How to Celebrate Easter Away From Home

Easter is one of the major holidays that many families love to celebrate together. Whether that means at your own home, at a loved ones' home, or even on at a vacation destination. Traveling during Easter has become a common practice, especially if Easter falls in late April (like it does this year) when it will likely be warmer in many U.S. regions. Plus, the kids already have school off, so it's almost a no-brainer to take advantage of that free time.

But even if you're traveling away from home, you probably still want to make Easter Sunday a special day for you and your family. The good news is, you don't have to be in your home or even in a vacation rental with a big kitchen to celebrate the springtime holiday. If you're planning an Easter away from home this year, follow this guide for tips and tricks to have the best holiday possible.

From what to make ahead of time and bring with you to how to use store-bought ingredients, here's everything you need to know to make your vacation Easter celebration feel like home away from home.

Prep Ahead of Time

If you're driving to your destination, you can prep so much beforehand, like Easter dishes, treats, and even Easter baskets. The only thing that may limit you is your kitchen space at your hotel or rental, so make sure you check your amenities before you make an entire ham without somewhere to store it.

If you're flying to your destination, the things you can prep beforehand may be more limited. Remember, TSA only allows liquids up to 3.4 ounces to be carried through the security checkpoint — this includes foods like canned food, creamy dips or spreads, jams or jellies, gravy, salad dressing, and syrup. If you want to bring those liquid-based foods, either transfer them to a smaller 3.4-ounce container or pack them in your checked bag.

If you want to prep your main dish ahead of time, or simply bring it with you, you can bring cooked or frozen ham, fresh meat or seafood, and frozen food through security as well. Just know that if you're packing your cold foods with an ice pack, the ice pack needs to be completely frozen when going through TSA, if it's even a little melted, the agent will throw it away. You can also pack your cold or frozen foods in up to five pounds of dry ice in both a carry-on or check bag, as long as it's properly packaged and marked.

Keep in mind that all carry-on items need to fit in the overhead bin or under the seat in front of you on the airplane. So choose your baggage wisely because if you're bringing a lot of food you're probably better off checking a bag. For more information, visit TSA's website to learn more about what foods are and aren't allowed in your luggage.

What to Prep Beforehand

Once you know what you can and cannot pack, you can start thinking about your menu. There are quite a few dishes you can make before your trip and take with you, as long as you have the correct tools to keep them cold while traveling and reheat them once you're there.

• Ham: The beauty of ham is that you most oftentimes buy it pre-cooked. So all you need to do is reheat it to an internal temperature of 140°F. You can also enjoy pre-cooked ham cold.
• Lamb: Leg and shoulder cuts of lamb can be cooked ahead of time and then reheated when ready to serve.
• Mac and cheese: Mac and cheese can be assembled about two days beforehand, stored in the fridge, and then baked when ready to serve.
• Green bean casserole: Green bean casserole can be assembled without the onions, refrigerated, and baked when ready to serve.
• Potatoes: Mashed potatoes can be made completely in advance and reheated in a microwave with extra butter. If you're making roasted potatoes, you can boil them in advance and store them in the fridge or freezer with some oil.
• Vegetables: You can chop your veggies ahead of time, as well as par-cook or blanch them ahead of time, if needed.
• Pasta salads: You can make pasta salad or macaroni salad a few days in advance as it can stay fresh for three to five days in an airtight container in the fridge.
• Eggs: Deviled eggs will stay fresh for two to four days in the fridge. Egg salad will last about five days in the fridge. Hard-boiled eggs (including dyed eggs) will last about seven days in the fridge. While pickled eggs can last up to four months in the fridge.
• Dinner rolls: Dinner rolls can last five to seven days at room temperature. For longer storage, you can freeze your dinner rolls and thaw them when you're ready to serve them.

Pro tip: If you can, bring a slow cooker or Instant Pot with you on your vacation. That way you can easily make things like ham, pork tenderloin, potatoes, risotto, or mac and cheese all without an oven.

Don't Forget The Sweets

Easter dinner may be important to some people, but others are just there for the chocolate bunnies and delicious carrot cake. So, when in doubt about your Easter celebration, stock up on candy and desserts.

Cakes, cookies, and pies can all be made ahead of time and either stored in the fridge or freezer. Plus, most of these desserts will travel well, as long as you don't squish anything. If you're worried about the dessert decoration, you can always bring your supplies with you and decorate your cakes or cupcakes at your hotel or rental.

Candies like Peeps, chocolate bunnies, M&M's, jelly beans, and Reese's eggs won't take up much room in your suitcase, so they're an easy sweet to pack for your trip. Plus, if you have kids, you can throw in some plastic eggs and have a small Easter egg hunt right in your hotel room.

Use Store-Bought Ingredients

No matter what anyone says, using store-bought ingredients is not cheating! It's just a genius shortcut.

When it comes to Easter meals away from home, take advantage of store-bought items like reheat-and-eat mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, pasta, or even chicken. You can also grab a pre-made charcuterie board or dessert so you'll have a whole course ready to go without having to do any of the work.

A good rule of thumb when looking for easy meal swaps is the deli and bakery will be your best friend. Pick up things like dinner rolls, salads, macaroni salad, pasta salad, potato salad, and cookies. Truthfully, most people won't even be able to tell the difference and it will make your life so much easier.

Order Your Meal Online

If you're looking for an incredibly easy option, leave the meal planning up to the professionals and order your Easter meal online. Simply ship your fresh meat and seafood or pre-cooked meals directly to your hotel or rental so all you'll have to do is heat them up and set the table.