45 Mother’s Day Lunch Ideas to Celebrate Your Mom, from Fancy Salads to Savory Tarts

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why We Love It: one pan, high protein, low sugar

If you want the fluffy indulgence of pancakes and the savory flavor of a breakfast sandwich, but you refuse to babysit the stove, this lofty skillet creation is the answer to your needs. You can customize the toppings with any seasonal ingredients you please.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, vegetarian

We adore a C.C.S. (that’s chicken Caesar salad for the uninitiated), but it’s fun to switch up the formula. Crisp, seasoned chickpeas make this version vegetarian-friendly, while a simple shortcut (ahem, mayo) makes the dressing a cinch to throw together.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, vegetarian

Don’t stare into those gorgeous puddles of cheese for too long, or you’ll never look back. All this cheesy flatbread needs is a big green salad with a zingy lemon dressing to make it a full meal.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why We Love It: sheet pan recipe, crowd-pleaser, vegetarian

Hot tip: These crowd-pleasing eggs make an excellent sandwich if you nestle a slice between two pieces of a ciabatta. Add bacon or prosciutto if you want to blow Mom away.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegan, gluten free, make ahead

For the mom who’s on a health kick, these nourishing tabbouleh bowls will satisfy her cravings. The carrots are seasoned with za’atar, a popular Middle Eastern spice blend that’s a mix of sesame seeds, sumac, oregano and thyme.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: <30 minutes, sheet pan recipe, vegetarian

We know tomato season is a few months away, but with the help of your oven, you can transform even the saddest grocery store produce into something dreamy. For the most impressive results, channel Ina Garten and break out your “good” olive oil.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, gluten free

Two words: potato pie. Each layer of thinly sliced spuds is sprinkled with Parmesan and brushed with butter, so it comes out of the oven cheesy and golden. The lox and crème fraîche are just gilding the lily (but it’s Mother’s Day, so don’t skip ’em).

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: one pot, vegetarian, beginner-friendly

Skip the jarred marinara—this pasta sauce practically makes itself out of grated cheese and lemon juice. Top it all off with a sprinkling of mint, lemon zest and black pepper, and you’ve got a dish that looks—and tastes—like it took hours, not 30 minutes.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, special occasion–worthy

Imagine it: All the things that make sau­téed carrots delicious—butter, salt, pepper, thyme, balsamic vinegar and a little honey—wrapped up in a flaky pastry and creamy goat cheese. Psst: The crust is store-bought.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, special occasion–worthy

This savory pie is meant to look rustic, which totally works in your favor. Instead of messing with a fancy crimped edge, you can just fold over the dough to encase the herby, garlicky filling.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, vegetarian

This dish has all the beloved flavors of the Italian antipasto (juicy tomatoes, creamy cheese, fresh basil and bright balsamic vinegar), plus the picnic-friendly portability and satisfying texture of pasta. If the weather is nice enough, take your Mother’s Day lunch alfresco.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser

For as impressive as it looks, it’s hard to believe that this custardy quiche comes together with less than ten ingredients. We can’t think of a better way to take advantage of asparagus season.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <500 calories

You can certainly use store-bought focaccia for these pesto-laden sammies, but making your own would really show Mom you love her. (Hint, hint.)

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, <30 minutes

This verdant sauce is bright, fresh, salty and creamy all at once, and with just 11 ingredients, a cinch to make. Think of it like a cross between pesto and ranch dressing.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: high protein, low sugar

Chicken salad sounds kind of meh on paper…but when you jazz it up with homemade tarragon mayonnaise and quick-pickled onions, it’s all we want to eat for lunch. Luckily, we think your momma will agree.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
• Why We Love It: sheet pan recipe, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy

Combine sweet, roasted cherry tomatoes and a beyond flaky crust, and the results are like a pinkies-out pizza that’s perfectly occasion-worthy. You can even roast the tomatoes ahead of time.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, <500 calories

Snacking tip: The dressing on this creation works beautifully on crisp greens and pasta, but also as a dip for veggies, pretzels, pita bread and all other dunkable items.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: no cook, <15 minutes, vegetarian

Nothing says “spring” like a gorgeous platter of crisp, seasonal vegetables. The tangy-sweet-spicy dressing, while homemade, is impossible to mess up (it comes together entirely in a blender).

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why We Love It: one pan, <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser

Frittatas are the ultimate easy meal. They look impressive, require minimal effort and can be made with fresh seasonal produce, pantry staples or the leftovers in your fridge. Here, the squash blossoms are an optional addition, so skip if you can’t find ’em.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients

If we could always eat our greens encased in pie crust and paired with cheese, you bet we would. Zhuzh up the store-bought pie crust with a little egg wash, which will help with browning.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients

If you like Hawaiian pizza, you’ll love these sweet and savory tartlets, which come together in all of 30 minutes. And even if you don’t like Hawaiian pizza, you’ll still like these cuties.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, <30 minutes, special occasion–worthy

Scallops for lunch? We went there. And why wouldn’t you? The shellfish is secretly easy to cook at home, since it requires just a few minutes of searing in a hot skillet.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: <15 minutes, special occasion–worthy

Boiled eggs: depressing. Poached eggs: Did you become a professional chef or something? Scale up the recipe as needed for your guests, then pair it with soup and crusty bread to complete your Mother’s Day lunch.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy

We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again. A cheese plate can absolutely be a meal if you set your mind to it. Roasting the grapes makes the whole thing seem fancy, not to mention they’re deliciously caramelized and sweet.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <500 calories

Pea soup doesn’t exactly conjure up images of an elegant, holiday-worthy lunch…but this one is made with fresh produce and a host of fresh herbs to keep it like and bright.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why We Love It: <500 calories, vegetarian, gluten free

Here’s final proof that eggplant doesn’t need to be fried or covered in cheese to be positively delightful. (Your mom will think you’re a magician. Don’t tell her it’s the miso.)

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why We Love It: sheet pan recipe, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser

This easy, sheet-pan dish is all about the layers: sauce-soaked freshly fried tortillas, a bed of baked eggs and fresh toppings like avocado, red onion, radish, cilantro and hot sauce for a burst of flavor in every bite.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, special occasion–worthy

TBH, you’d be hard-pressed to find something that doesn’t go well with this tangy, fresh feta dip. If your mom doesn’t love squash, try swapping in sautéed broccoli or blistered snow peas instead.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes (+ chilling time)
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion­–worthy

If you want to look like you pulled out all the stops, this is the ticket. The buttery crust requires minimal shaping, the filling is rich with cheese and aromatics and the whole thing bakes in less than an hour.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: gluten free, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients

For a fresh yet filling lunch, make mom this protein-rich, 20-minute salad. And if she doesn’t like shrimp, use slices of medium-rare steak instead.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: <30 minutes, low carb, special occasion–worthy

With grilled fruit and cheese in the mix, this filling salad is all but guaranteed to wow your guests (including Mom). Even if the peaches aren’t perfectly in season, charring them will bring out their natural flavors.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why We Love It: one pot, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients

Somehow, all those aspirational rice bowl recipes you see on Instagram require dirtying every single pot and pan in your kitchen. These salmon bowls are the delicious exception. They come together in one pot, plus, the beyond-simple sauce can be made ahead.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, <500 calories

Behold, a beautiful salad that’s practically no-cook, feeds a crowd and won’t wilt when you set it out on the patio. Sounds like a Mother’s Day miracle to us.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, special occasion­–worthy

If you want to feel elegant with minimal effort, make this 25-minute fish dish for Mom. All you need to add is crusty bread for soaking up the brothy tomato sauce.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: <30 minutes, high protein, low carb

These light yet flavorful, quick-cooking wraps give vacation vibes even if there’s still an early spring chill in the air. If you don’t want to use chicken thighs, you can swap in ground pork or turkey, too.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly

These buns have all the elements of a lobster roll, without blowing your entire grocery budget: buttery rolls, fresh herbs and a creamy yet light New England–style dressing that has just the right amount of mayonnaise.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: gluten free, high protein

For Moms who favor a big salad for lunch, this curried kale number is sure to impress. The creamy dressing comes together quickly by simply blending goat cheese with store-bought harissa, Champagne vinegar and a little honey.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: <30 minutes, no cook

We bet you’ve never combined silky-smooth burrata and spicy chili crisp before. But once you experience the way the condiment mixes with the gooey, melty cheese, you’ll never look back.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: <500 calories, gluten free

Instead of the typical tomato- and pepper-based shakshuka, this one starts with yogurt for a creamy twist. Seasoned with lemon and herbs, it turns almost ricotta-like in the oven.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, kid-friendly

Behold, a light and fresh late-spring meal that comes together in one bowl and uses frozen peas for convenience. Serve the bites with dollops of the tangy whipped feta and a simple green salad for a dreamy Mother’s Day lunch that’s way more exciting than Mom’s usual fare.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegan, dairy free, <30 minutes

This vegan pizza features a surprising secret ingredient (no, not pineapple). It starts with store-bought flatbread so it’s easy to make for lunch, and it’s topped with everything bagel seasoning because, well, why not?

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, vegetarian

The Italian pasta dish this mac is inspired by is a little tricky to pull off, but this sauce comes out cheesy and silky every time, thanks to an almost foolproof béchamel. Don’t skip toasting the ground pepper; it’s the secret to unlocking tons of flavor.

• Time Commitment: 3 hours, 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy

Even if the tomatoes aren’t in season yet, they’ll still taste great in this bacon-laced pie. The heat of the oven concentrates their flavors as it turns out a flaky crust. Add cheddar or Gruyère cheese to take it over the top.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why We Love It: <15 minutes, no cook, beginner-friendly

If you, like us, consider a charcuterie board a type of entrée, you should try this springy platter of veg, meats and cheese. It’s ready to serve in ten minutes and you don’t even have to turn on the oven.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why We Love It: gluten free, special occasion–worthy

This pasta is so much more than jarred red sauce dumped on a pile of spaghetti, but without a ton more effort. The combination of butter, garlic and shrimp will make your mom swoon. (Add crusty bread and a big salad to enhance the effect.)