Easter Feasting!

My husband and I are busy making our plans for Easter Sunday's Dinner, (Yes, we LOVE to eat around here!) and though our menu is not unusual or groundbreaking, I thought I'd share some of our recipes here. (Some of these are re-posts.)

I'd LOVE to hear all about your Easter traditions and the foods you like to serve as part of your Easter celebration. Leave your comment below! :-)

Breakfast Monkey Bread
For these yummy rolls, I start with my No-Rise Bread dough recipe. Then I follow the additional instructions below to make these breakfast treats. This year, I'm going to get these ready the night before, so I can pop them in the oven on Easter morning.

• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  
• 1 cube REAL butter
• 1 cup brown sugar

Mix the white sugar and cinnamon together. Melt the butter and add the brown sugar, stirring until well incorporated. Pinch off small balls of the bread dough, roll, and then coat them in the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Then place them in a greased Bundt pan. Don't worry about crowding-- they are not supposed to stay round and perfect.

Once you've coated and placed half the dough in the pan, pour half of the brown sugar and butter mixture over them. Then continue coating and adding the remainder of the dough. Pour the rest of the brown sugar sauce over the top. *Word to the wise: place the pan on a cookie sheet during baking to catch any leaking brown sugar sauce, or you may end up with a little sugar fire in your oven. Don't ask me how I know to share this useful little tip...

Place in a COLD oven; turn the oven on to 350 degrees and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, and turn it over onto a large platter to serve.

Yummy Potatoes

I grew up in Idaho– Potato Country. And this dish could be found at almost any church or civic function. (They’re also known as “Funeral Potatoes,” due to their propensity for being served at funerals, as well.) I enjoy making this delicious casserole as a side dish, or even as the main course*. (In our home, we have to double the recipe.) Try them today– I know your family will love them!

• 8 to 10 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 can (10 & 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup
• 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 green onions, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil; cover and cook until almost tender. (Don’t over-cook.) Drain and cool. Combine soup, half of the cheese (1&1/2 cups) sour cream, onions, salt and pepper. Stir in potatoes. Place in a greased 9″x13″ baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until heated through. Serves 8-10. *We like to add cubed ham before baking for a full-meal casserole. These are also wonderful served with a Baked Ham.

Resurrection Rolls

While this recipe is not necessarily on our Easter menu, it is a fun thing to do together with my children to have a discussion about the Resurrection of Christ. It's a great object lesson, as well as a tasty, if not healthy, recipe that is fun to do! This recipe does not have specific amounts, so there is some guess work, keeping in mind the amount of rolls you want to make.

• Refrigerated canned crescent rolls
• Melted butter
• Large marshmallows
• Cinnamon Sugar mixture (1 cup white sugar to 1 teaspoon cinnamon)
  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Give each child a triangle of crescent roll. The crescent roll represents the cloth that Jesus' body was wrapped in. Give each child a marshmallow. This represents Jesus' body. Dip each marshmallow in the melted butter. This represents the oils of embalming. Then roll the buttered marshmallow in the cinnamon sugar mixture. This represents the spices used to anoint the Savior's body.

Then wrap the coated marshmallow in the crescent roll. Do not wrap it in typical crescent roll fashion, rather bring up the sides and tightly seal the marshmallow inside. (This is important!) This represents the wrapping of Jesus' body before the burial.

Place the rolls on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The oven represents the tomb where Jesus' body was laid.

After baking, and once the rolls have cooled slightly, the children can open them up to discover that Jesus is no longer there-- He is risen! (The marshmallow and crescent roll puff up during baking, but are empty when baked.)   ***For more ideas on feeding a crowd, see The Commonroom post titled, "Potluck Saturday, or Cooking for 8 or More"