A Mothers Day Menu for Every Kind of Mom

Give mom the gift of not cooking or cleaning this Mother’s Day. It sounds simple, but it’s likely all she wants (in addition to sleeping in!)

We have a menu for every sort of mom, whether she’s a casual momma, a waffle lover, a gluten-free breakfast person, or a gardener. If you’re desperate for direction on how to make her happiest this year, read on for the best Mother’s Day meal for your mom.

1. Casual Brunch Menu

For the particularly harried family (that still likes to eat well), may we suggest this menu? “Serve yourself” is key for busy families, and this killer French toast laced with lemon curd and dolloped with strawberry compote fires on every cylinder. Serve it with sausage patties (for protein fiends) and pineapple Greyhounds for the adults (and virgin versions for tots). If time permits, these vanilla meringues with dark chocolate ganache end Mom’s day on the sweetest note.

2. Garden Party Menu

Maybe this Mother’s Day you want to skip heavy French toast and casseroles in favor of light, bright, outdoor-worthy fare. This salmon crudo can be layered on toast or bagels if you want something starchier, but it’s gorgeous on its own. It makes a cameo on a menu alongside a few dishes with springy garden vibes. There’s a pork tenderloin slathered with a peanut-scallion relish, a knockout salad of grapefruit and jicama, a tempting little floral punch, and this citrus-inspired tapioca pudding.

3. Waffles for Days Menu

Sometimes it’s tough to think of a tastier food than the waffle. And by sometimes, we mean all the time. If the Mom in your life loves waffles as much as you love her, why not present her with a DIY waffle bar on her special day? It’s a festive way to give her what she wants while having enough variety (our options include a “triple strawberry” Belgian number as well as one with honey whipped cream) to please the whole family. Add some protein for those who require it first thing in the morning in the form of apple-and-sausage patties. A fresh fruit salad rounds everything out.

4. Classic Brunch Menu

Sometimes Mom covets a Mother’s Day brunch with all the classic trimmings. That’s where this pretty-as-a-picture of a menu shines. Eggs Florentine, hash brown flecked with chives, and a cherry-almond quick bread to slather with homemade lemon curd? Sign us up, and be sure to bust out the good table linens, while you’re at it.

5. “Kids Can Help” Menu

“I can do it myself!” Kids are notoriously fond of helping out in the kitchen, if they think there’s fun to be had, and they can get a lot of satisfaction in a job well done. So tailor Mom’s menu to one kids can help make and (crucially) help devour. From virgin “cocktails” bursting with fresh citrus and sparkling water to blueberry pancakes (of course), there’s something in this menu for every appetite, little or big.

6. Gluten-Free Menu

Those who have gone gluten-free know there’s plenty of fun to be had inside the dietary restraints of their chosen culinary lifestyle. For one: bacon. Bacon is still on the table (so to speak), and it makes a cameo in this menu alongside a dreamy goat cheese and asparagus frittata, tropical fruit salad laced with toasted coconut, and stunning blackberry Champagne cocktails. Mom won’t feel like anything’s missing, and neither will the non-gluten-free diners joining her.