Easter Wishes: My List of Easter Recipes

Easter week is here once again and I’m sure that many of you, like myself, are preparing to bake the traditional Easter breads and pies. It’s a time of year that I look forward to and take pride in being able to carry on my family’s traditions. Over the past few years, I have shared on this blog many of my family’s traditional recipes. In fact, as I was preparing to write this week’s post, I realized that I have run out of family recipes to share with you. Instead of searching out and sharing a recipe that I am not familiar with, I thought it would be best to simply share all of the links to my previous Easter posts, in case you are looking for a last minute idea for your Easter week family gatherings. Below are a list of all Easter-related links, most of which are from my family’s table, along with a few delicious dishes that were submitted by my friend Emma Caparelli Loerky.

I do, however, have one new item to share with you. My good friend Joe was gracious enough to allow me to share a photo of his Great-Grandmother, Giuseppina Benincasa, flipping her Easter fritatta. This photo was taken at her house on Tulip Street, in the Tacony section of Philadelphia. Everything about this classic photo sums up the love and dedication that so many Italians and Italian-Americans bring to the kitchen, especially during this special time of year. As soon as I first saw this photo, I knew that every one of my readers would enjoy it. Thanks, Joe, for allowing me to share it.

Happy Easter to you and yours!

Giuseppina Benincasa flipping the Easter Fritatta.

Please click on the links below for previous Easter recipes.

Easter Ham Pie

Easter Rice Pie

Mascarpone Cheese Cannoli

Easter Strata

Easter Cheese Bread

Taralli Dolci di Pasqua (Easter Ring Cookies)

Italian Love Cake

Honey Fig Gorgonzola and Prosciutto Crostata

Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs

Baked Pepper Shooters

When putting together this recipe, I used two of the most popular stuffed pepper appetizers – cherry pepper shooters and jalapeno poppers – as my influence. Cherry pepper shooters, which are cherry peppers stuffed with sharp provolone and prosciutto and soaked in olive oil, are found in many delis and Italian specialty shops. They’re just as much a part of my family’s weekend meals nowadays as a crusty loaf of Italian bread and a nice bowl of pasta and meatballs. Jalapeno poppers, which are like the wild and crazy cousin to the more sophisticated shooter, are breaded and fried jalapeno peppers stuffed with either cream cheese or cheddar cheese, and are often staples on the appetizer menu at bars, restaurants and fast food joints.

My version is served up warm and breadcrumbs are involved, as is prosciutto (which you can leave out if you wish). I chose to use mini sweet peppers, which you can find bagged in the produce section of your grocery store. The sweet peppers come in multiple colors (green, red, yellow and orange), which make for a nice presentation. You can use jalapenos if you’re looking for more heat. Instead of using a cheese that turns all gooey and greasy, I used a tomato-basil feta, which added a slight creamy texture and tangy taste that complimented the pepper. I also opted for baking instead of frying, which of course is a healthier option. Come summer time, you can bet that I’ll be grilling these up on the open flames!

Baked Pepper Shooters

1 12-oz package mini sweet peppers (you can substitute jalapenos for more heat)
1 6-oz container crumbled feta cheese (plain or seasoned, your choice)
4 slices of prosciutto or ham, torn into small pieces
olive oil
breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350˚. Slice the peppers length-wise, remove seeds (there won’t be many seeds in the mini sweets). Stuff the peppers with the crumbled feta, then top with a piece of prosciutto or ham. Lightly drizzle the peppers with olive oil, then add a light dusting of breadcrumbs on top. Place the peppers on a sprayed baking sheet, bake for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven, plate and serve immediately.

Macaroni and Cheese Muffins

If you are a parent of younger kids, you are well aware of the constant struggle to get your children to eat something new and different. Most days, the only acceptable home cooked meals (i.e. not fast food or bagel bites) are either pasta, chicken, or mac and cheese…which, of course, is just another form of pasta. A key trick which we are often told as parents is to keep the meals fun and interesting, and the kids will then be encouraged to try something new. Unfortunately, being a full-time working parent does not allow one much time during the week to think beyond the routine menu, let alone get creative.

While this dish may not be completely new to your table, this clever variation on the American classic does help bring a little fun and excitement to mealtimes. My sister-in-law made a variation of these for our family Superbowl party just a few weeks ago, and the kids ate them up! Not only are they simple to make, but they also give you a chance to get a bit more creative with a standard mac and cheese dish. Feel like sneaking some veggies into your children’s diet? Add some finely chopped broccoli or cauliflower to the mixture. Or top the bites off with a slice of tomato and a bit of extra shredded cheese (they’ll look like little pizza cups). Wanna get a bit more fancy for the adult servings? Try using a bit of prosciutto to line the baking tins! You can also switch up the cheeses that are used in the recipe below, or use another recipe to your liking…our family mac and cheese recipe calls for shredded American cheese instead of mozzarella.

You can go with either the large or mini bite-size muffin tins, depending on your preference. Although I’d rather use a nice home made macaroni and cheese recipe for this (the AllRecipes.com version is listed below), you can also use the boxed stuff if that is your preference. For an even cheesier taste, substitute the bread crumb crust with crushed cheese flavored crackers. This is also a good meal to get into the Friday night mix during this Lenten season. Just remember to leave out the prosciutto!

Macaroni and Cheese Muffins
Courtesy of AllRecipes.com

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon butter
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese*
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese*
1/2 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, olive oil and salt; set aside.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook for about 8 minutes, it should still be a little bit firm. Remove from the heat, drain and return to the pan; stir in the butter and egg until pasta is evenly coated. Reserve 1/2 cup of sharp Cheddar cheese and stir the remaining Cheddar cheese, milk and mozzarella cheese into the pasta. Spoon into the prepared muffin tin. Sprinkle the reserved cheese and the bread crumb mixture over the tops.

Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the topping is nicely browned. Allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes before removing from the pan. This will allow the cheese to set and they will hold their muffin shape.

*Our family mac and cheese recipe does not use mozzarella, but rather shredded American cheese. You can use your own mac and cheese recipe, or simply alter the above recipe to your liking).

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

I realize that this post is a day past the Superbowl snack food deadline, but if the game could be delayed for a black-out, this recipe surely could be delayed until I was able to taste it and decide that it was worth sharing. Now that I’ve had the chance to try them, I have no problem saying that they are a phenomenal snack food to serve up for any game or party. Inspired by Rachael Ray’s recipe, this dish  has all of the tangy flavor and heat of the traditional buffalo wing. Unlike Rachael Ray’s alternate buffalo chicken meatball recipe, where the meatballs are served in a hot sauce, this recipe actually incorporates the hot sauce into the meatball mixture. The flavor of the chicken and the sauce are blended perfectly, and there is no messy eating factor to it. Served up with toothpicks and a side of bleu cheese or ranch dip, there’s no losing with this recipe!

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Inspired by Rachael Ray’s Buffalo Chicken Meatball recipe
1/3 cup hot sauce (I prefer Frank’s)
4 tbspn butter
1 lb ground chicken (I used the 85% lean version)
1 egg
3/4 cups breadcrumbs
1 tspn salt

Heat butter and hot sauce in a sauce pan over medium heat until butter is melted and is blended with the sauce. Remove from heat and let cool for about 10-15 minutes.

Combine ground chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, salt and hot sauce; mix well. Roll into small, 3/4 inch meatballs. Place on a sprayed 9″x13″ baking dish. Bake at 450˚ for about 15-20 minutes, or until meatballs are firm.

Let cool for 5 minutes, serve and enjoy!