45 Mother's Day Lunch Ideas—Because Mom's Day Doesn't Stop At Breakfast

When you’re a kid, it’s extra cute to come into your mom’s room early on Mother’s Day, carrying a sloshing tray of orange juice and funny-shaped pancakes for her to have breakfast in bed. Now you’re an adult, you know what your mom really wants—to sleep in! Rather than wake her up early (or if your mom’s not a big breakfast person), treat her to an extra special lunch instead. Skip the lines (and other families) at restaurants, and make it for her at home. We know she’ll appreciate the effort. Check out our list of 30 Mother’s Day lunch recipes for inspiration (and don’t forget some flowers for the table!)

If your mom is anything like ours, she LOVES a good soup and salad combo. Don’t just toss together a no-frills kale salad or arugula salad (though our dressing recipes are great in their simplicity)—instead go big! Throwing a salad together with lots of colorful, crunchy elements will show how much you care. Our salmon BLT salad has all the things your mom loves, without you actually serving her a run-of-the-mill sandwich on Mother’s Day. Our crunchy mandarin orange-chicken salad is just like her favorite from the Cheesecake Factory, with one simple twist. Our anything goes grain salad is a stunner, combining nutty farro, white beans, and roasted veggies in a honey lemon dressing your mom will flip over. You can use these recipes as jumping off points to include your mom’s fave produce too. And it’s not all about leafy greens—try our red potato salad, our shrimp salad, or our curried chicken salad for fun spins on classic recipes that are perfect for the special day. Check out our lists of sensational spring soups and spring salads for more ideas too.

We’ve also included a number of simple, yet elegant pasta options. Our pasta primavera, lemon ricotta pasta, and pesto pasta salad are all super easy to throw together, but feel like a step above your usual pasta fare. Plus, they’re extra pretty (just look at those pink radishes in the primavera), and will make your mom feel extra taken care of.

If you’re having multiple generations of mothers over for lunch, you’re going to want dishes that can feed a crowd, like our cheesy croissant casserole or our biscuits and gravy bake. Check out our brunch casseroles for more ideas.

For more Mother’s Day inspiration, check out our Mother’s Day breakfast in bed recipes, Mother’s Day dinner ideas, and Mother’s Day desserts. Need a gift for the Mom who’s got everything? Check out our best Mother’s Day food gifts too.