5 Easy Easter Recipes – Texas Pepper Jelly Style of Course

While Easter is early this year (the last time it was in March 2016), we’re ready with a spread loaded with flavor and wow! Here are five of our favorite dishes, from appetizers to desserts, that we know will be the hit, at least for the adults, on Easter Sunday. And, of course, each recipe incorporates our namesake Texas Pepper Jelly. If you enjoy an array of smells and tastes, we’re sure you’ll agree that the addition takes each recipe to another level!

We would love to hear from you if you make any of our recipes! Share your culinary prowess in some pics, and we might give you a shout-out!

Easter Dinner Appetizers

Start your Easter Dinner with appetizers that will please palettes across the table.

Grilled Jalapeno Poppers with Texas Pepper Jelly

It’s not a celebration without grilled jalapeno poppers! We like to jazz ours up with our signature Texas Pepper Jelly, but any flavor will do.

EQUIPMENT:

• Paring knife or potato peeler
• Medium mixing bowl
• Spoon
• Measuring cups
• Tongs

INGREDIENTS:

•  12 fresh jalapeno peppers
•  8 oz. cream cheese, softened
•  4 oz. Texas Pepper Jelly, any flavor
•  ½ cup grated, extra-sharp cheddar cheese
•  6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
•  12 green olives, pits removed (pimento stuffed is okay)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prepare the peppers by cutting off the stems and a small amount of the tops (use gloves). Carefully remove seeds with a potato peeler or small paring knife.
2. Mix the cream cheese, pepper jelly, grated cheese, and crumbled bacon strips in a bowl. Stuff the peppers to just below the tops, leaving room for the olives.
3. Plug each end hole of the peppers with an olive to prevent leakage.
4. Cook on the grill over low heat (or indirectly in a pan) until the pepper bottoms brown. Turn gently with tongs and brown the other side.
5. Allow to cool before serving.

Texas Pepper Jelly Pastry Tarts

Slap some spicy TPJ pepper jelly on delicate sheets of pastry dough, and you’ll have a memorable appetizer you’ll make time and time again. Bonus: they are pretty easy to make.

EQUIPMENT:

• Clean kitchen cloth
• Pastry/grilling brush
• Mini-muffin tin

INGREDIENTS:

• 8-oz. cream cheese, softened
• 2 to 3 ounces Texas Pepper Jelly, any flavor 
• tablespoons butter, melted
• 8 sheets frozen phyllo pastry sheets, thawed

DIRECTIONS:

1. Remove two sheets of pastry (which will make 48 tart shells). Cover the remaining sheets with a damp cloth to prevent them from drying out. 
2. Brush a thin layer of melted butter on one sheet and stack the other on top; cut the stacked sheet in half.
3. Brush one rectangle with butter and place the other one on top. You will then have a 7 x 11 pastry sheet with four layers. 
4. Cut into 12 equal squares, forming 48 tart squares. 
5. Press each square into a greased mini-muffin tin.
6. Bake 350 degrees F until golden brown, about 10-15 minutes.
7. Repeat with the remaining sheets, remembering to keep unused sheets covered. (Shells may be frozen at this point or filled and ready to serve.)
8. To fill 48 tarts: Place 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of cream cheese in the center of each tart. Top with 1/2 to 1 tsp of pepper jelly.
9. It may be served as is or baked for 10 minutes at 325° F and served warm.

Easter Dinner Main Dishes

Ham is the beloved traditional headliner of most Easter meals. However, we decided that as much as we love ham, it needed an upgrade with some Texas Pepper Jelly. Here’s our take on the holiday ham.

Texas Pepper Jelly Glazed Ham

Creating a glaze with our Peach Pepper Jelly, brown sugar, orange juice, and a few other ingredients offers a sweet, spicy combination.

EQUIPMENT:

• Medium saucepan
• Spoon
• Small knife
• Roasting pan
• Baster

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 jar Peach Habanero Texas Pepper Jelly
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup orange juice
• ½ cup dry sherry
• 3 Tablespoons spicy brown mustard
• 1 (8 – 10 pound) smoked, fully cooked, bone-in ham
• 36 cloves

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine the first five ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the jelly melts and the mixture is smooth. Set aside.
2. Remove skin from ham, trimming fat to ¼ inch thickness. 
3. Create a diamond pattern on the ham with shallow cuts in the fat, about one inch apart.
4. Push clove stems into the center of each diamond.
5. Place ham in a lightly greased roasting pan and pour the jelly mixture over the ham. 
6. Bake on lower rack at 350° F for 2 hours and 30 minutes, basting with pan juices every 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Remove ham from oven; let stand 20 minutes before carving

Zesty Pineapple Ham

Try our Zesty Pineapple Ham recipe if you’re looking for a bit more tang in your Easter Ham. It is sure to excite your taste buds. 

EQUIPMENT:

• Knife
• Large saucepan
• Spoon
• Basting brush
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 two-pound fully-cooked ham center
• 1 (8 1/4 oz) can of pineapple chunks, drained (reserve the juice)
• 1 tablespoon whole cloves
• 4 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, dark or light
• 2 tablespoon rum
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 cup Pineapple Habanero Texas Pepper Jelly 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Score the top of the ham with a knife and place it on a rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake for a half hour at 350 degrees F. Remove from oven.
2. In a large saucepan, mix together everything except the cloves. (Don’t forget to add the pineapple juice!) 
3. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat and simmer for five minutes. Stir until the mixture thickens.
4. Brush glaze mixture over the ham and return it to the oven; bake for about fifteen more minutes.
5. Remove from oven, and spoon any “pooled-up” mixture or fallen pineapple chunks over the ham again. 
6. Push cloves through the skin around the ham (if necessary, make small slits in the skin with a paring knife), put ham back in the oven for five minutes. 
7. Remove the ham and remove the cloves. Serve warm or cold.

Easter Dinner Sides:

A few delicious sides to share at the table for Easter dinner are a must. We have a couple of unique recipes that’ll surely please all of your Easter dinner guests.

Tex-Mex Cornbread

Don’t all dinners require bread? Ours do. However, we like our Easter menu to include cornbread (we are from Texas, after all). This Tex-Mex cornbread is a delicious replacement for any loaf of store-bought bread.

EQUIPMENT:

• Large bowl
• Small bowl
• Spoon
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups
• 9×13 pan

INGREDIENTS:

•  2 cups cornmeal
•  3 cups all-purpose flour
•  1/2 cup mayonnaise
•  1 tablespoon granulated sugar
•  2 diced jalapeno peppers
•  4 tablespoons Apple Habanero Texas Pepper Jelly
•  1 1/2 cup milk
•  1 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
•  1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
•  1 teaspoon salt
•  1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
2. Stir milk and vanilla together, then mix well with dry ingredients. Add 1 cup of cheddar cheese to the mixture and mix gently.
3. Bake in a 9 x 13 baking dish at 350° F for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cornbread comes out clean.
4. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese on top of cornbread the last 15 minutes of baking time.

Egg Salad on Pasta Shells

Our Egg Salad on Pasta Shells recipe is a great way to use up those Easter eggs you hid all over the house. The combo, albeit a bit unusual, makes an excellent side dish for any celebration.

EQUIPMENT:

• Knife
• Large bowl
• Spoon
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups
• Large pot

INGREDIENTS:

•  8 hard-boiled eggs, peeled & chopped
•  1/2 cup finely chopped celery
•  1/3 cup mayonnaise
•  1/3 cup Apple Habanero Texas Pepper Jelly
•  1 teaspoon dried onion flakes
•  1 teaspoon horseradish mustard
•  1/4 teaspoon dry rub (your choice)
•  1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 16 jumbo pasta shells

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl combine chopped eggs, celery, mayonnaise, pepper jelly, onion flakes, horseradish mustard, dry rub, and pepper.
2. Cover and chill.
3. Using a large pot, cook (according to directions) and cool 16 jumbo pasta shells.
4. Fill with 1 teaspoon heaping hot pepper jelly egg salad mixture. 

Easter Dinner Desserts

Whether your Easter dinner desserts are fancy or simple, having a sweet or two (NOT found in an Easter basket) for your family and friends, is a holiday win in our book.

Texas Pepper Jelly Pecan Penuche (Brown Sugar Fudge)

This TPJ Pecan Penuche (just a fancy word for brown sugar fudge) may take more work than most desserts, but it’s worth the extra time spent. 

EQUIPMENT:

• Small saucepan
• Wooden spoon
• Measuring cups

INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS:

1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan.
2. Stir in brown sugar and bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Add milk, return to boil.
4. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature.
5. Using a wooden spoon, beat sugar into cooled butter mixture until blended and smooth.
6. Stir in pepper jelly and pecans.
7. Press in an 8″ square greased pan.
8. Refrigerate until firm. Cut in squares. 

Texas Pepper Jelly Berry Medley Coffee Cake

Our Texas Pepper Jelly Berry Medley Coffee Cake infuses raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and blueberries into a delicious cake that you can enjoy for Easter dinner, breakfast, or a snack. Really, any time is the right time for a coffee cake loaded with spicy berry flavor!

EQUIPMENT:

• 8- or 9-inch pan
• Medium bowl
• Small bowl
• Spoon
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups

INGREDIENTS:

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 1 egg
• 2/3 cup milk
• ¾ cup Berry Medley Habanero Texas Pepper Jelly

 Topping

• ¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine

DIRECTIONS:

1. Grease and flour an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan. 
2. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off.
3. In a medium bowl, combine 1½ cups flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and allspice. 
4. Add melted butter, egg, and milk. Mix until well blended.
5. Pour half the batter into a greased and floured pan; spread Texas Pepper Jelly Berry Medley evenly over batter.
6. Top with remaining batter. 
7. Combine topping ingredients; mix until crumbly in a small bowl. Sprinkle over top of coffee cake.
8. Bake at 400° F for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Happy Grilling, Happy Easter!