What to bring for Easter Dinner?

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-11-2008
What to bring for Easter Dinner?
5
Wed, 03-12-2008 - 9:41am

I have a big Italian family.  Every holiday I get together with 30 of my aunts, uncles, and cousins to celebrate.  Being Italian, they always have LOTS and LOTS of really good (but really unhealthy) food to eat.  DH and I have been on the SBD for two month now and are looking and feeling so good on it.  I would hate for blow it on one day. 


Everyone in the family is supposed to bring a dish or two to share (either a main dish, side dish, and/or dessert).  I'm looking for any good suggestion of dishes I can bring that will be SBD friendly for DH and I, but would also be appetizing for non-dieters.


Right now the menu consists of:


Honey baked ham, baked stuffed shrimp, lasagna, various veggie side dishes (most consists of a few veggies baked in bread crumbs, butter, flour, etc. or with pasta) lots of bread, salad (antipasto), a million tempting desserts (chocolate cake, cheese cake, grain pie, ricotta pie, rice pie, ice cream cake, cookies, Easter candy, etc.)


As you can see, not the most SBD friendly!  So any suggestions of dishes to bring would be most appreciated!


Thanks!

My South Beach Diet Progress:



My TTC Progress 


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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-11-2003
Wed, 03-12-2008 - 10:00am

What about a fresh fruit salad or frut tray?



 

 


iVillage Member
Registered: 01-03-2006
Wed, 03-12-2008 - 12:04pm
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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-01-2004
Wed, 03-12-2008 - 12:09pm

Your family menu sounds just like my family Easter celebration except we do manicotti on Easter and Lasagna on Christmas or New Years.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 10-04-2006
Wed, 03-12-2008 - 1:14pm

I like the idea of fruit salad, great for spring. Also, I have been really into the whole Strawberry Spinach Salad trend lately. We went to two catered functions last summer and they served it at both, so I came home and developed my own and now bring it for everything and its always a big hit:


* 2 tablespoon poppy seeds
* 1/3 cup splenda
* 1/2 cup olive oil
* 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
* 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
* 2 tablespoon minced red onion
Whisk together and pour over:
* 10 ounces fresh spinach - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
* 1 quart strawberries - cleaned, hulled and sliced
* 1/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered
Toss to coat

If you are brining it somewhere I make the dressing ahead of time and transport it seperately in a tupperware, then toss at the last minute.

















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belizesig1
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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-21-2008
Wed, 03-12-2008 - 3:36pm

I was just considering this same question.

My husband just informed me today that his mother is intending to have Easter dinner, and she doesn't really cook. So, any holiday dinners at her house include a ham from Honey Baked and scalloped potatoes.

I was originally considering a fruit salad, but I don't want to be stuck eating just fruit for dinner. So, I'm thinking of bringing mini greek meatballs. Here is the recipe from the SBD Quick and Easy cookbook. I've made them in the past and they are really good! They're a little tangy due to the vinegar, they don't require any sauce, and they are appetizer size!

Mini Greek Meatballs

1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 small onion
1/2 c finely crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
2 garlic cloves, minced (I don't usually buy fresh garlic, so I used powder...still good)
1 large egg
1 Tbsp EVOO
1 Tbsp dried oregano
4 tsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Heat oven to 400. Combine beef, onion, cheese, garlic, egg, oil, oregano, vinegar, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Knead to combine, being careful not to overmix. Lightly oil a 9x13 baking dish. (Note: I don't think extra oil is necessary. I bake them in a dutch oven pan and they don't stick.) Place in a single layer in the baking dish and bake until cooked through, 12-15 minutes.

Aimee