Jamie Geller makes slow-braised brisket and onions March 22, 202105:54 Preparing for your Passover Seder? These kosher recipes will make for an unforgettable spread. This year, Passover (aka Pesach) begins Friday, April 15 and ends Saturday, April 23. The first Seder takes place after sundown on the 15th and […]
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Jamie Geller makes slow-braised brisket and onions
March 22, 202105:54
Preparing for your Passover Seder? These kosher recipes will make for an unforgettable spread.
This year, Passover (aka Pesach) begins Friday, April 15 and ends Saturday, April 23. The first Seder takes place after sundown on the 15th and the second Seder will be on Saturday, April 16. The Seder, which occurs on the first two nights of the holiday, is the height of the celebratory observance and the point for which family and friends gather at nightfall to enjoy a festival feast. During Seder, which translates to "order," the the exodus of the Israelites from enslavement in Egypt is celebrated through through story, song, prayer and the tasting of symbolic foods, including four cups of wine, matzo and bitter herbs, accompanied by a feast of kosher foods.
If it's your first time having a Passover Seder, this Passover guide can be helpful to your preparations. While some foods, such as the matzo and bitter herbs, are eaten on certain nights, others (including leavened bread) are forbidden. Some Jews don't store those forbidden items in their homes or eat from dishes or cutlery that have touched them. But no two Seders are exactly the same: The diversity of American Jews results in many different ways of celebrating.
To make menu planning easy, here are some of our favorite Passover recipes. From inventive takes like cacio de pepe kugel and a rich, chocolaty matzo cake to more traditional (but still standout) dishes like brisket, these these delicious sides, entrées and desserts are perfect for any Seder.
Passover side dishes and appetizers
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls
Adam Richman
"Every good Jewish boy loves his mother's chicken soup," Adam Richman says. "It's part of our DNA. It is penicillin when we are sick; it is comfort food when we are sad; it is communal food when we are celebrating; and it has its roots in the traditions of relatives that we no longer have with us or ones we never got a chance to meet."
Joy of Kosher
Pear, Oven Roasted Tomatoes and Goat Cheese Matzo Pizza
It doesn't need to be Passover to enjoy this creative and crunchy spin on pizza. This dish is a great late night-snack or a shoe-in at the Seder dinner table.
Courtesy Elena Besser
The Best, Easiest Deviled Eggs
Elena Besser
Make this enjoyable spring appetizer extra special by adding a tad of vinegar for punch and some curry powder for warmth. This is Elena Besser's go-to when she need to bring something to a gathering but is short on time.
Melissa Clark
Lemony Grated Carrot Salad
Melissa Clark
Crunchy, fresh and little sweet, this is a terrific salad for when there's no lettuce around. And you can make it a day ahead. It gets even better as it sits, absorbing more of the dressing.
Mariecar Frias / TODAY
Salmon and Avocado Tartare
Anthony Scotto
Perfect for a light meal or elegant appetizer, this tartare has layers of fish, avocado puree and a crunchy, shaved raw vegetables, all topped with a bright, citrusy vinaigrette.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
Chicken Fat Matzo Ball Soup
Joel Gamoran
Make matzo ball soup the comforting, old-fashioned way — with chicken fat, dill and vodka (yes, vodka!).
Citrus Salad with Mint and Red Onions
Joanne Weir
This refreshing salad will prepare the palate for an unforgettable meal. Since citrus is often in season in the U.S. and Canada around Passover, this makes for the perfect healthy appetizer or side dish.
Nathan Congleton/TODAY
Cacio e Pepe Kugel
Missy Robbins
This dish takes Missy Robbins' Jewish heritage and love for Italian food and combines them in a traditional kugel filled with the flavors of cacio e pepe, a Roman spaghetti dish. The result is a mouthwatering side packed with tons of pepper and the creaminess of Pecorino, creating an indulgent comfort food from two cultures meeting in the middle.
Grace Parisi / TODAY
Crispy Rösti Potatoes with Oven-Poached Eggs
Grace Parisi
Rather than make individual potato pancakes and poached eggs, take a note from the Swiss and make one big, communal potato cake (known as rösti in Switzerland and Germany) and top it with eggs poached in a muffin tin.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
Roasted Asparagus with Almonds
Gail Simmons
Looking for a simple side dish? Try this easy-to-make, oven-roasted asparagus with fresh garlic and crunchy almonds.
Renee Comet / The New Jewish Tab
Salad of Roasted Heirloom Beets with Capers and Pistachios
Bring fresh spring colors to the table with an heirloom beet salad tossed with tangy capers and buttery pistachios.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
Pickled Beet Deviled Eggs
Melissa Clark
These magenta-colored, beet pickled eggs are southern classics. Here they are deviled, so the yolks become creamy and the beautiful hues pop when sliced and plated.
Lauren Salkeld
Balsamic-Honey Roasted Carrots
Lauren Salkeld
These carrots are just as good served warm or at room temperature, so they’re ideal for entertaining when you have other dishes to make and serve all at once.
Elena Heatherwick
Fava Bean and Herb Salad with Toum
Yotam Ottolenghi
This fresh, sharp salad and toum-yogurt makes a lovely side to heartier dishes and grilled meat (particularly when rich and fatty). Toum, which literally translates to "garlic" in Arabic, is a Levantine condiment made by whipping together raw garlic and oil with a good amount of lemon juice.
Nathan Congleton/TODAY
Arugula with Citrus, Olives and Za'atar
Alon Shaya
Bright citrus, briny olives and zesty za'atar spice make this simple salad a fresh and flavorful start to any meal.
The Prime Grill, New York City
Passover Brisket with Carrot and Onion Gravy
David Kolotkin
This mouthwatering brisket from David Kolotkin serves up to eight people. The carrots and onions get caramelized from the meat's juices.
"My grandmother, Bella, used to make a potted turkey dish with similar ingredients, which my mother later turned into a pot roast," he says. "It's perfect for the holidays."
Courtesy Anne Burrell
Braised Short Ribs with Horseradish Mashers
Anne Burrell
Layers of flavor infuse every bit of these tender short ribs. Serving this ultra-hearty dish with horseradish-spiked mashed potatoes helps brighten everything up and adds a wonderfully creamy complement to the beef. Tangy, spicy and creamy mashers for the win!
TODAY Illustration / Jamie Geller
Slow-Braised Brisket and Onions
Jamie Geller
There is nothing more comforting and familiar than the knowledge that a brisket is quietly simmering away. Brisket has some of the tastiest and richest meat and fat of any cut of beef. A second cut or, even better yet, a whole brisket, will feed an army with tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat.
Nathan Congleton/TODAY
Harissa Roasted Chicken
Alon Shaya
This vibrant, warming roast chicken is coveted for its simplicity and wonderful flavor. Plus, you can use leftovers to create a completely different dish, like Alon Shaya's tahini chicken salad or arugula-citrus salad.
Joy Bauer
Joy Bauer's Slow-Cooker Brisket
Joy Bauer
The prep is so simple for Joy Bauer's recipe: Just sprinkle the dry rub on your meat and place it in the slow cooker along with a few simple ingredients — then set it, forget it and let the love affair begin. As the hours go by and the carrots and onions melt into the beef, your kitchen will be infused with the cozy, nostalgic aroma of your grandmother's brisket.
Samantha Okazaki / TODAY
Marinated Bone-in Lamb Shoulder with Lemon Potatoes
George Pagonis
Perfect for Passover — or really, any holiday — the combination of the juicy meat with the lemony potatoes is always an entertaining crowd-pleasing centerpiece.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
Horseradish Brisket
Gail Simmons
This one-pot wonder by Gail Simmons was inspired by her mother's traditional brisket recipe. She adds horseradish to give it a a special kick. Luckily for home cooks, this rich and rewarding dish only takes 15 minutes to prepare.
TODAY
Harissa-Braised Brisket with Green Beans and Red Potatoes
Lazarus Lynch
One of the best parts about brisket is that it can be cooked when you have time and then savored either during one dinner or as leftovers reinvented into tasty new meals. If you don't have harissa paste, you can use a combination of tomato paste and crushed red pepper or tomato paste and harissa seasoning. You could also use pot roast or short ribs in place of brisket.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
Roast Chicken with Clementine and Rosemary Butter
Clodagh McKenna
Brighten up your spread with this roast chicken that pops with color. Taking only 15 minutes to prepare, this dish is bursting with flavor thanks to clementines and rosemary.
TODAY
Ina Garten's Skillet-Roasted Lemon Chicken
Ina Garten
"I can't tell you how many times I've made this!" says Ina Garten. "I have the butcher butterfly the chicken so all I do is grind the thyme, fennel seeds, salt, and pepper, mix it with olive oil, and brush it on the chicken. When the lemon slices are roasted and caramelized, you can eat them with the chicken."
Elena Heatherwick
Sweet Potato Shakshuka with Spicy Butter and Pickled Onions
Yotam Ottolenghi
A far cry from a classic shakshuka, yes, but we've found that sweet potatoes provide just the right amount of moisture and heft to serve as a base for these eggs.
Courtesy Madeline Smithburg
Baked Masala-Spiced Salmon
Madeleine Smithberg
This recipe is simple, easy, fast and flavorful. It is also easy to adapt to small or large group. The basic recipe is one part mustard to three parts maple syrup with one generous part masala. It goes great with a simple green salad.
JoAnn Swenson / Floriole Bakery, Chicago
6-Ingredient Chocolate Ganache Soufflé Cake
Sandra Holl
Finish your meal with this kosher chocolate ganache soufflé cake from pastry chef Sandra Holl at Chicago's Floriole bakery. It will add a little decadence to any celebration.
Samantha Okazaki / TODAY
Chocolate-Covered Matzo Bark
Jamie Geller
For something sweet, salty and satisfying, try this chocolate-covered matzo bark. It's easy to serve to a crowd and has a fruity, nutty flavor.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
Brown Butter Matzo Brei Pie
Joel Gamoran
This sweet 15-minute treat can be enjoyed after dinner or for breakfast. It's a wonderfully easy specialty that can be enjoyed whether or not it's Passover. You'll want it all year long.
TODAY
Matzo 7-Layer Cake
Jamie Geller
Seven is such an important number in Judaism but it's also an especially delicious one when it involves wine-soaked matzo covered in chocolate.
Caroline Choe
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Caroline Choe
This truly is one of the easiest cakes in the world to make, but the result is incredibly elegant. The simplest and most classic of ingredients create this decadent dessert.
Samantha Okazaki / TODAY
Banana and Peach Matzo Brie Bake
Jamie Geller
The classic and quintessential holiday breakfast (or dessert) gets a creamy fruity makeover. No standing over a stove and frying for endless hours with this baked, layered twist on an old favorite. Assemble the day before for easy entertaining.
