Easter morning at my house tends to be so busy just trying to get everyone dressed and out the door that there is never time for cooking. Even if I’m not hosting, but just taking a dish with me, I’ve found that it’s absolutely neccessary to rely on make ahead recipes for Easter brunch. Because if it can’t be made the day (or two) before, it’s not going to be made at all. But, sadly, not everything tastes as great after an overnight stint in the fridge.
Thankfully, many Easter brunch classics like hot cross buns and breakfast casseroles do well even when they’re made ahead of time. These 6 recipes are proof. All you have to do is spend some time getting them prepped on Friday or Saturday, then you can just slide them into the oven on Easter morning for a stress-free menu.
Top: Asparagus Tart | Well Plated
Related: 6 fab Easter brunch recipes you can prep in 30-minutes or fewer.
This recipe for Hot Cross Buns at Kylee Cooks is a traditional take on the delicious spiced rolls with raisins. I’m glad that Kylee insists on using a flour and water paste to make the crosses, not that sticky-sweet white icing you see on many store-bought buns. If you’re sold like me, the one thing you should know is that her recipe calls for a bread maker to mix the dough. That said, you can add the ingredients in order to your stand mixer and use the dough hook attachment instead.
I’d make these the day before and just warm them up on Easter morning, but you can form the rolls and refrigerate the dough. Then, stick them in the oven to bake about 20 minutes before you’re ready to eat.
I love a good breakfast casserole and this Breakfast Strata with Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions, Goat Cheese and Thyme at Feasting at Home looks so much healthier than many of the sausage-and-cheese concoctions I see all over Pinterest. If you’ve never made a strata, don’t worry—it’s easy. You assemble the dish the night before and then let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. The day of, just bake, serve, and impress. Eat, too, of course.
I would definitely cook this easy Asparagus Tart at Well Plated (above & top) right before serving, but to make it fast and easy, you can make the ricotta spread and prep the asparagus the night before. That way, it’s a simple matter of assembling and baking before guests arrive. These bright spring flavors are so worth the 10 minutes or so it will take on Easter morning.
Related: 7 family-friendly asparagus recipes for families not big on asparagus—but who want to be.
Main dishes for Easter seem to vary across the country. While some might be eating fish or lamb, we’ll be having ham at my house, and this recipe for Bourbon Orange Glazed Ham at The Chunky Chef looks amazing. Score the ham the night before and pour part of the glaze over it, then layer on the rest before popping the ham in the oven in the morning. The kids (and me) will be eating these leftovers for lunch all week long.
If you want a fresh, savory breakfast with half the work on Easter morning, take some time the evening before to prep this Sausage, Mushroom, and Kale Frittata at Kitschen Cat. Mix all the ingredients together and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, then just pour the mixture into a hot skillet in the morning and bake until you can smell that yummy aroma coming from the oven. Perfection.
Deviled eggs are required fare at any of our family gatherings, but I’m thinking we’ll kick it up a notch this year. This recipe for Bacon, Chive, and Cheese Deviled Eggs at No Spoon Necessary looks like the perfect one to keep everyone happy (ahem, I’m looking at you, kids), but still add some sophistication to our normal mustard-and-pickles routine. Plus, you can store already made deviled eggs in the refrigerator overnight and they’ll still taste delicious in the morning. That is, if they make it until then.
Love this post! Holidays can be stressful, so any recipe that can be made ahead is a win in my book! All of these look delicious! Thank you so much for including my deviled eggs! Cheers and thanks for sharing the YUM!
Of course. (You made it pretty easy to share, with bacon and all!)
Thanks so much for including my frittata! The breakfast strata is being added to my easter brunch as well 🙂
So many great recipes, right?! We were happy to include yours among them.
LOVE this round up, and thank you for including my hot cross buns! (I included instructions for those without breadmakers – in the notes of the recipe).
Off to check out the others – that ham looks amazing!
That’s so helpful, Kylee. Yay!