16 Crowd-Pleasing Recipes for Passover

Apr 6, 2025 - 11:01
 0  0
16 Crowd-Pleasing Recipes for Passover
Jewish Brisket on a Plate with Carrots and Parsley and a Bowl of Potatoes
Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

The dishes on the table at Passover come with an asterisk, as there are a handful of foods and ingredients customarily avoided on the holiday. If you're unsure what's suitable, double check (better safe than sorry!), otherwise use this list as your starting point for planning your holiday spread.

From slow-cooked brisket to bright red borscht, matzo brei to potato kugel, these dishes are definitely ones you'll also want to save and serve beyond Passover!

Potato Kugel

Serving of Potato Kugel on a Pie Server, Moved from Casserole Dish to a Plate
Simply Recipes / Micah Siva

"Can’t find matzo meal? Substitute equal amounts of all-purpose flour instead—it won’t be suitable for Passover, but great for the rest of the year." —Micah Siva, Recipe Developer

Golden Beet and Pomegranate Salad

Golden Beet and Pomegranate Salad
Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

"If you want to boil the beets instead of roasting them, put the beets in a small saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes or until tender." —Elise Bauer, Founder

Jewish Brisket

Jewish Brisket on a Plate with Carrots and Parsley and a Bowl of Potatoes
Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

"I prefer to add in the carrots towards the very end of the braising time because to me, there’s nothing more off-putting than an overly softened carrot." —Sara Tane, Recipe Developer

Matzo Brei

Matzo brei on a plate with a fork.
Simply Recipes / Lori Rice

"Traditional matzo is what we use here, but you could also use whole wheat or even gluten-free matzo. Do not use egg matzo, as it is too soft." —Hank Shaw, Recipe Developer

Noodle Kugel

Noodle Kugel
Simply Recipes / Coco Morante

"On Passover, kugel can’t be made from noodles since they’re not kosher to serve during that holiday, so you can use matzo instead." —Coco Morante, Recipe Developer

Charoset with Apples, Dates, and Walnuts

A bowl of charoset ready to eat
Simply Recipes / Coco Morante

"When buying dates, look for fresh ones—they should be dark brown, soft, and heavy for their size. If you are only able to find drier dates, you can soften them by letting them soak for five minutes in hot water. Drain the dates before proceeding with the recipe." —Coco Morante, Recipe Developer

Chocolate and Hazelnut Matzo Toffee

Chocolate Toffee Matzo Crack - plate of toffee wiht sheetpan of toffee in the background
Simply Recipes / Coco Morante

"The toffee pictured here is topped with roasted hazelnuts, but you can use any nut you like. I’ve made it with toasted sliced almonds, as well as chopped toasted pecans. Toasted coconut would make a nice option for nut-free folks, too." —Coco Morante, Recipe Developer

Instant Pot Beef Brisket

Pressure Cooker Beef Brisket
Simply Recipes / Coco Morante

"One more great bonus of pressure cooking: You can make the gravy right in the pot! Use an immersion blender to whiz the onions and garlic into the cooking liquid, making a thick, rich gravy." —Coco Morante, Recipe Developer

Borscht

A bright blue bowl on a gray background with borscht and sour cream and dill
Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

"The soup is best made a day ahead, giving the flavors time to meld." —Elise Bauer, Founder

Coconut Macaroons

Coconut Macaroons
Simply Recipes / Eliezer Martinez

"After multiple batches and lots of experimenting, I found that you also need to use unsweetened coconut, somewhat finely ground. Sweetened coconut won't do, because you won't be able to break it down enough even in a food processor." —Elise Bauer, Founder

Oven-Roasted New Potatoes

Oven Roasted New Potatoes on a Tray with a Spoon Scooping Some Potatoes
Simply Recipes / Michelle Becker

"The small new potatoes (also called "baby potatoes") work great for this dish. All you have to do is cut them in half. Otherwise, cut the larger new potatoes into 1 1/2-inch chunks. No need to peel." —Elise Bauer, Founder

Matzo Ball Soup

Matzo Ball Soup
Simply Recipes / Coco Morante

"Chill the matzo mixture for at least two hours before shaping the matzo balls (or up to a day ahead). This gives the matzo meal plenty of time to absorb the liquid and results in matzo balls with better texture and that don't fall apart during cooking." —Coco Morante, Recipe Developer

Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage

German Red Cabbage
Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

"The cooking time for this recipe will depend on the age and tenderness of the cabbage you are using." —Elise Bauer, Founder

Roasted Baby Carrots

Roasted Baby Carrots
Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

"Use real baby (immature) carrots, not the ready-to-eat, stubby carrots sold bagged and peeled for snacking. Those carrots won't roast the same." —Elise Bauer, Founder

Roast Chicken With Apricot Glaze

Roasted Chicken with Apricot Glaze
Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

"When cooking a whole chicken, remember to remove to giblets (liver, gizzards, neck) first. They're often in a bag in the cavity. I fry up the liver in butter for a little snack and save the neck and gizzards for making stock." —Elise Bauer, Founder

Pavlova

Pavlova
Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

"Adding an acid such as cream of tartar (a dry acid) or vinegar will help give the meringue structure. You can use either. If you are using cream of tartar, mix it in with the egg whites from the beginning. If you are using vinegar, add it with the vanilla extract later in the process." —Shuna Lydon, Recipe Developer

What's Your Reaction?

Like Like 0
Dislike Dislike 0
Love Love 0
Funny Funny 0
Angry Angry 0
Sad Sad 0
Wow Wow 0