onion powder and salt. Once mixed, pour evenly over the cheese and sausage in baking dish. Layer top with frozen tater tots. If not baking right away, cover tightly with foil and chill in fridge until the next morning.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Once preheated, place uncovered casserole in oven for about 35 minutes. Top with additional 1/2 cup cheese and crumbled bacon. Bake another 5-10 minutes or until sides are bubbling and top is golden brown. Garnish with chopped parsley, let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.

 

Apricot Glazed Pork Tenderloin

provided by Renee Filippo, content & account manager

½ cup apricot preserves
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp minced fresh garlic
2 tbsp avocado oil
2 to 2.25 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed (2 tenderloins)
½ tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary leaves
2 tsp water, 2 tsp cornstarch (slurry)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk together the apricot preserves, vinegar, soy sauce, honey, and garlic. Transfer ½ cup of the sauce to a small saucepan and reserve the remaining amount in the bowl. Season pork with salt, pepper and rosemary and cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until browned. Remove from heat and pour the apricot sauce from the bowl over the top of the tenderloins.Transfer pan to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Baste tenderloins with sauce from the pan and continue roasting for an additional 8 to 10 minutes or until the internal temperature is 150 degrees. Put saucepan with the apricot sauce over LOW heat. In a small bowl, stir together the water and cornstarch and pour it into the saucepan. Stir the sauce and cook until thickened, about 30 seconds. Remove the pork from the oven and brush with the thickened glaze. Let it rest for 10 minutes and then slice into 1-inch medallions.

 

Grandma Lucille’s Mashed Potatoes

provided by Sarah Taylor, publisher

5 lbs of russet potatoes
6 oz cream cheese (can be “light” version)
8 oz sour cream (can be “light” version)
2 Tbsp butter
2 tsp onion salt
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Peel, half-peel or don’t peel the potatoes (less peels mean it’s a more smooth consistency; more peel, more texture). Cut the potatoes into about 2” cubes and boil them in a large pot of salted water until soft, about 15 minutes.  Drain the water off the potatoes. Combine the potatoes and remaining ingredients in a mixer until the right consistency for your liking. You can either eat these right away or make this recipe ahead and keep in the fridge. To make the dish look prettier, you could sprinkle a bit of paprika on the top and add some pats of butter. To heat from the fridge: Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, depending on how thick your casserole or other dish is. Serves 12 (or more).

Grandma Jane’s Sweet Potato Casserole

provided by Marissa Raglin, former director of events

Casserole ingredients
3 c sweet potato (4 whole), cooked until tender
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c butter
2 eggs beaten
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c milk

Topping ingredients
1/3 c melted butter
1 c packed light brown sugar
1/2 c flour
1 c chopped pecans (optional)
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mash and whip potatoes. Mix remaining 5 ingredients in and pour into 9×13 pan. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake for 25 minutes. Take out of oven and enjoy!

Asparagus, Egg & Bacon Salad

provided by Erin Page, managing editor

Bundle of asparagus
Spinach or arugula
6-8 slices of cooked bacon
4-6 eggs, hardboiled and sliced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
pepper to taste

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add asparagus and cook 2-3 minutes, until just tender (as an alternative, asparagus can be steamed until just tender). Drain and run under cold water to stop from cooking further. Mix with several handfuls of spinach or arugula, top with crumbled cooked bacon and sliced hardboiled eggs. Prepare dressing: in a small bowl, whisk olive oil, red wine vinegar, mustard, honey and pepper to taste. Drizzle dressing over salad mixture.

 

Broccoli Bowtie Pasta Salad

provided by Emiley Bainbridge, editorial assistant

8 ounces farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups fresh broccoli florets, chopped small
2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain. Whisk together mayonnaise, sugar, red onion, vinegar and salt in a large bowl. Add broccoli, pasta and grapes, and stir to coat. Cover and chill 3 hours. Stir sunflower seeds into salad just before serving.

 

The Best Deviled Eggs

provided by Marissa Raglin, former director of events

12 large eggs
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp yellow mustard
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste
Paprika for garnish

Bring water to a boil and gently add your eggs, allowing them to boil for 30 seconds. Reduce to simmer for 12 minutes. Remove eggs from the pot with tongs and shock them with cold water. Remove shells. Cut your eggs in half lengthwise and place all yolks into a small bowl and set the egg whites aside onto a plate.
Smash the egg yolks with a fork and mix well with the mayo, mustard and vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Fill egg white with equal amounts of the mixture. You can use a piping bag or simply add the mixture with a small spoon. Sprinkle with paprika for a finishing touch.

No-fuss Artisan Bread

provided by Lindsay Cuomo, digital editor

3 c all-purpose flour (can swap half with whole wheat flour)
1 tsp salt
½ tsp yeast
1 ½ c warm water

Combine ingredients in a bowl using a wooden spoon until just combined, careful not to over mix. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 8 to 24 hours (the longer, the better to develop flavor). About 90 minutes before you want to serve, turn the dough out onto a well-floured piece of parchment paper. Gently form into a ball. Transfer dough, parchment and all, into an oven-safe baking dish (a round cake pan or Dutch oven works well). Slash an X on top and bake in a preheated, 450-degree oven covered for 30 minutes. (If using a cake pan, cover with another cake pan turned upside down.) Uncover and bake for 15 more minutes. Cool before slicing.

Sugar cookies with icing

provided by Erin Page, managing editor

Cookie ingredients
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c butter
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 c flour
Cream sugar, softened butter and egg with hand or stand mixer. Add milk and vanilla extract, mix. Add baking soda and flour, mix until combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and place in fridge for at least one hour. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough on a floured surface to desired thickness, cut out Easter shapes with cookie cutters. Place on cookie sheet and bake 9-11 minutes. Allow to cool completely while preparing icing.
Icing ingredients
1/3 c butter
1-3 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Powdered sugar
Food coloringMelt butter, add milk (1 tablespoon to start) and vanilla extract. Add powdered sugar until desired, spreadable consistency reached. If it gets too thick, add another tablespoon of milk. Divvy icing into separate bowls, add food coloring for desired colors and decorate!

The Best Ever Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

provided by Dana Price, recipe from The Domestic Rebel

Cake ingredients
8 oz can crushed pineapple, drained
4 large eggs
1 c granulated sugar
1 c brown sugar
1 c vegetable or canola oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
⅛th tsp ground cloves
1 c chopped pecans (may substitute walnuts)
2 c shredded carrots

Frosting ingredients
8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened
¼ c butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp orange juice
¼ c heavy cream
3 – 3 & ½ c powdered sugar
Salted chopped pecans for garnish, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Liberally grease a 9×13″ rectangular baking pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the pineapple and eggs until combined. Whisk in the sugars, oil, and vanilla, followed by the dry ingredients until a cohesive batter comes together. Fold in the pecans, carrots, and raisins (if using) until combined. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake for approximately 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with moist, not wet, crumbs. Cool completely.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until combined and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in the orange juice and gradually add in the powdered sugar, about one cup at a time, until mixture is light and fluffy, streaming in the heavy cream as needed. Spread the frosting evenly over the cake and sprinkle with remaining chopped pecans, if using. Store covered in the fridge.

 

For even more mealtime inspirations, visit our round up of family-friendly recipes and food articles. Find more Easter ideas here

more stories