Tasty Tuesdays: the 41st edition

With Easter just around the corner, I am sure many of you have already put together your Easter menus and have began the prep necessary to orchestrate a delectable feast. However, for those of you who have procrastinated and haven't given it much thought, you're in luck. Today's post will not feature a new recipe, but will direct you to some past recipes to serve as suggestions or inspiration for your menu.

I absolutely adore serving a brunch-esque meal on Easter Sunday. For starters, it means I get to enjoy a couple bubbly mimosas, but it also means no dishes are off limits. I am able to combine sweet and savory, breakfast and lunch. Putting together a menu for Easter brunch is especially easy when you divvy up the responsibilities and stick to the basics.

Here's a peak inside our Easter kitchen this year. My family always does a ham as the main protein of the meal. I will then typically do my easy garden bake as the accompanying egg dish. We will round out our meal with a fresh fruit salad (strawberries, bananas, grapes and whatever else looks good) a spinach, pear and Gorgonzola salad and my corn pudding. Throw in mimosas made with fresh grapefruit juice and champagne and you have a fresh, easy and flavorful Easter spread.

To get you started, here is the recipe for my Easy Garden Bake (original post in July 2009). Lately, I have been adding crumbled goat cheese to the top just before baking it off in the oven.

Rachel's Easy Garden Bake


1/2 C sliced mushrooms
1/2 onion, chopped
1 pkg frozen broccoli florets, defrosted and chopped
1 can of artichoke hearts
1 can of Rotel, drained
1 C egg beaters (or 3 egg whites and 1 whole egg)
1 C milk (2%, 1% or skim all work)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9" pie plate with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Saute mushrooms, onion, broccoli and artichoke until tender.

3. Spread vegetables into pie pan evenly.

4. Whisk together the egg beaters, milk, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

5. Pour over the vegetable mixture and bake for 30 minutes or until set.

Again, you can adapt this recipe to whatever suits your family's palate. If you don't like mushrooms, leave them out. Instead of broccoli, you could use chopped asparagus. Feel free to add some crumbled bacon, chopped ham or muenster cheese. The sky is the limit!

Some other recipe suggestions for your Easter meal from past Tasty Tuesday posts are:
Roasted asparagus
Baked sweet potatoes
SPG salad
Puff the Magic Pancake
Green bean bake revisited
Corn pudding
Monkey bread

Oh, and of course, you cannot forget dessert. I will be whipping up a raspberry cake with buttercream icing, but lemon bars or a fresh fruit pie would both be delightful additions to your Easter meal.

Whatever you make, I hope you get in the kitchen with your family and spend some quality time together. And above all else, may be truly take some time this week for reflection and meditation on Christ's sacrifice. I simply cannot write an Easter post without mentioning the cross. May we be ever mindful of His grace and mercy.