Easter 2021

 We have no usual for Easter dinner.  This year decided to try to make a special old fashioned meal to remember.

• InstantPot Copycat Honey Baked Ham - https://easybudgetrecipes.com/instant-pot-honey-baked-ham/ 10 servings Calories: 289
  
  
• Funeral Potatoes - https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/funeral-potatoes/
  12 servings Calories: 303 calories

• Campbell's Mushroom Soup String Bean Casserole - https://www.campbells.com/recipes/green-bean-casserole/  6 servings calories 155 calories 
  
  
• Strawberry Pretzel Salad - https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/14244/old-fashioned-strawberry-pretzel-salad/ - 10 servings 
  Per Serving:
   
  433 calories
  
  

Calories from MyFitness Pal Meal = 289 + 303 + 155 + 433 = 1180

Plan for Preparing the Meal

1.  Make the pretzel crust.

Food process pretzels until about 2.5 cups.  It never ground down to meal - still could see the pretzels.  Add 2 T brown sugar.  Melt about 12 T butter.  Add and pulse until it comes together.

Press in the bottom of the 9 x 13 pan.  Bake at 350 for around 12-15 minutes. Cool to room temp.

2. Food process about a pound of strawberries.

In a bowl put 6 oz of strawberry jello powder and mix with 1 c boiling water.  When mixed, add 1 c room temp or cold water and add the strawberries.  Put in frig to chill and start to thicken.

3.  Put about 30 oz of frozen hash browns on the cookie sheet to defrost. 200 degrees for around 6 minutes. (Or remember to put the potatoes in the frig to defrost over night!  Set it up so they can drain too.)

4.  In a large bowl, mix 2 c plain Greek yogurt, 1 ~10 oz can of cream of chicken soup, 6 tablespoons of melted butter, 1t salt, 1/2 t pepper and 1t dried onion– in a bowl and mix them up.

5.  Add the 30 oz of potatoes, and 2 c of shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar). Mix and then Put in baking dish. (I used 11 X 7 dish - very full)

6.  Crush about 2 c corn flakes, combine with 4 T melted butter and put on top of the casserole.  Cover and refrigerate while working on other things.

7.  DH made the string bean casserole.  Rinse and then drain 2 (~15oz) cans of canned string beans.  Combine with 1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell’s® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup or 98% Fat Free Cream of Mushroom Soup, 1/2 cup milk, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1/3 c French's Onion Rings, Salt and Pepper to taste. Put in 8 x 8 casserole. Cover and refrigerate while doing other things.

8.  Combine 8 to 12 oz of softened cream cheese with 1 c of sugar.  Fold in 8 oz of whipped topping. "Frost" the cooled pretzel crust - be sure it seals the crust completely.  Then put the partially thickened strawberry jello mixture on top. Cover and refrigerate.

9.  In a small bowl, combine 1/3 - 1/2 c pineapple juice, 2 - 4 T brown sugar, and  2-4 T honey.

10.  Slice ham if needed.  Make a foil bowl (I made by forming over the instant pot bowl.)  Then put 1 1/2 c water in the bowl and place in the instant pot and put the trivet in too.  Put the ham in the foil bowl - and use a turkey baster to put the sweet mixture in between the slices.  Then put the bowl with the ham in the instant pot.  Cut back foil if needed.  Spoon a little brown sugar on the top of the ham.  Pick the option for High Pressure for 20 minutes.  I bought 7 lb unsliced but precooked ham from Costco.

11. Preheat the oven to 350.  Set the table.  Put the potatoes in the oven for 25 minutes.  Then add the string beans to the oven for another 20 minutes.  Add the rest of the french's onions (about a cup) to the top of the string beans after stirring them.  Keep both in oven for another 5 minutes.

12.  Remove casseroles from the oven and the ham from the instant pot and put on platter - slice completely thru as needed.

13.  Plate the meal.  String beans, funeral potatoes, and copycat honey baked ham on plate and the strawberry mixture gets sliced onto a smaller plate.

Very nice meal - it helped a lot to clean the dishes during the preparation so there was not a lot of clean up after the meal. 

To remember for next time: 

• Could make all except the ham the day before.
• Pick something else for dessert or try refrigerating the crust before filling it, and making the cream cheese part with no-bake cheesecake mixture. https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/no-bake-cheesecake/
• Could take some of the ham juice and heat to thicken it and put on top of the ham - didn't think that was necessary this time.
• Would be okay to use different soups for the two casseroles.

This was a hearty meal with lots of leftovers!  I have asparagus to serve when the string beans run out - and green salad.  

I don't remember what time I started making the meal - around 11 or noon I think.  We ate around 3 or 4pm and just had cereal or yogurt for dinner around 8pm.  I already put some of the ham in the freezer as I had to cut it to get it to fit in the instant pot!