[sailorwife5704]

There is no way DH's family will go veg for Easter. But it will be at my house. We see the family once a year for Easter/spring break. This is the first year the meal has been put on me to make. Normally we go out for a fancy brunch but things happened and reservations were not made. So now I Have to cook and I do not know what to make. I know ham is a must for them. But what else? I want a meal I can enjoy too. And something my son can enjoy (he's 1) But I don't want to weird them out at all. My MIL cooks even veggies in animal fat so I can't really have her make stuff. LOL.

Help me here. I want to make a good impression with my first big veggie meal. I figure if they see I can make a variety of foods that taste great they will have less issue with the fact that I have gone veg*n.

Thanks

 

[thebelovedtree]

I'd make someone else bring the ham and just make lots of yummy side dishes.

Green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy, greens, biscuits, salad, etc.

 

[rabid_child]

You could go italian and have vegetable lasagna, salad, bread, foccacia, bruscetta, fried zucchini with marinara sauce to dip it in... Things that are already vegetarian so people don't necessarily notice that they're eating a veggie meal!

 

[Treehugger267]

Sweet potato casserole is always a hit at our house.

 

[sailorwife5704]

Well I can't make anyone else bring the ham since the family is staying in a hotel. LOL.

But I can do green bean casserole and mashed potatoes, they'll eat that. (they're not big on anything that doesn't have meat, even MIL's mashed taters have meat in them)

It's a bit frustrating because I am still working on being veg myself and this seems like added stress. Anyway thanks. I am going to look up a sweet potato casserole now. Had it before but never made it. Thanks.

 

[nookle]

I completely understand the stress of this situation, as I have been in similar ones, but for what it's worth, I think that it's not reasonable for them to ask ( maybe not in so many words) you to cook meat for them. I think that it is unfair, unreasonable, and selfish.

Sorry - I know that probably doesn't help, but extended families ( mine, anyway ) do this stuff all the time, and it irks me.

 

[Sarah+13]

Are you ovo-lacto? I eat a very limited amount of egg and dairy usually, but for Easter I tend to go all out with those and eat things I don't make any other time of the year. Last year for Easter, I made a spring greens salad, deviled eggs, macaroni and cheese, corn casserole, yeast rolls, roasted asparagus, and cheesecake with homemade cherry topping for dessert.

I like to have a menu that highlights yummy spring vegetables and also eggs & dairy to break the Lenten fast. The corn casserole is something that is yummy that I generally never make because it's high fat/calorie, but it's always a hit with omnis, and is great for vegtable haters. I figure if I can't tempt them with the asparagus and salad, more for me! And at least I can trick them into eating a quasi-vegetable if I hide it in an eggy casserole.

The good thing about ham for Easter is at least you don't have to prepare it, just buy the thing.

 

[cftwo]

I'm visiting my sister for Easter, and she asked what she should make for me, since her DH insisted on ham or some other large slab of meat for Easter. I had some great suggestions from the people here. She'll make the ham with some sides that I can eat (things like potatoes, green bean casserole, bread, salad, etc.) and then maybe a tortellini pasta salad, or a veggie loaf or something like that for me. So essentially, two mains, and then a bunch of veggie sides.

 

[cookingVeg]

I suggest scallopped potatoes (proper ones, without the canned mushroom soup), broccoli or spinach quiche if you're not vegan, green salad, and rolls. Quiche is a nice option because omnis tend to like it. (I'm not suggesting you not make the ham, just that they might try what you're eating and they're less likely to make fun of it.)

I've also had good luck with serving sauteed mushrooms (crimini, shiitake and portobello) and goat cheese on puff pastry as a vegetarian main.

 

[nori_roll]

you've got some really good suggestions so far, but I'll add a few things I'm planning on making this easter that we can all eat to go along with the ham my mother is making-

- http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Oven-Ro...es/Detail.aspx (oven roasted potatoes! we're big potato eaters and these are delicious, I actually prefer this recipe with new potatoes instead of regular ones but you can use any kind- even sweet potatoes!)

- garlic roasted asparagus

- zucchini bread

and for dessert I'm thinking either carrot cake or strawberry angel food cake parfaits

good luck!