Easter Eats
And a quick note on faith.
We had a wonderful Easter Sunday yesterday, I hope you did too!
I was in charge of two dishes for Easter: an appetizer and a potato dish. I got a little crazy and decided to bring two new dishes, quite literally made up the potato dish for the first time. I do not recommend experimenting with dishes you’re assigned for a family holiday event, better to stick to the tried and true, well-loved ones, however, this dish did turn out yummy and I plan to make it again!
For my appetizer, I did antipasto skewers, but instead of doing the traditional piece of tortellini on the skewer, I did soft sourdough bread with some seasoning on it. Keep reading for the full recipe!
When it came to the potatoes, I wanted to do something classic for Easter and the first dish that popped into my brain was Funeral Potatoes aka Cheesy Potatoes aka Wedding Potatoes aka Party Potatoes. I think the name really varies depending on where you live geographically, but if you’re unfamiliar with this classic comfort dish, it’s traditionally made with hash browns, cheese, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, butter and topped with cornflakes. Super low-cal, right? The name of this dish really says it all; it’s a buffet staple at some of life’s biggest moments for families, whether they’re rejoicing or mourning.
Here’s my thing with Party Potatoes, I don’t cook with “cream of” soups. That’s just my personal choice, you do you when it comes to food and ingredients! I decided I wanted to tweak the OG version of this dish to eliminate the cream of chicken it typically calls for, and I decided I’d make a roux-based dish instead by using flour, butter, milk and broth. I also wanted to make it extra flavorful and ‘elevate’ it slightly by using three different cheeses instead of just the traditional grated cheddar. I ended up using sharp cheddar, gruyere and gouda! Some other tweaks I made were: using plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, using fresh herbs and adding a splash of white wine! I did skip the fresh potatoes, opting for frozen diced hash browns to keep it easy. Full recipe below, I’m calling them Bougie Party Potatoes.
Easter has come and gone, although in our Catholic faith, Easter is celebrated until Pentecost Sunday in June, when we celebrate the Holy Spirit descending onto the apostles. Easter really is my favorite holiday and this Lenten season, Holy Week and Easter, I have felt more deeply rooted in my faith than ever before. I can’t even put into words the emotions Easter brings me and I don’t really care to try to articulate what I feel, because words can’t describe it. But yesterday on Easter Sunday, I was nursing our baby in my mother-in-law’s gym/prayer room where she has a giant, beautiful portrait of Jesus and I just thought of Mary. When she saw her son tortured, ridiculed, judged and ultimately die before her eyes, a pain I cannot fathom, did she see the man he had become or did she see the newborn infant she held in her arms after birthing him in the manger, the baby she raised knowing he was never hers. Did she remember his little toes, his little fingers reaching for her face as she nursed him? Did she think of him as a toddler, learning how to walk and talk, knowing he would be destined for greatness? Did she think of him as a boy, helping his earthly father, Joseph, with his carpentry? Did she see the man who traveled hundreds of miles to share the love of God? The man who healed the sick and the blind and helped the poor, who treated everyone with kindness and love, no matter their mistakes or status? Yes, Easter is about Jesus and what he did for us, but through it all, I think of Mother Mary. And I’m so proud of the way our Catholic faith honors her as a woman, her motherhood, her love and her ultimate sacrifice.
Antipasto Skewers
Bread, cubed
Olive oil
Red pepper flakes
Good salt (this is my favorite)
Fresh parsley, optional
Toothpicks or skewers
Cherry tomatoes
Ciliegine mozzarella
Fresh basil
Salami or meat of choice (prosciutto, pepperoni)
Olives (I like a marinated green or Kalamata olive here)
Balsamic glaze
1. Start by preparing your bread. You can use any soft bread of choice for these! I used sourdough but a yummy focaccia would be my preferred choice. Cube the bread and place in a bowl. Toss with some olive oil, good salt and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Set aside.
2. Take your toothpicks or skewers and begin to assemble by threading on a tomato, mozzarella ball, basil leaf, folded piece of salami, bread cube and olive. You can do this in any order you please! Assemble away until you’ve used all your ingredients or toothpicks.
3. Once your skewers are assembled, place them on your desired serving platter then drizzle with balsamic glaze.
These are best served chilled and can be prepared in advance. I made ours the day before Easter and refrigerated until serving time. Don’t forget some cute cocktail napkins!
Bougie Party Potatoes
3 Tablespoons butter
1/2 sweet onion, finely chopped
1/4 flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 1/4 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional, use 1/4 cup chicken broth instead if you’d like to skip)
2 cups shredded cheese of choice (cheddar, gruyere, gouda, fontina)
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (can use sour cream)
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme or chopped parsley
1 32oz bag frozen diced hash browns
Cornflake topping:
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
3 cups cornflakes
1. Grease a 9x13 dish and preheat your oven to 350. You can start by prepping your cornflake topping. Melt 2 Tablespoons butter. Pour cornflakes into a large bowl, toss with melted butter, stir to coat and gently crush a little as you stir. Doesn’t have to be super crushed.
2. Begin cooking by getting out a large pot. You want a pot large enough to be able to stir in the diced potatoes to the cheesy roux you’re about to make. I used my Dutch oven! First, melt the butter over medium heat, then add chopped onion, cooking until translucent. While the onion is cooking, you can combine your broth, milk and wine in a bowl or large cup to pour in during step 4.
3. Once onion is cooked, stir in the flour, salt and pepper, stirring to coat the onion.
4. Next, slowly add your broth, milk and wine mixture, about a 1/2 cup at a time, stirring and allowing the mixture to thicken. You should have a thick roux by the time the liquid is all poured in.
5. Remove your pot from the heat and stir in your cheeses, mixing so they melt and are well-combined. Stir in your Greek yogurt and fresh herbs. Taste and add any additional salt, if desired.
6. Stir in frozen hash browns, folding gently until everything is well coated.
7. Pour your potato mixture into your prepared baking dish, spreading evenly. From here, you can add your cornflake topping OR you can cover and refrigerate until baking next day and add cornflake topping at time of baking.
8. Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes until hot, bubbly and topping is toasted. Serve hot!
I made dish the day before, refrigerating without cornflake topping on. I made the cornflakes in advance as well, sealing them in a plastic bag. I added topping the day-of baking and baked for 45 minutes at 350.