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Elevate your Easter table with savory spring dishes
Easter is right around the corner, and these dishes embody elegance and simplicity—perfect for any last-minute party planners. Even if you’re not celebrating Easter, these familiar favorites will work for a spring gathering or family dinner.
You may find a juicy ham at the center of many Easter dinner tables. When the holiday gained traction in the U.S. in the late 19th century, ham was the most accessible cut of meat in the early spring and became the holiday’s popular centerpiece.
In Virginia, the pork industry has served as a major contributor to its overall economy for years. Home to 1,461 hog farms in 2021, industry sales in Virginia supported a total economic contribution of over $305 million in personal income and 6,465 jobs, according to the
National Pork Producers Council.
Ham is surprisingly easy to cook—especially with a slow cooker. This southern slow-cooked ham will take minutes to prepare, fill your home with its delightful aroma and offer versatile leftovers.
Satisfy your hungry guests with another Easter classic while the ham’s cooking. Deviled eggs make up a perfect party plate with just a few items in the fridge. Get creative in the kitchen and add your own unique flavors or try this savory bacon and cheese spin on the classic recipe.
Sweet Southern Slow Cooker Ham
1 bone-in fully cooked ham
1 cup apple cider
½ cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup bourbon
¼ cup honey
¼ cup Dijon mustard
4 sprigs fresh thyme
Place the ham in a large slow cooker.
Whisk the cider with brown sugar, bourbon, honey and mustard. Slowly pour over the ham.
Scatter the thyme sprigs into the slow cooker.
Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours, or until very tender.
Remove the ham to rest on a cutting board.
Pass the remaining cooking liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a saucepan. Simmer for 10 minutes or until slightly reduced.
Cut the ham into chunks or slices. Brush the cut pieces with the cooking liquid before arranging on a platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.
—Recipe adapted from the National Pork Board.
Sister Mary’s Heavenly Deviled Eggs
14 large, hard-boiled eggs
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup crumbled cooked bacon
¼ cup finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Cut hard-boiled eggs lengthwise in half.
Remove yolks to a medium bowl and reserve 24 white halves. Finely chop the remaining four white halves, and set aside.
Mash the yolks with a fork. Add mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, lemon juice and pepper. Mix well.
Add chopped egg whites, bacon, cheese and chives. Mix well.
Spoon 1 tablespoon of the yolk mixture into each reserved egg white half.
Refrigerate, covered, to blend flavors.
Sprinkle with paprika just before serving if desired.
—Recipe adapted from American Egg Board.