Planning a meal to celebrate the special moms in your life but need a little inspiration? From breakfast in bed to brunch and dinner, the following recipes are sure to delight with minimal effort. Helpful menus pairings are included.
We hope for the best on Mother’s Day, but the age-old joke often involves children and fathers whose attempts at making breakfast are well intended, but end up…well…a bit messy.
Whether bringing mom breakfast in bed or looking for brunch or dinner fare, following are a variety of menu ideas that are easy to pull off and certain to impress the mamas in your life.
And because the moms often end up cooking for their own mom or mother-in-law, consider these recipes suggestions a gift that will keep those occasions deliciously special but not at all difficult.
MENU IDEAS FOR BREAKFAST IN BED
We think breakfast in bed should be simple to prepare, easy to carry, and not too messy – especially if small children are involved!
Choose a simple main dish from the following list:
- Easy Egg Taco
- Cinnamon Toast
- The Best Egg Sandwiches
- Egg in a Hole
- Make-Ahead Granola Parfaits
- Peach Melba Overnight Oats (pictured above), Chocolate Overnight Oats, or Overnight No-Cook Oatmeal Yogurt Cups
- Spring & Summer Avocado Toast or Egg & Avocado Toast
Choose a beverage:
- Vanilla Iced Coffee (a jar of the Vanilla Simple Syrup makes a lovely gift too – or French Vanilla Coffee Creamer for moms who like creamy flavored sweeteners. Just add a tag and a bow!)
- Ginger Tea
- 5-Ingredient Tropical Green Smoothie
- Blueberry Banana Smoothie
(For some moms, a smoothie alone may be the perfect way to wake up!)
To bolster the meal, serve with fresh fruit such as strawberries or other berries of choice, sliced banana, or any other fruit she enjoys. A small vase with a few flowers is a nice finishing touch.
MENU IDEAS FOR A SIT-DOWN BREAKFAST OR BRUNCH
While a more formal breakfast or brunch may sound more intimidating, a few easy yet impressive recipes will show the moms in your life how much you appreciate them. All you have to choose is a sweet or savory menu – though no points are lost if you prefer to mix and match!
Menu #1 (leaning sweet)
Choose one baked dish that will be your main course:
- Crunchy Top Strawberry Baked Oatmeal
- Overnight French Toast
- Overnight Cinnamon Pecan Coffee Cake
- Overnight Sticky Buns
Choose a side dish:
- Bacon
- Homemade Breakfast Sausage Patties
- Roasted Potato Bites
- and/or side of mixed berries
Choose a featured beverage:
- Cold Brew Coffee
- Nutella Lattes
- Mimosas*, or one of the options included in the Breakfast in Bed category, above
* For a festive mimosa the whole family can enjoy, pick up a bottle of sparkling apple juice at the grocery store.
Menu #2 (leaning savory)
Choose one dish that will be your main course:
- Zucchini, Potato, & Feta Frittata
- Ham & Cheese Crustless Quiche
- Sausage & Egg Casserole (preps the day before)
- Asparagus & Chicken Salad
- Tuna Pasta Salad
Choose a side dish:
- Everyday Green Salad
- Sweet Potato Fries or Polenta Fries
- and/or side of mixed berries
Choose a featured beverage:
MENU IDEAS FOR DINNER
Honoring mom with dinner is a very thoughtful gesture, and doing the dishes afterwards is even better! Keep that in mind as you prep your meal. Sometimes doing one dish at a time and cleaning up as you go makes things easier for everyone – and less scary for mom to see.
All the menus listed below offer make-ahead convenience, and the beverage and dessert options at the end really round out the special meal with mom’s own unique preferences in mind.
Simple but Certain to Please: Blue Cheese Turkey Burgers, Favorite Broccoli Salad, potato chips.
Tex-Mex Meal: Salsa Verde Chicken, Baked Rice or Cilantro Lime Rice, Cumin Lime Coleslaw, and (optional) Pickled Red Onions. This meal can be plated as individual components or served as a burrito-type bowl with optional toppings.
Off the Grill: Foot Bridge Grilled Chicken and Easiest Marinated Grilled Veggies. Both use a super easy, incredibly flavorful, 3-ingredient marinade that works well on salmon too. Prep and cleanup will be a breeze!
Asian-Inspired: Baked Tamari Maple Salmon or Steak Bites, Black Rice (or one of the rice options linked above), and Speedy Roasted Broccoli. Easiest Steamed Edamame makes a great appetizer or alternative to the broccoli.
Plant-Based Meal: Spanish Chickpeas, Everyday Green Salad or sliced oranges, Baked Rice and/or Parmesan Garlic Bread (or a fresh baguette).
Light and Springy: Shaved Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad (also tastes great with kale and romaine, or a mix) topped with Broiled Salmon (or Pan Seared Salmon), Hanger Steak, Pork Chops, or add Parchment Packet Chicken.
More Spring Favorites: Slow Roasted Chicken or Grilled Honey Lime Chicken, Roasted Asiago Asparagus, Classic Strawberry Salad.
Traditional protein and two sides: Pan Seared Halibut with Perfectly Baked Potatoes and Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts.
Choose a festive beverage:
- Aperol Spritz or Sangria Spritz
- Frozen Margaritas (day before prep and great for a big group; or this Margarita recipe for a single pitcher)
- Meadow Tea or Peach Iced Tea
- Homemade Lemonade
- Summer Shandy (cocktail or mocktail)
Choose a dessert:
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Blueberry Crisp
- Peanut Butter Cup Cookies or Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
- CopyCat Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake
- Mud Pie
- Congo Bars
- Oreo Bark or M&M Pretzel Bark
FOOD GIFTS FOR MOM
If a DIY food-related gift is more your style (or you’d simply like to add something extra!) consider Easy Sugar Hand and Body Scrub, decadent Dulce de Leche, or festive Homemade Limoncello. All would make a thoughtful gift!
Which menu do you plan to make? Tell us in the comments below!
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