Here you will find a collection of recipes and ideas for a traditional Easter dinner menu. The recipes include Southern staples and favorites for main dishes, appetizers, side dishes, and dessert including ham, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, carrot cake, pound cake and more.
Your Guide To Planning to Planning Easter Dinner
A soul food Southern Easter dinner is not just any dinner. It is the dinner to show your cooking skills and get in touch with African American culture. Our guide will make the planning process easier.
Before You Begin: Figure Out How Many People Will Be in Attendance
Determine how many people are coming by. One of the great things about African American menus is that you can always make more to share. If you have a small family of three to four, a main dish and two sides are often enough. If you add extras, you will have plenty of delicious leftovers.
If you have a larger family or plenty of guests, it’s best to load up on the sides and showcase your medal, and have at least six to seven dishes on the table. Among most Black families, an Easter dinner is a moment where everyone is invited—especially if they’re friends from church.
Our Top Soul Food Menu Planning Tips
Let’s face it, any holiday dinner is going to take a lot of effort to create. These tips will ensure things run smoothly and on time:
- Don’t be afraid to enlist volunteers to prep entrees ahead of time. We all have that one auntie who makes the absolute best potatoes, or that cousin who can roast ribs like a king.
- Consider trying one new recipe each year. We all love having those traditional family recipes, but sometimes, you just need to freshen stuff up. It’s okay to check out new soul food trends or ask a friend from your church to supply you with their best dish.
- Prioritize recipes that can be made ahead of time. It can be a bit of a hassle to go from church straight to cooking in the kitchen from scratch.
- Ask guests if they have any food allergies or special dietary needs. Safety first!
- Always remember to relax and take a breather. It’s easy to get swept up in the hassle of making Sunday dinner, especially when it’s your first time doing it. The good news is that the meal itself is only one part of the experience. The community and fun surrounding it is always what matters the most.
Planning the Dinner
This is the time to put together a spread that will make your guests’ mouths water. We have broken down our suggestions based on courses.
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Soul Food Easter Appetizer Recipes
Appetizers are a must for any celebration, hosting or otherwise. It’s always nice to have something to snack on like Ambrosia salad, black eyed peas salad, and of course deviled eggs.
The BEST Deviled Eggs
These Divine Eggs are made perfectly with creamy Miracle Whip, tangy mustard and sweet relish this the BEST Classic Deviled Eggs recipe sure to impress. An Easter and holiday MUST!
Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Made from scratch and tossed in a tangy and spicy vinaigrette dressing, this black-eyed pea salad is all sorts of delicious. Simple to make, it’s a delicious side dish that is a real crowd pleaser!
Pigs In A Blanket
Fun finger food that will please almost any crowd. Using a homemade honey mustard sauce, there are only 4 ingredients in this easy appetizer.
Ambrosia Salad
Creamy, fruity, and easy loaded with tangerines, pineapple, grapes, coconut, cherries, marshmallows, and chopped pecans. It’s the perfect dessert for any occasion. Sweet, tangy, and heavenly!
Jalapeno Poppers
Whip up these Bacon-wrapped Jalapeño Poppers in about 20 minutes. This recipe uses just a few ingredients like jalapeño peppers, bacon, and homemade ranch seasoning.
Soul Food Easter Main Dish Recipes
While all of Easter dinner is important, it’s really the main course that seals a true soul food dinner.
Honey Glazed Ham
This tender, moist and perfectly sweet Honey Glazed Ham recipe is cooked in its own juices and glazed with a mixture of honey, pineapple juice and brown sugar. This ham is sweet and salty, buttery and sticky, and the star of any holiday table!!
Balsamic Brown Sugar Lamb Chops
This delicious Balsamic Brown Sugar Lamb Chops Recipe is savory and rich goodness with sweetness to boot! Delicious juicy lamb chops are seared then basted in a deliciously flavorful luscious Brown Sugar sauce that’s super easy to make!
Boneless Pork Shoulder Roast
Make this in your slow cooker using minimal ingredients.
Easy Baked Turkey Wings
This Crispy Baked Turkey Wings recipe will show you how to cook the best oven roasted wings that will literally fall off the bone. This tender meat it a staple dish for any soul food spread.
Cajun Crab Stuffed Salmon
This Cajun Crab Stuffed Salmon is stuffed with an irresistible creole-spiced crab bread crumb filling then topped with a delicious decadent lemon butter sauce. This is an easy and elegant recipe that is a crowd favorite!
Leg Of Lamb
This slow cooker leg of lamb recipe is super easy to make and produces tender lamb that will impress any guest. Perfect for holidays or Sunday dinner
Braised Short Ribs
Braised Short Ribs – crazy tender beef short ribs infused with flavors from garlic, rosemary and thyme. Flavorful, fragrant and fall-off-the-bones delicious!
Okra & Tomatoes with Chicken
This okra & tomatoes with chicken recipe is a healthy one-pot recipe that can be served any day of the week.
Soul Food Easter Side Dish Recipes
There's no argument, the versatility and true pride of soul food can be found in the side dishes. The most iconic plates in a Black Easter dinner menu feature amazing side dishes like macaroni and cheese, collard greens, and sweet potatoes.
Soul Food Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Southern-Style Soul Food Baked Macaroni and Cheese is a homemade recipe with 5 creamy types of cheese.
Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Even more delicious than regular mashed potatoes is mashed potatoes with cream cheese. Classic comfort food with garlic and cream cheese.
Southern Cornbread Dressing With Chicken
This Easy Southern Cornbread Dressing with chicken is the best old fashioned and homemade recipe from scratch. Drizzle it in gravy and serve it for Sunday dinners, the holidays, or any occasion.
Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes
Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes (or Candied Yams), is a staple Southern Black side dish. Even though they aren’t dessert, they are sweet, sticky, and covered in warm spices. Make this for a tried and tested recipe passed down through generations of Black women.
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
These Easy Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar are perfectly cooked and served whipped with cinnamon, butter, and nutmeg. Feel free to drizzle them with honey or maple syrup if you wish.
Maple Garlic Roasted Carrots
These Maple Garlic Roasted Carrots are incredibly tender, bursting with flavor and are topped with delectable Carrot Greens Chimichurri.
Southern Style Green Beans
These Easy Southern Style Green Beans are a staple old-fashioned side dish recipe. This homestyle dish is made with string beans and bacon for the perfect country meal. Add this to any soul food spread.
Creamed Corn
This simple side dish is a true Southern favorite! Creamed corn is so quick and easy to make, and it all comes together in one skillet for a fuss-free recipe that everyone is guaranteed to love!
Southern Mustard Greens
Southern Mustard Greens slowly braised in smoked turkey, bacon, and chicken broth with a kick of heat from a homemade Creole seasoning makes a spectacular side dish.
Carrot Souffle
Look no further than this oven baked carrot souffle. Simple to prep with a few basic ingredients, it’s a wonderful addition to your holiday dinners!
Soul Food Easter Cornbread, Biscuit, and Dinner Roll Recipes
Honey rolls and cornbread are staples for the table and spread. Nothing is quite as tasty as sinking your teeth into freshly baked rolls.
Southern Cornbread Recipe
Fill your kitchen with the smell (and taste) of THE BEST freshly baked, fluffy, moist, and buttery Southern Cornbread recipe in just about an hour!
Honey Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
Mix up your bread side game with these delicious homemade honey whole wheat dinner rolls. Perfectly fluffy with an amazing depth of flavor.
Vegan Cornbread
This Vegan Cornbread is fluffy, moist and southern-style! Vegan buttermilk gives it that incredible texture, and it's so buttery with a hint of traditional sweetness.
Jamaican Easter Spice Bun
Jamaican Easter Spice Bun — Highly Spiced Jamaican bread, soft, tender studded with raisins and fruits. Absolutely delightful anytime!
Potato Bread Rolls
These simple potato rolls are dense yet tender and moist, thanks to mashed potatoes. Easy dinner rolls are perfect for a holiday dinner.
Vegan Buttermilk Biscuits
These delicious Vegan Buttermilk Biscuits have a rich and flaky texture with only 7 ingredients! They taste just like the buttermilk biscuits you know and love, but dairy free!
Blueberry Biscuits
These delicious blueberry biscuits are such a wonderful treat! Loaded with fresh fruit and finished with a sweet glaze. They are easy to make and can be baked in the oven or the air fryer.
Keto Cornbread Recipe
Make Keto Cornbread without cornmeal in less than 30 minutes with just 6 pantry staple ingredients.
Soul Food Easter Dessert Recipes
A sweet ending to a day filled with sweeter memories includes carrot cake, pound cake, and pies.
Carrot Cake
Made incredibly moist and delicious with carrots, pineapple, a blend of warm spices and a homemade brown butter cream cheese frosting, this Carrot Cake Recipe is truly the BEST dessert EVER!
Buttermilk Pound Cake
Pound cake is classic Southern comfort food, and you can never have too many recipes. There’s just something so soul-satisfying about the perfect ratio of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour.
Lemon Meringue Pie
Made with the butteriest homemade pie crust, a creamy tart lemon curd filling, and piled high with fluffy clouds of sweet meringue, this lemon meringue pie is a lemon lover’s dream come true!
Spice Cake
Spice Cake – Incredibly moist and well-spiced cake brimming with cozy fall flavors coated in sweet and tangy decadent cream cheese frosting.
Bird’s Nest Easter Cupcakes
These are what I like to call Bird’s Nest Easter Cupcakes. Can I say, those chocolate eggs are so delicious.
Sour Cream Pound Cake
Sour Cream Pound Cake made with the simplest ingredients yet delivers incredible moist, dense, and buttery pound cake. The perfect comfort food with its heavenly softness and creaminess.
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Every bite of this fluffy and moist red cupcake delivers you to a dreamy wonderland from its cream cheese frosting down to the last crumb.
Vegan Carrot Cake Muffins
These Carrot Cake Muffins bake up in just 30 minutes and are absolutely fantastic! They are moist, delectable and vegan and gluten free!