Easter Recipes for the Slow Cooker (2024)

FAQs

What is a typical Easter dinner menu? ›

I've been to quite a few Easter lunches/dinners of different families. Ham has been the centerpiece of each of these, with typical side dishes of veggies, pasta and potato salads, casseroles etc. Dessert is typically pie, cake, and/or other pastries. This year there was ham and prime rib.

Avoid overcrowding: For the best results, fill a slow cooker between one-half and two-thirds full. Go ahead and cook big roasts and whole chickens; just make sure you use a large crock and that the lid fits snugly on top. Trim fat: For silky sauces and gravies, take a minute or two and cut the excess fat from the meat.

If you take an extra 10 minutes to sauté the aromatics before scraping them into the slow-cooker, the finished dish will have deeper flavor and better texture. (And some new slow-cookers allow you to sauté right in the insert, so you don't have to wash a separate skillet.)

But because there is no evaporation, the liquid isn't able to reduce and thicken naturally in a slow cooker, often resulting in watery sauces and loose gravies. The common solution? Using a thickener. But not just any old thickener will do.

Eggs are a classic Easter dish around the world. Whipped deviled eggs with dill are the perfect appetizer or snack at any party!

Easter Dinner Mains. Ham and lamb are classic, but there are so many other great options, as well. Pork tenderloin, stuffed chicken breast, and burrata topped pasta are all worthy of the holiday table, and ideal for feeding a small crowd.

Soak up the condensation

Taste user Jenny says she puts a tea towel under her crockpot lid to catch water and stop it thinning too much. This technique is also a favourite with taste's food editor Miranda.

The difference between "High" and "Low" on slow cookers seems to differ with every brand and model. One thing that is consistent, though, is that food takes seven to eight hours to reach a simmer point (around 210°) on low; versus three to four hours on high.

Due to the nature of a slow cooker, there is no need to stir the food unless it specifically says to in your recipe. In fact, taking the lid off to stir food causes the slow cooker to lose a significant amount of heat, extending the cooking time required. Therefore, it is best not to remove the lid for stirring.

What is the best meat to slow cook? ›

Onion - the One Ingredient You Must Pre-Cook Before Adding to Your Slow Cooker! Never add onions to a slow cooker dish that you haven't sautéed first – I find you get that slight raw onion flavour throughout and it just ruins the dish for me. I really think it's worth the extra effort.

Slow cookers are specially designed to cook food for long periods of time, but yes, you can still overcook in a slow cooker if something is left on the wrong setting for longer than it's supposed to be.

Cornstarch, potato starch, and chickpea flour are a couple of pantry-friendly ways to thicken soups, stews, and sauces in the slow cooker. Just a tablespoon or two of any — added towards the end of cooking — will thicken sauces especially well.

Not adding enough liquid can lead to burning.

"It's important to add enough liquid to ensure the bottom of your dish doesn't burn."

Roast lamb: Lamb is a traditional Easter dish in many cultures, symbolizing spring and renewal. A roast leg of lamb seasoned with herbs and garlic is a classic choice. Honey-glazed ham: Honey-glazed ham is another traditional Easter dish that is popular in many households.

On Good Friday, it's tradition to eat fish rather than meat. According to Christians, Jesus sacrificed his flesh on what is now known as Good Friday. This is why traditionally, people abstain from meaty flesh on Good Friday. Fish is viewed as a different kind of flesh, and so is favoured over meat on Good Friday.

After the many weeks of Lent, Easter, which marks the resurrection of Christ, is usually celebrated with a big family meal. It often includes eggs, hot cross buns, and lamb or ham. Eggs symbolize rebirth and rejuvenation.

While The Daily Meal notes lamb was originally the main course for most Easter dinners, a tradition that spanned 3,000 years and still holds true for many, including the Jewish holiday Passover. Ham became a less expensive alternative to lamb on Easter once there was less demand for wool in the U.S. after World War II.