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20 Mother's Day Recipes That'll Make Up For Not Being Able To Go Out For Brunch

by Ashley Ziegler

If you're used to enjoying a delicious restaurant brunch or dinner on Mother's Day, things will be different this year thanks to quarantine measures. Hopefully, you can still relax and have your food served to you, but whether it's you or your family doing the cooking, there are a lot of great Mother's Day recipes that are equal parts delicious to eat and easy to make. Another silver lining? You don't have to get out of your pajamas to enjoy them.

Usually, on Mother's Day, you get to be pampered by your kids, served breakfast in bed, or just be left alone to enjoy some chill time (no judging, it's your day, mama), but this year is different. Thanks to the pandemic, you likely can't get a massage or pedicure, have a mimosa at your favorite spot, or escape somewhere for some peace and quiet. Truth be told, it is kind of a bummer, but like with everything else during quarantine, the only option is to go with the flow and make the most of the situation.

If one of the things you most look forward to on Mother's Day is a meal of your choosing, you might still be able to have it, just at home. Whether it's breakfast in bed, a light lunch, savory dinner, or a fizzy cocktail, there's an easy recipe for it.

1Peanut Butter Cheesecake

If you're in the mood for something salty and sweet, this Easy Peanut Butter Cheesecake from Sugar & Soul has both covered. Everything about it is homemade using standard ingredients like butter, granulated sugar, and (of course) peanut butter. There's nothing confusing about this recipe.

2Peach Berry Toaster Pastries

Breakfast in bed is always a good way to start a day, especially Mother's Day. Have your family whip you up some of these Peach Berry Toaster Pastries from Love, Cake that will take them about an hour to make before storing leftovers in the freezer for future mornings.

3Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup

If this whole situation has you craving some comfort food, this Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup with some cheesy bread is a fantastic option. The recipe from The Messy Baker calls for basic ingredients that can easily be delivered to your house from a nearby grocery store.

4Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken

It doesn't get much easier than crock pot recipes like this Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken from Dinner, then Dessert. The sweet and savory dinner only takes about five minutes of prep before simmering in the crock pot for four to five hours.

5Tangelo Prosecco Mimosa

Mimosas are one of the best parts of brunch, and you don't have to miss out on them on Mother's Day with a delicious recipe from NellieBellie. This isn't your everyday mimosa, either, it's a Tangelo Prosecco Mimosa that calls for one tangelo, one lime, orange liqueur, and prosecco.

6Pancake Breakfast Sliders

Princess Pinky Girl came up with a recipe that delivers all of the best parts of breakfast in one dish. These Pancake Breakfast Sliders are filled with eggs, sausage, bacon, and topped with a drizzle of syrup. You can keep this recipe simple and straightforward, or experiment a bit by adding vegetables and spices into your eggs.

7Baked Ziti

Craving pasta this Mother's Day? Have your family cook up this Easy Baked Ziti recipe from Simply Delicious. The recipe calls for a homemade sauce (which she provides instructions for) but this can also easily be made with a store-bought jar of your choice.

8Vegan Garlic Sesame Noodles

Pickles and Honey is full of plant-based recipes that are delicious and filling like these Vegan Garlic Sesame Noodles that they swear tastes a bit like Chinese takeout. This meal only calls for nine ingredients and is ready in under 30 minutes from start to finish.

9Homemade Brownies

These Homemade Brownies from Good Life Eats are for the moms who want to spend Mother's Day indulging in desserts rather than big meals. They are quick and easy to make and you can add an optional scoop of ice cream and chocolate sauce to make it even more delightful (so, basically, it's not an option at all).

10Orange Chicken

Sure, you can send your family over to Panda Express to get you some orange chicken, or you can have them make you the Oven Baked Orange Chicken recipe from i am a food blog. It calls for chicken thighs, cornstarch, orange juice, soy sauce, sugar, and rice vinegar (and a side of white rice, if you so choose) and takes under an hour from prep to plate.

11Sparkling Sangria

If you're sitting outside watching the kids play in the backyard on Mother's Day, you might as well do it while enjoying a spritzer like this Sparkling Berry Sangria from Jelly Toast. It's mostly made up of white wine and flavored sparkling water, but has some added fresh fruits to give it a little extra flavor.

12Homemade Pizza

Homemade pizza is something that the whole family will eat and the kids will love making for you. Cookies & Cups has a fantastic Homemade Pizza Crust recipe that will serve as a delicious base to whatever your favorite toppings are. Once the pizza is prepped, just bake for around 15 minutes and enjoy.

13Breakfast Board

Alida from Simply Delicious came up with an even better version of a charcuterie board: The Breakfast Board. For the most part, this recipe is less a step by step instruction on how to prepare the food and more about how to present it (ideally, to you while you're in bed). She includes all the goods like waffles, bacon, yogurt, and more.

14Rosemary Chicken Skewers

If you have a backyard with a grill, these Rosemary Chicken Skewers from Cookies & Cups are really easy to make, and definitely don't lack flavor. One key thing to note is that you need to make the marinade at least six hours in advance so the chicken can soak up all the flavor, but once that's done, it's probably the easiest dinner to make.

15No-Bake Tiramisu

This Easy No-Bake Tiramisu recipe from Averie Cooks takes 10 minutes to prep before chilling in the fridge for three hours until it's ready to be served. It calls for very basic ingredients like pound cake (either frozen or from a box), powdered sugar, and heavy whipping cream. It probably requires a grocery store delivery, but it's worth it.

16BLT

BLTs are a classic sandwich that just about anyone can whip together. Adrianna at A Cozy Kitchen claims that the secret to the best BLT is making sure you get the right kind of each ingredient rather than just any bacon, lettuce, or tomato you happen across and preparing it just right with crispy bacon, salted tomatoes, and lightly toasted bread.

17Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte

Mother's Day in quarantine means asking for anything, even a pumpkin spiced drink in the middle of May. Good Life Eats has a recipe for an excellent Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte that will transport you to fall days (back when you could actually leave your house). The hardest part about this recipe is tracking down some pumpkin spice creamer (or making your own).

18Strawberry Sparkling Wine Slushie

A Pretty Life in the Suburbs' recipe for Strawberry Sparkling Wine Slushies is perfect for a mom who just wants to cool down and relax this Mother's Day. All you have to do is mix up some strawberries, lime, wine, ice and (optional) tequila and you'll be sipping on this delicious treat.

19French Toast In A Mug

For another breakfast-in-bed-worthy treat, try French Toast in a Mug from Jelly Toast. The recipe itself isn't much different from regular french toast (bread, eggs, milk, cinnamon) but the presentation and toppings are what make it just extra enough for Mother's Day.

20Shrimp Cakes

Your family can make these Easy Shrimp Cakes from Averie Cooks in about 10 minutes, start to finish. To make the "cake," mix up Panko bread crumbs, smoked paprika, lemon zest, salt and pepper, and eggs with an egg beater. Mix the cake with chopped shrimp, cook on the skillet for a few minutes, and they're ready to enjoy.