Recipes for a Cozy Passover Meal at Home
Passover is a time to come together as a family in Jewish culture, and typically the Seder spreads are massive, with lots of chicken and briskets, batches of soup, tons of sides, and more. That table is packed with food to feed a crowd — and the crowd that is hungry to enjoy it.
Yet this year, your celebration may be limited or scaled down due to social distancing requirements because of COVID-19. Instead of cooking a Seder dinner to feed most of your extended family, you might be making a Passover menu that feeds just your immediate family, about two to six people. That doesn't mean you cannot have a delicious Seder meal before you and your familys, though. Here are a few great recipes to keep in mind for your scaled-down Passover this year.
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Easy Salmon Dip
Don't want gefilte fish for your Passover appetizer? Go with this salmon dip on matzo (not bread) instead. It has great texture and creaminess to whet your appetize for a fantastic Seder dinner, and it's super easy to whip up. You can add in more herbs and other seasonings if you want to boost the flavor.
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Matzoh Ball Soup
"This is one of my favorite soup recipes," writes MARBALET, the recipe creator. "I always double the recipe for the matzoh balls, since everyone enjoys them so well. You may wish to cook the matzo balls in slightly salted water, allow them to cool for several minutes in the water after they're cooked, then transfer them to the soup. Some people say that the matzoh balls make the broth a tad cloudy."
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Fluffy Matzo Balls
Another great matzo ball soup recipe, this one has super large, fluffy matzo balls, and they can be used for soup or as a side dish with meat, even. If you are making them for soup, add immediately to the soup, but do not cook these with the soup mixture. They'll turn the clear soup a bit cloudy.
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Oven Roasted Potatoes
These roasted potatoes are easy to make, and this recipe serves four, so it's good for a small group. Make them nice and crispy for extra crunch and flavor, and you can add in herbs, like dill weed, parsley, and more.
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Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Vinegar
These crisp-tender asparagus spears will go great with chicken, brisket, or fish, and with some roasted potatoes as well. They have added good fats (and crunch!) from the nuts, and the balsamic vinegar adds some acidity to keep that bold flavor present.
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Chef John's Bourbon Glazed Carrots
These glazed carrots would taste amazing with brisket or chicken for a Passover seder dinner. They take just 25 minutes to make, and they have the perfect balance of both sweet and spicy (there's some cayenne there!), along with a smooth, glossy texture.
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Basic Beef Brisket in a Dutch Oven
Brisket is hearty and flavorful, and it's a great meat dish for a Passover seder. It is done in just a few hours in the dutch oven, and the meat is super soft and tender. Plus, the flavors from the sauce are fantastic, and if you have leftovers, they store well for sandwiches or hash the next day.
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Sweet and Sour Brisket
The sweet and sour flavors come together nicely with a tender, melt-in-your-mouth brisket for a main meal. Serve with mashed potatoes, potato pancakes, or roasted potatoes and matzah on the side to soak up that luscious sauce.
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Simple Baked Chicken Breasts
Ready in just 40 minutes, this chicken breast dish serves four people, so it's fit for a family. Using minimal seasonings, it is clean and simple, but you can play it up by adding in more spices, herbs, and other garnishes.
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Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary
Another great chicken recipe, this one has nice flavors from rosemary and lemon, giving it that citrusy, herby taste. You can pair with veggies and a potato dish. And you can even add some of the chicken to the matzo ball soup.
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Baked Fish Dinner For Two
This fish dinner might be the best option for a family that avoids red meat or poultry, as it has great flavor and nutrition from white fish and some delicious veggies and potatoes to round it all out. Choose a firm, white fleshed fish like cod, scrod, or bass to make this dish.
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Passover Mushroom Dressing
Southern dressing for Pesach made with matzo meal? Yes! You can make it a browned dressing with lots of pepper, or you can cook for less time at a lower temperature to get dressing that is more moist without that crunch factor. Also you can use any combination of mushrooms.
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Haroset
You cannot have a Passover seder without haroset. Not only for traditional purposes, but also it's delicious! Play up the sweetness and acidity of apples and mix with red kosher wine and walnuts for a bit of nuttiness in texture.
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Passover Iced Lemon Loaf
This loaf isn't large, but you will still have enough to keep on hand for leftovers for the week, as a sweet breakfast cake or for a dessert. It has great lemon, tart flavor and it's perfectly fit for Passover, since it's free of gluten and flour. It is also dairy-free, too.
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Flourless Chocolate Mousse Cake
This mousse cake may have a few leftovers for your smaller Passover crowd, but hey, it's hard to not make a larger batch when whipping up a sweet dessert for a special occasion. This cake is free of flour, so it is great for Passover. And you can top with whip or ice cream.