Easter Recipes

33 Fresh Easter Side Dishes That'll Be the Best Part of Your Meal

By Sarah Martens
March 13, 2020

Complete your holiday menu with these delicious Easter side dish recipes. With fresh salads, creamy casseroles, and homemade rolls, we've got a side to fit your spring dinner or brunch buffet. These easy side dishes for Easter will steal the show. 

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Escarole Bistro Salad with Bacon

Credit: Carson Downing
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The star of this Easter salad recipe is the crispy topper. To make, toss together chopped bacon, garlic, bread crumbs, and fresh parsley. Finish the dish with a warm mustard vinaigrette just before serving. 

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Sticky Roasted Carrots with Citrus

Credit: Blaine Moats
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A chile-maple glaze gives this easy Easter vegetable side dish a potluck-ready upgrade. Prep it ahead of your meal by storing the carrots and citrus at room temperature for a few hours before serving. Make the tahini sauce up to one week ahead. 

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Creamy BLT Pasta Salad

Credit: Blaine Moats
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This isn't your basic Easter pasta salad. Take it totally over-the-top with crispy bacon, gremelli pasta, tomato, and lettuce all tossed in a tangy mayonnaise-based dressing. 

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Broccoli & Cheese Air-Fried Baked Potatoes

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
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Turn to your air fryer for a healthy twist on your favorite potato skin appetizer. In this case, halved russet potatoes become crisp while the broccoli and cheese topper gets irresistibly melty. 

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Grilled Asparagus with Toum

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Toum, a creamy Middle Eastern sauce, is a fresh topper for in-season spring asparagus. Our take blends garlic, lemon, oil, and a touch of honey. 

Test Kitchen Tip: Use any leftover sauce as a dip for vegetables or potato chips. 

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Cucumber-Corn Salad

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Pair your Easter ham with this spring vegetable salad. A trio of fresh herbs (basil, mint, chives!) brighten up simple chopped cucumber and corn. 

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Parmesan Potato Gratin

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Our twist on a classic gratin recipe is layered with bacon, green onions, and herbs. Finish the Easter casserole recipe with a creamy Parmesan cheese sauce. 

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Braised Belgian Endive

Credit: Blaine Moats
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A slow braise in apple cider vinegar softens Belgian endive. Top the finished Easter dinner side dish with crisp prosciutto, Gruyere cheese, and toasted walnuts. 

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Citrus-Cucumber Slaw with Pickled Shallots

Credit: Carson Downing
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A winning combination of sour, sweet, bitter, and salty flavors will have you coming back for a second serving of this colorful Easter salad.

Test Kitchen Tip: Soaking sliced shallots in the homemade dressing mellows their spice and infuses them with flavor. 

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Crushed Potatoes with Lemony Brown Butter

Credit: Blaine Moats
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A savory brown butter sauce transports basic smashed potatoes into dinner party territory. Serve the finished dish with flaky sea salt and a side of sour cream for dipping. 

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Easter Rainbow Salad

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Arrange stripes of golden beets, watermelon radishes, and strawberries on a bed of lettuce to look like a giant Easter egg. A slight sweet dill vinaigrette pulls all the flavors together in this Easter salad recipe.

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Spicy Green Beans with Herb Salad

Credit: Blaine Moats
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A heaping pile of herbs lends fresh flavor to this side dish for Easter ham. The spicy dressing utilizes shallots, anchovies, and garlic for a savory taste you'll crave. 

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Buttered Sweet Pea Rice

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Make this Easter pea side dish your own with a homemade chili-garlic spice blend. It brightens up buttery rice and sweet sugar snap peas. 

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Grilled Radicchio with Cheese

Credit: Blaine Moats
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Grilling radicchio mellows the bitter flavor and brings out a touch of smokiness. Pair that savory flavor with sweet balsamic and robust blue cheese. 

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Asparagus Ribbon Salad

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Ribbons of shaved asparagus add flavor and texture to this Easter green salad. Toss them with fresh peas and a homemade pesto dressing just before serving. 

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Creamed Cauliflower and Greens

Credit: Blaine Moats
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Lighten up the classic cheesy cauliflower gratin for spring with fresh herbs and torn kale. Finish this Easter dinner side dish with a toasted panko bread crumb topping. 

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White Gazpacho

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You may not think of soup for spring but this creamy white gazpacho deserves a spot on your Easter table. A chilled blend of unexpected flavors like almonds, grapes, and cucumbers will have you coming back for a second bowl. 

Test Kitchen Tip: Serve this make-ahead Easter side dish up to 24 hours after chilling. 

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Cauliflower Tabbouleh

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This fresh cauliflower tabbouleh is a great pairing for your Easter lamb dinner. Brighten up the dish with lemon zest, green onions, and an entire cup of chopped fresh herbs.

Test Kitchen Tip: Don't feel like chopping cauliflower? Swap in two packages of frozen riced cauliflower.  

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Roasted Red Pepper Panzanella

Credit: Matt Armendariz
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We love adding this Easter brunch salad to our morning menu. It's savory flavors pair perfectly with sweet muffins, french toast bakes, or fruit. Top the grilled salad with torn Burrata cheese and fresh mint just before serving.  

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Heirloom Tomato and Green Bean Salad

Credit: Paul Costello
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You don't have to choose between a pasta salad, Caprese, or bean salad with this quick 30-minute Easter side dish. Look for colorful cherry tomatoes at your local farmers market or grocery store.

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Spinach Dutch Baby

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A one reviewer raves, "Love this recipe! I've made this for our late dinner and for friends at brunch. Friends loved this dish. It looks so fancy and is so flavorful. This recipe will be a keeper!" Whip up your take on this Easter brunch side dish in just two simple steps.

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Mushroom Salad with Soy Vinaigrette

Credit: Blaine Moats
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Chances are, you haven't tried mushrooms like this before. Pair raw cremini and enoki mushrooms with homemade sesame dressing and serve with freshly sliced red chiles. 

Test Kitchen Tip: Look for enoki mushrooms in your local Asian market.

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Zucchini-Chorizo Sweet Corn Bake

Credit: Carson Downing
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This Easter casserole side dish is loaded with melty cheese and spicy chorizo sausage. Round out the recipe with plenty of sliced zucchini and fresh sweet corn. 

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Mediterranean Three-Bean Salad

Credit: Carson Downing
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This cold side dish for Easter serves 12 and is ready in just 15-minutes of hands-on time. Make it up to 24 hours ahead of your holiday meal. 

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Bacon-Mushroom Twice-Baked Potatoes

Credit: Jacob Fox
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These bacon-stuffed potatoes are a total crowd-pleaser. Pile them high with fresh mushrooms, sour cream, and Swiss cheese. Looking for a vegetarian side dish? Try making these cheesy twice-baked potatoes instead.

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Carrot Orzotto

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Turn the classic carrot side dish for Easter on its head! Instead of simply steaming the orange veggie, try making this creamy take on risotto by swapping pasta for rice. But don't just take our word for it. As one reviewer shared, "Wow! This was such a delicious dish. Perfect for spring or any occasion."

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Sheet Pan Succotash

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The key to this easy veggie side dish? Heating the sheet pan before tossing on sliced okra, peppers, edamame, and cherry tomatoes. They'll get a nice sear on the outside and stay tender. 

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Honey-Hoisin Sweet Potatoes

Credit: Andy Lyons
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Round out your Easter ham dinner with these sticky roasted sweet potatoes. Top the baked spuds with our homemade chopped cashew and green onion sauce. 

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Lemon Garlic Mashed Potatoes

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Fresh garlic, lemon, capers, and chopped parsley add big flavor to each bite of this creamy Easter side dish. We're not the only ones that love it. Reviewer threeovens writes, "I love this recipe because all the flavors are subtle, but go together so nice."

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Celery and Apple Salad with Walnuts

Credit: Blaine Moats
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Roasted meats like lamb or chicken pair perfectly with this crisp Easter dinner salad. Make this crunchy chopped salad in just 20 minutes!