Family favorites for your Easter menu

I recently asked my Facebook friends and family to tell me some of their favorite foods for Easter dinner. While it's always nice to add new dishes to the menu, there is something about holidays that screams "tradition!"

In addition to the traditional ham, deviled eggs, strawberry shortcake, etc., a couple of other dishes were mentioned more than once. Those include Hash Brown Casserole, "Aunt Zina's Chocolate Dessert," (a reference to my Aunt Zina Turner, my mom's older sister), and a tasty Blueberry Salad.

I've included those recipes here, plus a few extras from my (and my mom's) recipe box.

My mom made the best deviled eggs, but like many cooks of her era, she rarely wrote down a recipe, just adding ingredients until "it tastes right." After she passed away in 2009 I made several (unsuccessful) attempts to make deviled eggs that tasted as least somewhat close to hers. This recipe came from a noon local news program and is the closest I've come.

Classic Deviled Eggs

6 eggs

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon white vinegar or dill pickle juice

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

1/8 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Smoked paprika, for garnish

Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and cover with enough water that there's 1-1/2 inches of water above the eggs. Heat on high until water begins to boil, then cover, turn the heat to low, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and leave covered for 14 minutes, then rinse under cold water continuously for 1 minute.

Crack egg shells and carefully peel under cool running water. Gently dry with paper towels. Slice the eggs in half lengthwise, removing yolks to a medium bowl, and placing the whites on a serving platter.

Mash the yolks into a fine crumble using a fork. Add mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper, and mix well.

Evenly disperse heaping teaspoons of the yolk mixture into the egg whites. Sprinkle with paprika and serve.

Notes: The first time I tried this recipe, I added both the vinegar and pickle juice in the suggested amounts. The next time I used a little more mustard and a little less mayo. They needed to be a little more tart.

Makes 12 servings.

My mom came across this recipe years ago and it's still the one I use for ham at either Easter or Christmas.

Cherry Almond Glaze for Ham

1 10- to 14-pound ham

1 jar (10 ounces) cherry preserves

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds

3 tablespoons water

Cook ham according to package directions.

While ham is baking, combine the glaze ingredients (except almonds and water) in a small saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture boils. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in almonds.

Pour about 3/4 cup of the glaze into a separate cup and set aside.

About 15 minutes before the ham is done, spoon some of the remaining glaze over the ham. Continue to baste occasionally until the ham is done.

Before serving, add the water to the remaining 3/4 cup of glaze and reheat. Serve with ham.

Recipe from: Shirley Hahn (my mom)

This recipe for Blueberry Salad comes from my friend Vicky Leo-Timm who lives in Kansas City.

"Makes a nice purple pastel color and it's yummy!" she says. And it just takes four ingredients

Blueberry Salad

1 can blueberry pie filling

1 large container nondairy whipped topping, thawed

1 large can crushed pineapple, undrained

1 bag mini-marshmallows

Fold the pie filling into the whipped topping and mix until thoroughly blended. Stir in the pineapple, then fold in the marshmallows (mixture will be runny, but the marshmallows will absorb the juices).

Refrigerate overnight.

Recipe from: Vicky Leo-Timm, Kansas City, Mo.

This Hash Brown Casserole came from my cousin, Sherry (Turner) Murphy who lives in Lincoln. (She's Aunt Zina's daughter, by the way.)

Hash Brown Casserole

2 pounds frozen hash browns, thawed

3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted (divided use)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 cup sour cream

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups crushed corn flakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-13 inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Spread the thawed potatoes evenly in the baking dish. Top with 1/2 cup melted margarine

In a mixing bowl, combine the chopped onion, grated cheese, sour cream, mushroom soup and salt. Spread mixture over the potatoes.

Combine the crushed corn flakes with the remaining 1/4 cup of melted margarine. Spread over the top of the soup mixture.

Bake for 60 minutes.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Recipe from: Sherry (Turner) Murphy

(my cousin and Aunt Zina's daughter)

This has been a family favorite for many years. It's light and the perfect finish for a holiday meal. And it couldn't be easier to make. I originally found the recipe in a Sunday newspaper coupon supplement.

Angel Lush with Pineapple

1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained

1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla flavor instant pudding

1 cup thawed non-dairy whipped topping

1 package (10 ounces) round angel food cake, cut into 3 layers

10 small fresh strawberries (or other seasonal berries)

Mix pineapple and dry pudding mix. Gently stir in whipped topping.

Stack cake layers on plate, spreading pudding mixture between layers and on top of cake.

Refrigerate 1 hour. Top with berries.

Makes 10 servings.

Recipe from: Kraft

This is "Aunt Zina's Chocolate Dessert."

Four-Layer Delight Chocolate Dessert

For the first layer:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup butter or margarine

Chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

For the second layer:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup nondairy whipped topping

For the third layer:

2 packages (3.4 ounces) instant pudding (any flavor, but chocolate is the family preference)

3 cups milk

For the fourth layer:

Nondairy whipped topping

To prepare the first layer: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Mix the flour, margarine and nuts (if using) and press into the baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes.

To prepare the second layer: Mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar and whipped topping. Pour over the first layer.

To prepare the third layer: Mix the pudding mix with the milk and beat at medium speed until thick. Pour over the second layer.

To finish: Top with whipped topping and refrigerate for several hours.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Recipe from: Zina Turner (via my cousin Jean Burge)

When my cousin Patty (Hahn) Wagner mentioned carrot cake as a favorite, I remembered a recipe I got from her at least 40 years ago for Carrot Cookies. She had made them for a family gathering and I still remember her writing out the recipe at her mom's kitchen table.

While this might not be your typical holiday dessert, I bet the kids (and grownups, too) will love them.

These easy drop carrot cookies are made with mashed carrots and finished with a delicious orange icing. If possible, use fresh orange juice for the icing.

Carrot Cookies with Orange Butter Frosting

For the cookies:

1 cup shortening (part softened butter)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 cup mashed cooked carrots

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional

For the orange butter frosting:

3 tablespoons soft butter or margarine

1-1/4 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted

2 tablespoons grated orange peel

1 tablespoon orange juice (or more if needed)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease cookie sheets (or use parchment paper).

Mix shortening, sugar, eggs and mashed carrots. Blend in flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in coconut and nuts (if using). Drop by teaspoonfuls, about 2 inches apart, onto cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until no imprint remains when touched lightly. Cool and top with Orange Butter Frosting.

Makes about 48 cookies.

For the frosting: Blend butter and sugar. Stir in orange peel and juice. Beat until smooth.

Recipe from: Patty (Hahn) Wagner, Custer, S.D.

Terri Hahn is the Features Editor for the Grand Island Independent. Email her at [email protected]