Easter meal planner

© The long Easter weekend is the ideal opportunity for a bit of R&R, but how do you square that with the need to feed family and friends? Working on the basis that the last thing you want to do is spend all weekend in the kitchen, try our meal planner of quick or prepare-ahead dishes to take you from Good Friday to Easter Monday without cracking up.

Far be it from us to tell you what to eat, but you will find suggestions for each meal listed below. The idea is that you can then mix and match, depending on which ingredients you have to hand or taking faddie food tastes into account. Some of the recipes serve 2, but are easily scaled up if you want to serve 4 or 6. Either way, we are confident that these recipes will go down a storm and leave the cook feeling as chirpy as an Easter chick!

Also, click here for Delia's brilliant, time-saving How to Cheat recipes
Quick and easy alternatives

Good Friday
If you've got guests arriving, it's best to go for recipes that are quick to throw together when they arrive, or that won't spoil if they get stuck in traffic! These would fit the bill:

© New Crane Internet
Oven-baked Chicken in Maple Barbecue Sauce
Four Star Salad
Chinese Stir-fried Prawns with Purple Sprouting Broccoli and Cashews
Chorizo Hash with Peppers and Paprika
Crunchy Pistachio-coated Drumsticks
Classic Steak au Poivre
Roman Gnocchi
Potted Cromer Crab
Oven-roasted Ratatouille
Stuffed Jacket Potatoes with Leeks, Cheddar and Boursin
Chicken Jambalaya

Easter Saturday (and Easter Monday)
You may well be out and about today, so we suggest, if you are preparing lunch, that you go for something you have already prepared, such as a pate, soup or salad, or a quick omelette or other dish. Some choices could be:

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Cold Poached Egg Salad with Watercress Sauce
Chicken Liver Pate with Cognac, with Sweet-and-Sour Red Onion Salad
Watercress Soup
Croque Monsieur
Curried Chicken Salad

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Leek, Onion and Potato Soup
Crumpet Pizza
Welsh Rabbit (Rarebit) with Sage and Onions
Smoked Salmon Pink 'Uns
Carrot and Tarragon Soup
Fried Halloumi Cheese with Lime and Caper Vinaigrette
Coarse Country Pate
Roasted Vegetable Couscous Salad with Harissa-style Dressing
Stilton Souffle Omelette

Provide a selection of ready-made salads, olives, good bread and some dips such as hoummus, guacamole and taramasalata, if you want to.

For the evening, it would be good to cook something special. You'll be amazed at how easy these recipes are to put together – again, all are prepare-ahead and/or quick.

Thai Green Curry with Chicken
Steamed Trout Fillets in Lettuce Parcels with a Thai Stuffing
Marinated Rump Steak
Salmon Fishcakes
Lasagne al Forno
Roasted Mediterranean Vegetable Lasagne

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Poached Chicken Breasts with Morel Mushrooms, Cream and Parsley
Roasted Salmon Fillets with a Crusted Pecorino and Pesto Topping
Oven-baked Wild Mushroom Risotto

© Peter Knab
Highland Pasta with Smoked Salmon
Mustard-glazed Lamb Cutlets
Grilled Venison Steaks with Red Onion, Grape and Raisin Confit
Beef Curry Dopiaza

Easter Sunday
Why not celebrate this feast day with a traditional roast? If you're in any way nervous about your Yorkshires, or think your chicken might end up chewy, make sure you follow Delia's foolproof tips in our How to... section. Turkey is becoming more popular at Easter, as well as at Christmas. For the very best flavour, buy one from Kelly Turkeys, one of Delia's favourite suppliers (see link below).

© New Crane Internet
Traditional Roast Chicken with Apple, Sage and Onion Stuffing, Cranberry and Sage Sauce and Chicken-giblet Gravy
Roast Turkey with American Apricot Stuffing and Apricot Madeira Sauce
Traditional Roast Turkey with Pork, Sage and Onion Stuffing
Crisp Roast Duck with a Confit of Rhubarb and Ginger
Fast-roast Chicken with Lemon and Tarragon

© New Crane Internet
Leg of Lamb baked in Foil with Butter and Herbs with Redcurrant, Orange and Mint Sauce
Fast Roast Pork with Rosemary and Caramelised Apples
Roast Ribs of Traditional Beef with Horseradish, Creme Fraiche and Mustard Sauce
Roast Leg of Lamb with Shrewsbury Sauce
Loin of Pork Dijonnaise
Pepper-crusted Fillet of Beef with Roasted Balsamic Onions and Thyme

All the trimmings
Vegetable accompaniments

And here are some traditional desserts (if you've got any room left!)

Rhubarb and Almond Crumble

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Lemon Meringue Pie
Traditional Apple Pie
with a Cheddar Crust
Traditional Apple Charlotte
Spotted Dick
Rich Bread and Butter Pudding

Traditional English Custard
How to get it all right!
Buy a turkey...