April 3, 2026

Instead of happy hour, Keith and I are attending Good Friday service this evening. A trifecta of Easter recipes on my Substack tomorrow afternoon.

It’s a beautiful spring day here at Vanaprastha, with much needed rain forecast for tomorrow. Because Holy Week is a busy time at church, I’ve been cooking ahead. An Easter Trifecta: breakfast casserole, salad, carrot cake.

My favorite: the salad. Refreshing, healthy, varied flavors—mint, orange slices—and textures: soft feta and crunchy pistachios. Keith was ‘meh’ about the recipe; he tends to like simpler salads, such as Caesar salad, and not casseroles. That said, his favorite was the carrot cake. And the crowd pleaser: the breakfast casserole, which I’ll bake at church early tomorrow morning for Sunday’s brunch potluck after service.

Easy Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole

Prep Time: 20 mins; Cook Time: 45 mins; Total Time: 1 hour, 30 mins; Serves 12

Ingredients

• 4 cups cubes of crusty bread

• 1 teaspoon olive oil

• 1-pound ground pork sausage, casings removed

• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary or Italian seasoning

• 3/4 cup chopped yellow onion (1/2 of a large onion)

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 cups chopped bell peppers (1 red, 1 green)

• 1 cup sliced mushrooms – I used 8 ounces.

• 1 cup roughly chopped fresh spinach – I uses 5 ounces.

• 12 large eggs

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 2/3 cup milk or half-and-half

• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

• optional garnish: green onion and/or chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Grease a 9×13-inch dish. Arrange bread cubes in an even layer in bottom of pan.

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and rosemary/Italian seasoning; break up sausage into bite-sized pieces with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Add the onion, garlic, peppers, mushrooms, and spinach and cook until everything has slightly softened and sausage is mostly cooked through, about 5–6 minutes.

3. Remove sausage and vegetable mixture from heat; spread evenly on top of bread.

4. Whisk the eggs, salt, pepper, milk, and cheese together. Evenly pour over sausage/vegetable mixture. Add another sprinkle of salt and pepper on top.

5. Cover dish with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. (When ready to bake, allow to sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes as oven preheats.)

6. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake the casserole, uncovered, until the top is golden, edges are crisp, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40–45 minutes.

7. Cool for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.

8. Leftovers keep in refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave to your liking.

Easter Sunday Salad

Active Time: 30 mins; Total Time: 35 mins; Servings: 10

Ingredients (minus the red bell pepper that snuck into the picture)

• 8 oz. fresh asparagus, trimmed (snap off woody stems), cut into 2-in. pieces (~1 3/4 cup)

• 1/4 cup rice vinegar

• 2 Tbsp. honey

• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard

• 1 tsp. kosher salt

• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 1 (10-oz.) pkg. baby spinach and spring mix blend

• 2 medium (3 oz. each) carrots, peeled, shaved into thin strips with peeler (~2 cups)

• 1/4 cup mint leaves, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish

• 1 medium (7 oz.) navel orange, peeled and sliced into half moons

• 4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)

• 1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes (from 2 oz. radishes)

• 1/2 cup salted roasted pistachios, coarsely chopped

Directions

1. Bring a small saucepan of salted water to a boil over high. Add asparagus and cook until bright green and tender-crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer asparagus to a bowl of ice water. Let asparagus sit in ice water 1 minute, then transfer to paper towels and pat dry.

2. Whisk together vinegar, honey, Dijon, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking constantly, until fully incorporated.

3. Combine asparagus, baby spinach and spring mix blend, carrots, and mint in a large bowl. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of the dressing and toss to coat.

4. Arrange greens on a large serving platter and top with oranges, feta cheese, radishes, and pistachios. Serve with remaining dressing on the side.

Carrot Cake Sheet Cake

Active Time: 30 mins; Total Time: 2 hours; Servings: 12

Ingredients

Cake:

· 1 Tbsp. butter, softened

· 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for preparing the pan

· 2 tsp. baking soda

· 1/2 tsp kosher salt

· 2 tsp. ground cinnamon

· 3 large eggs

· 2 cups granulated sugar

· 3/4 cup vegetable oil

· 3/4 cup buttermilk

· 2 tsp. vanilla extract

· 2 cups grated carrot

· 1 (8-oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained

· 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

· 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

· 1/2 cup raisins

Frosting:

· 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened

· 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

· 1 lb. powdered sugar

· 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

· 1/4 tsp. kosher salt

· Chopped walnuts or pecans, to serve

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9- x 13-inch metal baking pan. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Combine the eggs, sugar and oil in another large bowl. Mix with a handheld electric mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until well-combined and smooth. Add the buttermilk and vanilla and mix on low until combined. Add the flour mixture and mix just until a few dry spots of flour remain. Gently stir carrots, pineapple, coconut, nuts, and raisins into the batter. Pour into the prepared baking pan and smooth into an even layer. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool completely.

Combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for about 1 minute until creamy. Add the sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Mix on low speed just until combined. Increase to medium speed and mix for about 1 minute until light and fluffy. Dollop the frosting all over the cake and spread it into an even layer. Garnish with additional chopped toasted nuts, if desired.

I wish you a blessed Easter. See you next week! -C.D.

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