Our best Mother's Day lunch ideas are fancy enough to feel festive but are totally easy to make. From soups to flatbreads, we have ideas for the perfect menu.
45 Mother’s Day Lunch Ideas Mom Will Love
Egg Salad
Cucumber Watermelon Salad
This vibrant salad is incredibly refreshing. If you want to make it more similar to Kate Middleton’s watermelon salad, add avocado and feta cheese to the mix.
Copycat Cheesecake Factory Chicken Piccata
Fontina Asparagus Tart
Smoked Salmon Mousse
Curry Chicken Salad
You can’t go wrong with chicken salad. Our top-rated version gives traditional salad a twist by adding curry powder (but you can always go classic and make chicken salad with grapes instead). Serve with bread and rolls at a sandwich station, fill lettuce cups or serve atop a green salad. Make it ahead and keep refrigerated until serving.
Strawberry Arugula Salad
Mother’s Day falls during peak strawberry season, so take advantage! Strawberries pair well with peppery arugula and tangy feta. This salad will be a delightful pop of color on your lunch spread.
Chicken Caesar Wrap
Want a more modern take on tea sandwiches? Try these chicken wraps. As a bonus, the chicken can be cooked ahead and slightly reheated (or served cool).
Grilled Romaine Salad
Grilled lettuce might sound like a mistake, but it’s delicious. The grill marks add tasty, smoky flavor, while the lettuce warms and softens just slightly, turning almost silky. A perfect appetizer to make if you’re grilling an entree for mom’s special day.
Crustless Spinach Quiche
Forgot to pick up a pie crust at the store? You won’t need it for this crustless quiche! As a bonus, this quiche is naturally gluten-free.
Baked Salmon Patties
Crab and Corn Chowder
Seafood chowder feels both fresh and cozy, which will be just right if Mother’s Day is chilly. This version comes together in under an hour, meaning less time cooking and more time spent with Mom. Serve with homemade rolls as a finishing touch.
Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus
Tex-Mex Grain Bowl
Green Bean Salad
Tabbouleh
This vibrant bulgar salad combines tomatoes, olive oil and lemon juice with plenty of chopped parsley. For a gluten-free version, try swapping in quinoa to make quinoa tabbouleh.
Sweet Potato Bowl
Cream of Asparagus Soup
This bright green soup is like an exclamation point for your table. It’s a real celebration of in-season asparagus.
The Best Quiche Lorraine
A vintage-inspired recipe evocative of a department store lunch counter, quiche Lorraine is both elegant and comforting. Even small kids will enjoy the cheesy egg filling speckled with bacon in a flaky pastry crust.
Ambrosia Salad
A five-ingredient, one-bowl recipe that looks super fancy? Count us in! This is a top-rated favorite for good reason. Make sure to make it ahead so the salad chills and the flavors develop.
Salmon Sliders
Few foods say “party” as boldly as sliders! This version is an elevated version that combines salmon with zippy horseradish and panko bread crumbs. Add these sliders to a french fry charcuterie board to really amp up the fun for mom.
Corn Quesadilla
Vegetables are a fantastic filling for cheesy quesadillas. In addition to corn, try roasted potatoes, broccoli, asparagus or any other favorites. Our recipe calls for flour tortillas, but you can use corn tortillas makes this a simple gluten-free lunch option.
Thai Salad with Peanut Dressing
Like takeout in a bowl, this Thai salad is admittedly a bit more complex, featuring a homemade dressing that’s a little bit sweet, savory and spicy. This recipe is dairy-free and vegan, and you can easily add crispy tofu to turn it into a main dish.
Cream of Carrot Soup
This vibrant soup delivers a wallop of flavor with minimum effort. If you don’t want to use heavy whipping cream, try making it with coconut milk instead.
Chicken Artichoke Casserole
We love this recipe as a make-ahead potluck dish, but this casserole also makes a perfect lunch when served with a side salad. It’s a fantastic option for the artichoke-loving moms out there!
Sparkling Oranges
Mother’s Day lunch ideas that are simple and elegant? We’ll take it. These sparkling oranges serve as either a fruit salad or a dessert. Plus, the recipe can be prepared ahead of time and garnished before serving.
Tomato Soup
This soup has just enough butter and cream to make it taste indulgent without going overboard. We like making soups for parties, as they almost always taste better if made ahead of time. Serve with any of your favorite sides for soup.
Steak Salad
A fresh way to serve a really good steak? Atop a salad. This salad has so many textures and flavors between the cherry tomatoes, radishes, avocados, dried cranberries and (optional) blue cheese crumbles.
Mini Frittatas
Almost infinitely adaptable, these bite-sized frittatas will taste great with just about any protein or veggie you like. Baking them in ramekins makes them easy to serve, but you could also try spooning the egg mixture into muffin cups.
Special Sesame Chicken Salad
This Asian-inspired green salad, dotted with tender orange slices, is sure to go quickly. The dairy-free salad dressing is ideal to pack for a picnic.
Mint-Cucumber Tomato Sandwiches
A slight twist on a tomato sandwich, this simple recipe adds refreshing mint and cucumber to the mix. Slice the vegetables in advance, but assemble the sandwiches shortly before eating so they don’t get soggy.
Chickpea Chicken Salad
This vegan “chicken” salad recipe relies on chickpeas for texture. It’s so flavorful that Mom will love it even if she’s not a plant-based eater!
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
A good choice for those celebrating in colder climates, broccoli cheddar soup is like comfort in a bowl. Serve with cheese and even croutons sprinkled over the top to fancy it up.
Chicken Florentine Panini
Elevate lunch meat sandwiches by giving them the grilled panini treatment. These are great with your favorite deli meat (ham, turkey or chicken) and any sliced sandwich bread you like.
Luau Pork Lettuce Wraps
Need Mother’s Day lunch ideas for feeding a crowd? Make a big batch of this spiced pork, which works equally well in lettuce cups, pitas, tacos or atop salads.
Company Fruit Salad
Make this creamy fruit treat the day before and keep it in the fridge overnight. Just about any fruit works well here, but be sure to use a variety of colors for the prettiest impact.
Potato Leek Soup
Potatoes and leeks are a classic combination. This recipe lightens up the rich classic so you can enjoy a bowl or two at lunch without needing an afternoon nap.
Shrimp Tostadas
These festive tostadas capture the bold flavors of Southwestern food. A surprising hint of citrus tastes delicious with the shrimp. Serve with guacamole, chips and margaritas, and you’re set!
Blackberry Balsamic Spinach Salad
Mom is going to love this beautiful salad packed with superfoods. The best part is that you don’t need to make a fancy dressing from scratch (though you can if you’re feeling fancy!). If you’re not a fan of feta, swap out another crumbly cheese.
Apricot Fluff
Love apricots or peaches? Showcase them with this delicious update to ambrosia, a popular vintage dessert. The fluff does need to chill in the fridge before serving—at least four hours or overnight—so plan accordingly.
Wilted Endive Salad
Endive is a hearty green with a distinctive bitter flavor (in a good way). In this recipe, adding hot ingredients to the bowl wilts the endive a bit, softening it and giving it a sweeter edge.
Grilled Elote Flatbread
Go trendy this Mother’s Day and serve this street food-inspired app. Since the flatbread can cook on the grill as well as under the broiler, it’s adaptable to unexpected weather conditions.
Pulled Turkey Tenderloin
In this sweet and spicy recipe, turkey tenderloins slow-cook in a unique brine made with broth, pickle juice and jalapenos. A creamy yogurt sauce tames the heat, though heat lovers can top their sandwiches with fresh jalapeno slices to add a kick.
Herbed Tuna and White Bean Salad
If you want to upgrade this simple main dish salad, use grilled tuna steaks. Otherwise, good quality canned tuna, tasty olives and a simple homemade dressing make for a light, memorable lunch.
Bok Choy Toss
Grab a bottle of orange ginger vinaigrette and prepare this simple, fresh salad. Bok choy has a refreshing crunchiness that pairs well with juicy tomatoes and summer squash.