Easy Passover Recipes: Simple, Family-Friendly Meals That Actually Taste Good
If Passover has a reputation in your house as the holiday where “you can’t eat anything,” the food feels heavy, and everyone is counting the days until bread returns… I get it. Truly. But I’m here to gently (and confidently) disagree. With the right mindset and a few smart swaps, easy Passover recipes can be delicious, nourishing, and surprisingly simple.
Passover doesn’t have to mean surviving on matzah and complaints. It can look like cozy meals, familiar flavors, and food your family actually wants to eat. This guide is here to help you feel prepared, supported, and maybe even excited about Passover.
Hi, my name is Elia.
I’m an in-home personal chef and meal prep coach for busy New Yorkers. I’m also a proud Jew who believes that eating good food can be simple!
Let’s make Passover food great again.
A Gentle Reframe: What You Can Eat on Passover
One of the biggest stressors around Passover is the feeling that everything is suddenly off-limits. But when you zoom out, there are so many everyday foods that are naturally Passover-friendly.
Think:
Eggs
Fresh vegetables and fruit
Potatoes and sweet potatoes
Meat, chicken, and fish
Dairy, like yogurt, cheese, and butter
Nuts, nut flours, and coconut products
A great mindset shift is to start with what you already eat regularly, then make small, simple swaps where needed. Many families are surprised by how many of their go-to meals are already close to Passover-compliant with just one or two tweaks.
If you’re looking for an easy-to-follow Passover food guide, I love this blog post from Everyay Jewish Mom.
Easy Passover Meals Start With Simple Swaps
Instead of searching for entirely new recipes, one of the easiest ways to approach Passover meal prep is to adapt familiar foods.
Here are a few everyday swaps that work beautifully:
Chicken Cutlets
Instead of breadcrumbs, use matzah meal. For dredging, potato starch, arrowroot, tapioca flour, or a grain-free flour blend all work well. The result is crispy, golden, and comforting.
Pizza Night
Matzah pizza is wildly underrated. Use matzah as the base, add sauce, cheese, and toppings, and bake until crispy. It’s fast, kid-friendly, and feels fun instead of restrictive.
Taco Night
You don’t have to forego your favorite taco Tuesday during Passover! Use rice if your family eats kitniyot, and if not, you can use cauliflower rice for a taco bowl or grain-free tortillas. I love the Siete brand of grain-free tortillas!
Seafood Night
Seafood night is a great option because NO SWAPS are required! Simply choose your favorite fish and throw it in the broiler with seasonings and a squeeze of lemon. To make it a meal, add roasted veggies and potatoes!
Pasta Night
Enjoy a pasta night using egg noodles or whip up matzah meal eggplant parmesan!
Pancakes, Waffles, and French Toast
Matzah brie is a Passover classic for a reason. Sweet with syrup or savory with salt and pepper, it’s simple and filling. You can even add cheese or veggies and cook it as patties or a scramble.
How to make matzah brie:
Wet matzah briefly, then break into a bowl
Add one egg per board of matzah
Mix, season, and cook in butter or oil until set
Easy Passover Recipes for a Crowd
Cooking for multiple seders or feeding extended family can feel overwhelming, but Passover meals for a crowd work best when you lean into batch-friendly dishes.
Great options include:
Big trays of roasted potatoes with garlic and olive oil
Large salads with simple vinaigrettes
Slow-cooked brisket, pot roast, or shredded chicken (if you don’t eat kitnoyit you can swap coconut aminos for soy sauce)
Potatoes truly shine during Passover. Roasted, mashed, smashed and baked, latkes made with matzah meal, or stuffed and roasted again. They are filling, flexible, and universally loved.
Easy Passover Dishes You Can Make Ahead
One of the best gifts you can give yourself during Passover is making food ahead of time. Many Passover-friendly dishes store and reheat beautifully.
Some make-ahead favorites:
Potato kugel or roasted potatoes
Chicken soup
Meatballs made with matzah meal
Flourless cakes and almond flour desserts
I always recommend prepping one or two core items early so daily meals feel lighter and less reactive.
Easy Passover Recipes for Kids
Kids don’t want “holiday food.” They want food they recognize.
That’s why simple Passover meals for kids work best when they resemble everyday favorites:
Matzah with cream cheese and jelly
Peanut butter and jelly on matzah
Scrambled eggs or egg muffins
Matzah pizza
Yogurt with fruit
For lunches, matzah or kosher-for-Passover crackers pair perfectly with chicken salad, tuna salad, or salmon salad. Familiar textures go a long way here.
Vegetarian Passover Recipes That Feel Satisfying
Vegetarian Passover meals are absolutely doable and can still feel hearty.
Some reliable staples:
Egg-based dishes like frittatas and matzah brie
Potato-focused meals
Vegetable soups
Salads with nuts, cheese, and hard-boiled eggs
Almond flour tortillas and grain-free wraps can also be helpful if your Passover observance allows them. Paleo and grain-free products like Simple Mills offer mixes and snacks that many families rely on during the holiday.
If you are strictly kosher for Passover, these may not work for you. But for families avoiding flour and bread products, they can be a game-changer.
Easy Passover Dessert Ideas (Yes, Really)
Passover desserts do not have to feel like an afterthought.
Any flourless cake works beautifully for Passover, as do desserts made with almond flour. Mandelbroit is a classic favorite and a great make-ahead option for snacking throughout the week.
I also love my Matzoh cake! It’s my take on the traditional dessert, but with simpler ingredients!
Fruit-forward desserts, chocolate-dipped strawberries, or coconut macaroons also check the box without feeling heavy.
What Is a Good Passover Snack?
Great Passover snacks include:
Hard-boiled eggs - Try this recipe for the easiest peeling hard-boiled egg ever!
Fruit with nut butter
Matzah with spreads
Yogurt
Mandelbroit
Grain-free snack bars (if permitted)
Granola - Opt for a grain-free granola or make your own by swapping matzah farfale (just break up matzah instead of oats). Try my OG Big Chunk Granola recipe!
The key is keeping snacks simple, protein-forward, and familiar.
What Is a Good Vegetable for Passover?
Almost all vegetables are naturally Passover-friendly. Potatoes, carrots, broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, spinach, and leafy greens are all staples. Roasting vegetables with olive oil, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder is one of the easiest ways to make them appealing.
The 7 Foods of Passover (Traditionally)
Traditionally, Passover foods include symbolic items on the Seder plate, such as:
Matzah
Maror (bitter herbs)
Karpas (greens)
Zeroa (shank bone)
Beitzah (egg)
Daily meals during Passover don’t need to replicate the Seder plate. They just need to be nourishing and manageable.
What Are the 5 Forbidden Foods on Passover?
The five grains traditionally avoided during Passover are:
Wheat
Barley
Rye
Oats
Spelt
Many families also avoid kitniyot, which includes foods like rice, corn, and legumes. If that’s your practice, cauliflower rice makes a great substitute. Yes, it can feel annoying. It’s also temporary.
Final Thoughts: Think Simple, Not Perfect
Passover meals do not need to be elaborate or impressive. They just need to work for your family. Think components, not complete recipes. A protein, a vegetable, a potato, and something familiar on the side can carry you through the week.
This holiday is about meaning, memory, and togetherness. Food should support that, not drain you.
With a little planning and a lot of grace, easy Passover recipes can feel grounding, comforting, and even joyful.
And that is a Passover worth celebrating!
If you like this blog, let us know in the comments below! Cheers, friends!
Pin me for later ⤵️
