30 Mar 2025 Pastels on parade
By Chef Don Bingham
Christmas decorations are all put away, Valentine’s candy is gone, and it’s time for the pastels of Easter, in an Easter parade of culinary traditions and fashion! I remember from early childhood the dyeing of Easter Eggs, the new sports coat for church and the Easter Sunrise Service, with breakfast to follow! Our family has continued some of these traditions, with the music and the message of Good Friday and triumphant Easter Sunday morning celebrations being the highlights of the week.
We begin the preparation for Easter Sunday lunch on Thursday, and sometimes earlier. Making the coconut cake, preparing the ham or brisket, and filling the Easter baskets for the children are examples of tasks that can be done ahead of the weekend’s busy schedule to make things more convenient.
Included in this feature for your consideration is the Stuffed Egg Supreme Bake that we enjoy at Saturday or Sunday morning brunch. This dish has a few steps to its preparation but is worth the effort, and it can be prepared ahead of time for no-hassle, last-minute baking. The Stuffed Eggs Supreme Bake serves as a main dish, a hearty casserole with mushroom and cheese sauce and a crunchy butter crumb topping. For starters, I’ve included one of our favorite cheese ball appetizers, which is presented in an Easter Egg design for the occasion and decorated with cream cheese piping and raw vegetables, served with your favorite crackers. For those who prefer less before a heavy meal, the Crispy Cheddar Wafers are a welcome addition as a simple appetizer, and the Sweet and Sour Ham Balls are a favorite in our home.
One version of the tradition of the Easter Basket came from medieval Catholics. Following the Lent season, on Easter Sunday they would gather baskets of food they refrained from eating during Lent to have them blessed by a priest. After it was blessed, families returned home to enjoy a meal together. The price of eggs this season will not prevent our celebration, but it will encourage us to see how creative we can be, perhaps filling a gift basket with a smaller version of an Appetizer Cheese Egg, some Crispy Cheddar Wafers and loads of chocolate treats for pick-up desserts! Creating Easter baskets to give away is a historic ritual that helps celebrate the joys of the Risen Christ. There’s still time to visit the resale shops, discount stores and antique galleries to purchase those $2 castaway baskets, fill them with culinary treasures and spread the good news of spring and new life!
Stuffed Eggs Supreme Bake
1/4 pound mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp. chopped tarragon leaves • 8 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour • Salt and fresh pepper to taste
2 cups light cream • 21/2 cups Swiss cheese
3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
8 hard-cooked eggs • 1 cup soft breadcrumbs
Preheat the oven to 350. In a small skillet, cook mushrooms with tarragon in 2 Tbsp. butter until all liquid evaporates. Melt 4 Tbsp. butter in another saucepan. Blend in flour, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add cream and cook, stirring until mixture boils and thickens slightly. Remove from heat. Add Swiss cheese and 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan; stir until cheese melts.
To assemble, cut eggs in half lengthwise. Hollow out egg whites, placing the yolks in a small bowl. Mash the yolks, then add cooked mushrooms and 1/4 cup sauce; mix well. Fill whites with yolk-mushroom mixture. Pour half the sauce in a shallow, 1 1/2-quart casserole (11-by-7-by-2 inches). Arrange eggs in sauce; top with remaining sauce. Combine breadcrumbs with the remaining 1 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese and 2 Tbsp. melted butter; toss well. Sprinkle over the casserole. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly. Serves 4-6.
Appetizer Cheese Egg
For this appetizer cheese egg, you can increase cream cheese and other ingredients to create larger designs.
2 cream cheese blocks, softened
81/2 ounce can of crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts
1/4 cup chopped bell pepper
2 tsp. grated onion • 1 tsp. seasoned salt
Take the cream cheese and set aside about one-quarter of one package. Mix the remaining cream cheese with the other ingredients; with hands, form cheese mixture into the shape of an egg and place on a serving dish.
Take some of the extra softened cream cheese and frost the egg until the surface is smooth like an eggshell.
To decorate: Divide the remaining cream cheese into four or five smaller bowls; add different colors of food coloring to each small bowl to make a unique palette of Easter pastels. Blend the cream cheese and color well, then fill piping bags with various tips for decorative piping around the cheese egg. This is your chance to be creative! Finish with sliced olives, carrot curls, nutmeats, or other desired garnishes. Serve with preferred crackers
Crispy Cheese Wafers
These great appetizer wafers are also perfect for soup and salads.
1 pound cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
Cut cheese into thin slices. Place on a nonstick baking sheet, allowing plenty of room for the cheese to spread as it melts. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the cheese stops bubbling entirely. Time may vary depending on the oven. Remove with a nonstick spatula and cool on wax paper. Serves 10-12.
Sweet and Sour Ham Balls (not pictured)
Because ham is a traditional “go-to” for Easter, we serve these as an appetizer before the grand Easter meal.
11/4 pounds ground ham • 11/2 pounds ground fresh pork
2 cups cornflake cereal • 2 eggs, beaten • 1 cup milk
Mix together and make into meatballs. Set aside. Makes approximately 75 meatballs.
Topping
3/4 cup brown sugar • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water • 3/4 tsp. dry mustard
Mix and pour over meatballs. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees, uncovered, then cover and bake for 1 hour at 250.
- Pastels on parade - March 30, 2025
- Bingham’s Buono Bistro - March 1, 2025
- Life’s more golden when served with cheesecake - February 10, 2025
