Ina Garten Just Shared Her Easter Menu, and It’s Golden

If I could magically transport myself to someone’s house for Easter, Ina Garten’s East Hampton abode would be at the top of my list. After offering to help—a gesture that’s always appreciated—I’d happily pull a chair up to the table and enjoy every moment of what I’m sure would be a magical meal. 

And now that Garten has shared her Easter menu on her website, I’m confident this holiday dinner would be one of the best I’ve ever had. Here’s what Garten has on her Easter menu.

Baked Virginia Ham

Garten’s Baked Virginia Ham promises to be the star of the show. It’s an easy recipe that begins with making a garlicky glaze with mango chutney, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, orange zest and orange juice. She pours the glaze over a smoked, spiral glazed ham and bakes it for an hour. 

It’s mostly a hands-off affair, which can be a lifesaver on a busy holiday, and many of the ingredients are pantry staples. If you can’t get your hands on mango chutney, apricot jam or orange marmalade are great substitutes.

Potato-Fennel Gratin

Garten’s choice of side dish, a Potato-Fennel Gratin, sounds delicious, but definitely something to consider making the day before. You’ll need to slice fennel, onions and potatoes as part of the prep. You’ll also need to spend about 10 minutes at the stove cooking the fennel and onions.

Then it’s just a matter of tossing the cooked veggies with the potatoes, a pint of heavy cream and a few cups of shredded Gruyère cheese and tossing in the oven for an hour. If you’re making it the day before, let it cool to room temperature before covering and refrigerating. The next day, pull it out about an hour before you plan on serving it. Let it rest on the countertop while the oven preheats, then bake at 275 degrees F until warm throughout and internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

The creamy, cheesy nature of this side dish should make it pretty forgiving if you need to prep it the day before and reheat on Easter.

Oven-Roasted Asparagus

Always a fan of fresh veggies, Ina lightens things up a bit by including a recipe for Oven-Roasted Asparagus on her menu. It’s a simple preparation too—after trimming the asparagus and tossing it with olive oil, salt and pepper, she roasts the spears until they’re just tender. 

If you’re in need of oven space, the spears can also be grilled. Simply prep them the same way and then grill for just a few minutes, or until crisp-tender. Tossing the stalks with a bit of lemon zest before serving would be the perfect finishing touch.

Parmesan Fennel Gratin

If you’re having a full table for Easter—or if you’re serving some potato skeptics—you’ll appreciate the other gratin included on Ina’s menu. In her Parmesan Fennel Gratin, fennel’s subtle anise flavor becomes sweet when roasted. She makes it by cutting up three fennel bulbs and arranging them in a gratin dish. She then covers the fennel with stock and white white, seasons everything with salt and pepper and then dots the top with diced butter. 

She covers the top of the pan with foil, then bakes until the fennel is tender. While the gratin bakes, she makes a crunchy topping of butter, panko, Parmesan cheese, parsley and lemon zest. It adds the perfect contrast to the tender fennel. 

Carrot Cake with Ginger Mascarpone Frosting

The grand finale is Ina’s Carrot Cake with Ginger Mascarpone Frosting, and it’s definitely a recipe you’ll want to make ahead of time. The cake preparation is straight-forward, using ingredients common to most carrot cakes. She divides the batter between two 9-inch round pans and bakes them until cooked through and golden. 

The frosting is a delicious spin on traditional cream cheese frosting, swapping in some Italian mascarpone cheese for cream cheese. Once the cakes have cooled, they’re frosted and then topped with minced crystallized ginger. It’s definitely a show-stopper dessert—the kind we’d top with candied carrot curls.

Whether you copy Ina dish-for-dish or just use her menu for a little extra spring inspiration, there’s lots to love about this menu. Just remember to round things out with a festive drink, like our Watermelon-Lime Mocktail, and you’ll have something truly tasty on your hands.