Our Best Easter Brunch Recipes

Whether you are hosting Easter brunch or attending a potluck-style feast, you’re sure to find just the right dish in this collection of favorite Easter recipes. In addition to holiday breakfast staples, like waffles, pancakes, and pastries, Easter brunch is the perfect occasion for bringing in an element of freshness to the meal by taking advantage of the season’s vibrant produce.

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Blackberry-Lemon Griddle Cakes

Photographer: Helen Norman; Prop Styling: Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns

Blackberry-Lemon Griddle Cakes Recipe

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Ham Biscuit Casserole

Time Inc. Video Studio

Ham Biscuit Casserole Recipe

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Asparagus with Bacon and Shallots

Photo: Jennifer Causey Styling: Lindsey Lower

Asparagus with Bacon and Shallots Recipe

A quick hit with crispy bacon and shallots under the broiler, and voila! An instant side dish favorite, ready in minutes.

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Simple Baked Eggs

Photo: Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Mary Claire Britton and Kady Wohlfarth; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland

Simple Baked Eggs Recipe

This is the easiest way to prepare and serve several individual portions.

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Maple Quinoa Bake with Skillet Apples and Walnuts

Photo: Karen Rankin; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Styling: Karen Rankin

Maple Quinoa Bake with Skillet Apples and Walnuts Recipe

This hearty and comforting baked quinoa is a great healthy breakfast to make ahead for the family or serve for a brunch gathering with friends.

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Eggplant and Ham Fritters with Creamy Mustard Sauce

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Margaret Dickey; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Eggplant and Ham Fritters with Creamy Mustard Sauce Recipe

Crispy on the outside and pillowy on the inside, these golden, savory fritters are the perfect starter or brunch dish. With a delicate eggplant flavor, deliciously balanced by smoky ham, this is the perfect gateway recipe for anyone who claims to “hate” eggplant. Try not to over-mix the batter as this will make your fritters chewy, and be sure to work in small batches while frying so you don’t overcrowd the pan. If you have trouble finding crème frâiche, you can easily substitute full-fat sour cream.

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Sweet Potato Pancakes

Photo: Stephen Devries; Styling: Claire Spollen

Sweet Potato Pancakes Recipe

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Salmon Croquettes with Succotash

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Karen Rankin; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Salmon Croquettes with Succotash Recipe

You’d never believe these crispy little croquettes with veggie relish were whipped up exclusively from pantry and refrigerator/freezer staples. It’s the perfect satisfying supper for those occasions when you’re next grocery shopping trip isn’t gonna happen for a few more days.

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Cranberry Breakfast Pastries

Photo: Stephen Devries; Styling: Claire Spollen

Cranberry Breakfast Pastries Recipe

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Chicken in Waffles

Chicken in Waffles Recipe

This decadent brunch recipe is just like chicken-n-waffles, except we literally put the chicken in the waffle—thus, making it easier to eat. Also, incorporating the chopped fried chicken into the delightfully toothy cornmeal waffle batter allows evenly distributed, full-on fried chicken flavor to come through in every bite.

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Grapefruit-Pistachio Cinnamon Rolls

Sara Tane

Grapefruit-Pistachio Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

These gooey and gorgeous homemade cinnamon rolls are a vibrant uptake on those classic canned orange rolls Mom would break out for special occasion breakfasts. Never made sweet rolls from scratch before? Trust us, the dough is far easier to make and work with than you might think. And with a soft pink colored grapefruit-cream cheese glaze and a decadent filling featuring pistachios, dark brown sugar, fresh ginger, cardamon, and cinnamon, these morning glories are sure to steal the show at any brunch gathering. If you want to prep them ahead, simply follow the recipe through step 6 the night before and pop your rolls into the fridge; just be sure to bring them to room temperature the following day before baking and glazing.

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Giant Bacon-Green Chile Dutch Baby

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Karen Rankin; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Giant Bacon-Green Chile Dutch Baby Recipe

Serving brunch to large group has never looked so easy or delicious as with our XL Dutch baby (I guess you could call it a Dutch adult). You can have this large, savory pancake—boasting gloriously crisp, golden brown edges, fluffy pockets dispersed through the center, and plenty of bacon goodness—for 8 on the table in under 40 minutes.

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Cajun Shakshuka

Photography: Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer.

Cajun Shakshuka Recipe

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Sheet Pan Ricotta-Chive Biscuits with Baked Eggs

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Karen Rankin; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Sheet Pan Ricotta-Chive Biscuits with Baked Eggs Recipe

Our sheet pan take on “egg-in-a-hole” is such a perfect play for a fun, and totally photogenic, weekend brunch.

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Blueberry Corn Muffins

Photographer: Gina DeSimone; Prop stylist: Kashara Johnson; Food Stylist: Briana Riddock

Blueberry Corn Muffins Recipe

When blueberries are in season, you find a reason to tuck them into just about anything and everything. Why? Because a burst of blueberry has a way of making almost everything better; that’s certainly the case with these corn muffins. Plump summer blueberries and corn are simply meant for one another. The fresh berries bring a fresh sweetness to the muffins, as well as moisture that makes for an insanely tender muffin. The buttermilk in this recipe is also key to achieving an exceptionally soft, rich muffin. The muffins bake at a high temperature in order to to get the golden color and crispy edges that you expect from classic cornbread. These hearty and delightful muffins are ideal both for a relaxed weekend brunch with friends, as well as an on-the-go breakfast while running out the door in the morning.

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Black Forest Smoothie

Black Forest Smoothie Recipe

A touch of chocolatey decadence paired with nutrient-dense fruits and veggies—you get it all with this silky smooth Black Forest Smoothie. Inspired by the classic cake combo of chocolate and cherry, this simple smoothie utilizes sweet-tart frozen cherries (which provide chilled body for the smoothie when blended, without watering the beverage down as ice would), cocoa powder for chocolaty richness, and vanilla almond milk for a touch of sweetness.

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Fluffy Buttermilk Waffles

Photo: Alison Miksch; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Fluffy Buttermilk Waffles Recipe

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Lemon-Blueberry with Mascarpone Oatmeal

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Lindsey Lower

Lemon-Blueberry with Mascarpone Oatmeal Recipe

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Brown-Butter Crab Benedict with Old Bay Hollandaise

Photography: Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer.

Brown-Butter Crab Benedict with Old Bay Hollandaise Recipe

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Pistachio-Crusted French Toast with Strawberry and Neufchâtel Filling

Pistachio-Crusted French Toast with Strawberry and Neufchâtel Filling Recipe

If you're looking for an over-the-top brunch dish for a celebration, this is just the ticket.

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Green Shakshouka

Erin Kunkel

Green Shakshouka Recipe

This gutsy North African dish of eggs poached in a super-flavorful tomato-based sauce gets even better with the addition of a mountain of greens. It makes a great brunch or dinner for a crowd of holiday guests.

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Spring Vegetable Bread Pudding Muffins

Photo: Kelsey Hansen; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Mark Driskill

Spring Vegetable Bread Pudding Muffins Recipe

These individual savory bread puddings are an amazing addition to any spring brunch menu. Bread pudding’s rich, comfort food quality is balanced here with vibrant spring flavors contributed by fresh mint, fresh dill, green peas, and baby spinach. We love the savory-salty goodness that pancetta delivers to this delicious side dish, but if you would prefer to keep these bread pudding muffins vegetarian-friendly, you can leave this ingredient out and cook the spinach and peas in olive oil. Preparing the bread pudding in muffin tins allows for easily-served individual portions, as well as loads of potential for creating a really pretty display. You can prepare these bread pudding muffins up to a day in advance—simply keep the muffins in the pan and wrap the pan in plastic wrap once it’s completely cool. Store them in the fridge until you’re ready to reheat and serve.

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Mini Bacon Quiches

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Linda Hirst

Mini Bacon Quiches Recipe

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Bacon-and-Cheddar Grits Quiche

Photo: Alison Miksch; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Bacon-and-Cheddar Grits Quiche Recipe

Spread cheese to the edge of the warm, bacony grits "crust" to prevent any custard from seeping out while the quiche bakes.

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Slab Quiche with Spinach, Goat Cheese, and Caramelized Onions

Photo by Ken Carlson, Waterbury Publications, Inc.

Slab Quiche with Spinach, Goat Cheese, and Caramelized Onions Recipe
Everything tastes better in a slab

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Zucchini and Goat Cheese Quiche (Quiche de Courgettes au Chèvre)

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Zucchini and Goat Cheese Quiche (Quiche de Courgettes au Chèvre) Recipe

This dish is a bit of a project, but once you have the pastry rolled and pressed into the tart pan, most of the work is done, and you can do that well in advance. Keep the dough in the freezer, ready to bake when you need it. (The crust is a lightened adaptation of Tanis' original crust. We reduced the amount of butter by 5 tablespoons and the cream cheese by 2 ounces, and doubled the amount of yogurt.)

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Tomato Pie with Fresh Corn & Herbs

Photo: Oxmoor House

Tomato Pie with Fresh Corn & Herbs Recipe

A tomato pie is a delicious creation--almost as good as the first tomato sandwich of the season. Every summer, I look forward to it. If you've never heard of a tomato pie, think of it as an eggless quiche. Trust me, it will become your new favorite.

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Country Ham and Shrimp Grits

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Country Ham and Shrimp Grits Recipe

Buttermilk adds a subtle, creamy tang to the grits.

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Summer Melon Salad with Ham and Mint Vinaigrette

Photographer: Jennifer Causey

Summer Melon Salad with Ham and Mint Vinaigrette Recipe

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Pineapple-Tamarind Ham

Greg Dupree

Pineapple-Tamarind Ham Recipe

Sweet pineapple with zingy tamarind makes for a beautifully lacquered holiday ham with just a few ingredients. Bonus: tamarind's natural acidity helps tenderize the meat, making for a juicy centerpiece.

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Waffled Gruyère & Ham Grits

Photo: Alison Miksch; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Waffled Gruyère & Ham Grits Recipe

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Green Eggs and Ham Frittata

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Green Eggs and Ham Frittata Recipe

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Green Eggs and Ham for Grown Ups

All photos by Teresa Sabga / Styled by Jiselle Basile

Green Eggs and Ham for Grown Ups Recipe
We do like them, Sam-I-Am

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Ham and Mustard Crostini

Photo: Greg DuPree; Styling: Mindi Shapiro

Ham and Mustard Crostini Recipe

For an elevated spin on classic ham sandwich, top your next crostini with thinly sliced prosciutto (or ham), cream cheese spread, your favorite mustard-mayonnaise sauce, and chive sprigs for a fresh, open-faced toast that are perfect for entertaining.

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Powdered Sugar Donut Monkey Bread

Photo: Gina DeSimone; Prop Styling: Kashara Johnson; Food Styling: Deb Wise

Powdered Sugar Donut Monkey Bread Recipe

Featuring mini powdered sugar donuts, this whimsical twist on monkey bread is the perfect sweet centerpiece for a casual brunch get-together.

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Best Baked Oatmeal

Photo: Aaron Kirk; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Styling: Robin Bashinsky

Best Baked Oatmeal Recipe

A hearty dish of baked oatmeal is a wonderful (and low-key, easy) brunch dish to make ahead for company, but it can also serve as a brilliant meal prep move that will set you up with practically instant breakfasts for the week. We call this our our “best” baked oatmeal recipe because it offers warming spiced flavor without overwhelming the palate, and achieves a delightful level of creaminess, while maintaining just the right amount of toothy integrity from the oats. Crowned with toasty almonds and bright, juicy berries, it’s this whole-grain breakfast bake is eye-catching as it is delicious. Serve with cream and maple syrup to sweet to taste.

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