(Family Features) Whether you are planning to host a small family gathering or a true Easter feast, brunch is the perfect way to celebrate with a holiday-worthy spread. Easter gatherings are an opportunity to elevate traditional brunch dishes, all at bite-sized prices.
Start your celebration with these Ham, Egg and Cheese Brunch Cups, which work as a handheld snack to begin the day or as the main course. Then end your festivities on a high note with a satisfying sweet like this festive Carrot Cake.
Hosting can be easier and more affordable when you feature delicious dishes like these. Find all your Easter essentials such as premium ham, award-winning wine and cheese, Easter basket essentials and more at a store like ALDI.
Find more Easter inspiration at aldi.us.

Ham, Egg and Cheese Brunch Cups

Recipe courtesy of “Pinch of Yum” on behalf of ALDI
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Yield: 18 cups

• 2          tablespoons butter
• 2          tablespoons Baker’s Corner All-Purpose Flour
• 1          cup milk
• 3/4       cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 1/4       teaspoon salt, plus additional, to taste, divided
• 2          sheets puff pastry
• 19        Simply Nature Organic Cage Free Brown Eggs, divided
• 1-2       cups Appleton Farms Spiral Sliced Half Ham, diced
• chopped fresh chives
• pepper, to taste

1. Heat oven to 375° F.
2. To make cheese sauce: In small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and whisk to combine. Pour in milk in increments, whisking after each addition. Bring to simmer, whisking until mixture thickens. Remove mixture from heat and stir in cheese. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
3. To make brunch cups: Use rolling pin to roll out puff pastry sheets until thin. Cut sheets into nine squares. Line each well of muffin tin with one puff pastry square, pressing firmly to bottom and sides; edges should come just over top of muffin tin. Fill each cup with spoonful of cheese sauce. Crack one egg into each cup and sprinkle diced ham on top of each egg.
4. Crack remaining egg and brush exposed portions of puff pastries with egg wash.
5. Bake 10-15 minutes until eggs are set. Sprinkle with chives, salt and pepper, to taste.
    

Carrot Cake

Recipe courtesy of Chef Kevin, ALDI Test Kitchen
Prep time: 35 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Servings: 8

• 1          cup, plus 2 tablespoons, Carlini Vegetable Oil
• 1 1/4    cups Baker’s Corner Granulated Sugar
• 3          Goldhen Large Eggs
• 1 1/2    cups shredded carrots
• 1          cup Sweet Harvest Crushed Pineapple, with juice
• 1          teaspoon Baker’s Corner Baking Soda
• 1          teaspoon Stonemill Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2       teaspoon Stonemill Iodized Salt
• 1/2       teaspoon Baker’s Corner Baking Powder
• 2 1/4    cups Baker’s Corner All-Purpose Flour
• 2/3       cup Southern Grove Chopped Walnuts, divided

Frosting:

• 3/4       cup Countryside Creamery Butter, softened
• 1 1/2    cups Happy Farms Cream Cheese, softened
• 1          teaspoon Stonemill Pure Vanilla
• 5 1/2    cups Baker’s Corner Powdered Sugar

1. Heat oven to 350° F.
2. In mixing bowl, cream together oil and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Slowly add in carrots and pineapple.
3. In separate mixing bowl, sift together baking soda, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and flour.
4. Add dry mixture to wet mixture and beat until smooth. Fold in 1/3 cup walnuts.
5. Pour batter into two lightly greased 8-inch round cake pans and bake 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool completely; remove from pans.
6. To make frosting: In mixing bowl, cream together butter, cream cheese and vanilla. Slowly add powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
7. Trim and level cakes. Spread 1 1/2 cups frosting over one cake and stack second cake on top.
8. Carefully frost entire cake with remaining frosting and garnish with remaining chopped walnuts.