Okay, so I have a whole thing about Mother’s Day. I really think it should feel special, but also? Nobody actually wants Mom standing over the stove all morning on her one day off. That’s just sad. So I put together a list of recipes that look like you tried really hard, even if you sort of didn’t.
I’ve made most of these for my own mom, and a few for myself when Jim was on dish duty (which, by the way, is the best gift). Whether you’re cooking for someone you love or you ARE the someone someone should be cooking for, here are 23 of my favorite Mother’s Day recipes that are honestly pretty foolproof, even if your idea of breakfast in bed usually involves a slightly burnt Pop-Tart.
Easy Brunch Recipes for Mother’s Day
1. Breakfast Quiche
Okay, quiche. I know it sounds fancy, like something you’d order at a place with cloth napkins. But it is honestly so much easier than people think? You basically just whisk eggs, dump in cheese and whatever, and pour it into a crust. That’s it. You can prep it the night before and look like a total brunch genius the next morning. Click here for the full recipe →
2. Breakfast Sausage Quiche
This is the heartier cousin of the regular quiche. Crumbled sausage, cheese, eggs, all of it tucked into a flaky crust. I made this for a Sunday brunch one time and Jim ate two slices before I even sat down. So. Definitely make two if your family is, you know, a sausage family. Click here for the full recipe →
3. Homemade Pancakes
I really feel like everyone should have a pancake recipe they actually trust. This is mine. They’re so soft and golden and you don’t need any weird ingredients. Just regular stuff that’s already in your kitchen. Stack them up, add a lot of butter (do not be shy with the butter), and call it breakfast in bed. Click here for the full recipe →
4. Sausage Breakfast Casserole
So this one is kind of a cheat, in the best way. You assemble it the night before, stick it in the fridge, and then in the morning you just put it in the oven and pretend you’ve been up since 6 AM. Which I, personally, never do. But it’s nice to have the option. Click here for the full recipe →
5. Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit Bake
It’s basically a breakfast sandwich, but you don’t have to make individual ones for everybody, which is honestly the dream. Biscuits, bacon, eggs, cheese, all baked into one big cozy thing. I think the bacon is what really sells it. Click here for the full recipe →
6. Cinnamon Caramel Rolls
Okay so. There is a shortcut in this recipe. I’m not going to spoil it. But it’s the kind of shortcut that makes you feel really clever, and the kitchen smells like a hug, and your mom (or you, no judgment) gets gooey caramel cinnamon rolls without anybody crying over yeast. Win-win-win. Click here for the full recipe →
7. Peach Bruschetta with Ricotta
I just think this one is so pretty. Like, I would paint it. The little pink peaches on top of the white ricotta, with the honey kind of glistening? It looks like something you’d see in a magazine, but it takes about ten minutes. Which is my favorite kind of fancy. Click here for the full recipe →
Special-Feeling Mother’s Day Dinners
8. Mississippi Pot Roast
This is the recipe I make when I want everyone to think I worked really hard. Spoiler alert: I did not. You put five things in a slow cooker and walk away. By dinner, the meat is so tender it just falls apart, and the gravy is unreal. Honestly, sometimes the best Mother’s Day gift is just sitting on the couch while dinner makes itself. Click here for the full recipe →
9. Chicken Tetrazzini
I genuinely don’t know if I’m saying tetrazzini right. But I do know it’s creamy and cheesy and the kind of pasta dish that makes everyone go quiet at the table for the first few bites, which I think is the highest compliment a meal can get. Click here for the full recipe →
10. Grilled Whole Pork Loin
This is a really good “let your husband or dad handle the grill while you sip something” kind of recipe. The pork loin comes out so juicy, you slice it up, and it looks really impressive on a platter. I always make Jim do the carving because he likes feeling official about it. Click here for the full recipe →
11. Crusted Chicken Parmesan
Chicken parm at home, which I always thought was one of those things you had to leave the house for? But it’s actually really doable. Crispy chicken, marinara, all that bubbly mozzarella on top. Pour a glass of wine, put on some music, it’s basically a date night that happens to be Mother’s Day. Click here for the full recipe →
12. Chicken Alfredo Lasagna
So I love a regular lasagna, but this one feels like the version that wore a really nice outfit. White sauce instead of red, layers of chicken and pasta and cheese. It’s just very pretty when you cut into it, and I’m sorry, but presentation matters. Especially today. Click here for the full recipe →
13. White Chicken Enchiladas
I always assumed enchiladas would be hard, but they’re really not? Especially these. The white sauce is so creamy and good, and you can put the whole thing together earlier in the day and just bake it later. Which is honestly so helpful when you also have, like, three other things going on. Click here for the full recipe →
14. Angel Chicken Rice Casserole
The name is so cute, right? “Angel chicken.” It’s just a really cozy one-dish dinner where chicken and rice bake together in a creamy sauce, and somehow it always feels like the food equivalent of a soft blanket. I don’t know how else to explain it. Click here for the full recipe →
15. Creamy Baked Ziti
Listen. There is something about pulling a bubbling, golden ziti out of the oven that just makes you feel like you have your life together, even if there’s, you know, laundry sitting on the couch in the next room. (Hypothetically.) Make this one ahead and bake it when you’re ready. Click here for the full recipe →
Sides That Make the Meal
16. Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
I was really late to the Instant Pot thing. Like, embarrassingly late. But mashed potatoes in there? So good. So fast. Buttery and fluffy and your stovetop is free for everything else. I really think this changed my whole holiday cooking life, which sounds dramatic, but it’s true. Click here for the full recipe →
17. Cheesy Broccoli Rice
This is the side I make when I want kids to actually eat broccoli. The cheese is doing a LOT of heavy lifting here, and I respect it for that. It goes with basically any main dish, and there are never leftovers. Which is sometimes a problem because I love leftovers. Click here for the full recipe →
18. The Best Macaroni Salad
I’m just going to say it. Macaroni salad is one of those things that actually gets BETTER if you make it the day before, which is wild and convenient. It’s creamy and a little tangy and reminds me of every backyard cookout I’ve ever been to. Make a big bowl. Click here for the full recipe →
19. Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes
Okay these are kind of dangerous because you will eat way more than you meant to. They’re rich and melty and creamy, and they pair with literally anything. I’m pretty sure my mom would eat them with cereal if it came to it. Click here for the full recipe →
Sweet Treats Mom Will Love
20. Strawberry Poke Cake
I think this one might actually be my favorite. It’s so pretty and pink, like a Mother’s Day card you can eat. The cake gets soaked with strawberry, you top it with whipped cream, and then it just kind of melts in your mouth. I’m getting emotional just thinking about it, honestly. Click here for the full recipe →
21. No-Bake Eclair Cake
So I will fully admit, the first time I made this I was like, there’s no way this works. It’s just graham crackers and pudding? But you let it sit overnight and the crackers turn into actual cake somehow. It’s basically magic. Don’t ask me to explain it because I don’t know how it does that. Click here for the full recipe →
22. Cookie Dough Pie
For the moms who never really stopped wanting to eat cookie dough out of the bowl. (No judgment. This is a safe space.) It’s edible cookie dough loaded into a pie crust, and yes, it is as good as it sounds. Probably better. Click here for the full recipe →
23. Crockpot Lava Cake
I love that this is made in the crockpot. It feels like a cheat code. You scoop it warm into bowls, add a big scoop of vanilla ice cream so it gets all melty on top, and that is honestly how I want to end every Sunday, not just Mother’s Day. Click here for the full recipe →
Anyway, whatever you make this Mother’s Day, I really hope you get to sit down for a minute and let someone else do the dishes. You deserve it. Happy Mother’s Day. 💐