Easter Dinner
Look no further for an Easter Dinner that is suitable for a variety of dietary restrictions or lifestyle choices. It features lamb so we included some other mediterranean dishes to match! Scroll down to see how each dish meets a common allergen or diet need. We also have a workback schedule listing what can be made ahead or not.
This year Easter is pretty late so it’s possible that fresh fruits and vegetables might be easily obtained where you live. It begins with Prosciutto and Melone, a wonderful Italian appetizer that combines the salty flavor of prosciutto with sweet cantaloupe.
First course is a creamy risotto with asparagus and is followed with Rosemary-Garlic Roasted Lamb. Lamb is a staple for many of my family’s holiday dinners, although I will admit it is the worst meat to eat in terms of environmental impact. But this website is for everyone, including carnivores, so here it is.
Side dishes include Honey-Roasted Carrots, Mediterranean Quinoa Salad, and Dinner Rolls.
While this meal features a lamb main dish, there are plenty of dishes for a vegan/vegetarian to enjoy! And the lamb is gluten-free and dairy-free. We added a second dessert to ensure everyone gets something sweet, but you may need to let the dairy-free and gluten-free folks get the first servings as it is smooth and yummy and may be preferred by all guests.
| Menu Item | Dairy-free | Egg-free | Gluten-free | Tree nut-free | Vegan | Vegetarian | Substitution* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prosciutto and Melone | X | X | X | X | X* | X* | Serve some cantaloupe without prosciutto |
| Asparagus Risotto | X | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Rosemary Roasted Lamb | X | X | X | X | |||
| Spring Vegetable Panzanella | X | X | X* | X | X* | X | Use gluten-free puff bread. Serve parmesan on the side |
| Honey Roasted Carrots | X | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Mediterranean Quinoa Salad | X* | X | X | X | X* | X | Serve feta cheese on the side or use plant-based feta cheese. |
| Dinner Rolls | X | X | |||||
| Carrot Cake | X* | X | Omit walnuts | ||||
| Vegan Lemon Tart | X | X | X | X | X | X |
*If appropriate substitutions are made and/or if some ingredients are served on the side.
- Vegetarians can eat everything but the lamb.
- Vegan/plant-based guests could eat everything but the lamb, rolls, and carrot cake.
- Gluten-free and dairy-free guests can eat everything but the rolls, and carrot cake.
- Tree nut allergy guests could eat everything if the tree nuts are omitted for the carrot cake.
The menu features a wide array of dishes, and you might be curious about how to prepare them all. Amazingly most of the dishes can be made the day before. They either need to rest, chill, or rise long enough that prepping them all the day before works to make a very light day of cooking. We baked both Wellingtons together and then made the sides dishes while those were baking.
| Menu Item | Do Day Before | Total Prep & Cook Time | Start Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carrot Cake | Cake and Frosting, ice on day of | ||
| Vegan Lemon Tart | Tart, garnish on the day of | ||
| Dinner Rolls | 1 hr 40 min | T – 6 hrs | |
| Quinoa Salad | 35 min | T – 3 hrs | |
| Prosciutto and Melone | 20 min | T – 2 hrs | |
| Asparagus Risotto | 50 min | T – 70 min | |
| Roasted Lamb | 45 min | T – 60 min | |
| Panzanella | 45 min | T – 60 min | |
| Carrots | 45 min | T – 40 min |
(T is your target mealtime)
Should any of these dishes not meet your preferences, we have a variety of alternatives. To find alternatives, simply navigate to the All Recipes page and filter by Course and Sensitivities or Lifestyles to explore all available choices.
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