Sporked’s Guide to Mother’s Day Food Ideas

As Mother’s Day approaches, the pressure is on. How exactly are you supposed to thank the person who literally birthed you? It can, understandably, feel like an impossible task. Luckily, it’s an undisputed fact of life that the way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach and there are plenty of premade, or at least mostly-made, food and drink options fit for a queen at the grocery store. All you have to do is choose a selection of things from this list that best fit your mom’s vibe and you’ll be kid of the year (even if you’re an adult). 

Mother’s Day Brunch

Best Frozen Quiche

Throwing a frozen quiche in the oven takes your Mother’s Day brunch from 0 to 100 in an instant. Quiches are a fancy delight that require a solid 10 to 15 step recipe if you’re cooking from scratch. Luckily, there are some great frozen quiches on the market that bring the same level of fancyness with way less time spent.

Best Store Bought Biscuits 

Baking biscuits for Mother’s Day, while a nice gesture, does tend to turn the kitchen into a complete disaster area. Finding the absolute best premade biscuits to serve hot with butter, on the other hand, will have your mother feeling like she’s living the dream. Better go that route. 

Best Store Bought Croissants 

These croissants are already baked, no oven recessary. So, if your oven is busy baking, say, your lovely quiche, these premade croissants will be the perfect delicate addition to the table. Croissants are a great option because you can tailor them to be sweet or savory, depending on your mother’s taste. 

Best Smoked Salmon

If your mom prefers the savory side of the food universe, smoked salmon is a real ace up your sleeve when it comes to fancy food for Mother’s Day. Croissant topping? Check. Brunch appetizer? Check. Charcuterie board? Check, check, check. It requires no preparation, and it looks and tastes like a food fit for a queen, as the best Mother’s Day food should. 

Best Pasta Salad

You might not expect to add pasta salad to a Mother’s Day brunch spread, but we can’t stress this enough: Grocery store pasta salad deserves more recognition. These will elevate your Mother’s Day meal without elevating your to-do list.

Best Canned Cocktails 

Making a good cocktail can be deceivingly difficult. While gracious mothers do often say, “It’s the thought that counts,” I can guarantee they would prefer one of these delicious canned cocktails poured in a fancy chilled glass over a way-too-sweet-but-well-intended home-made concoction. 

Best Cheap Champagne

If cocktails aren’t necessarily your mom’s vibe, but you still want to have easy, celebratory sips on hand, champagne is the way to go. Having a bottle of champagne popped in your honor will always make you feel special. (And if you have a mimosa mama, don’t settle for anything less than the best orange juice.)

Mother’s Day Dinner and Dessert

Best Frozen Lasagna

You want Mother’s Day dinner to feel like it’s filled with love. What feels more filled with love than carefully layered, flavorful lasagna? Not much. The secret here is that it doesn’t always matter who placed the layers–there are plenty of delicious frozen lasagnas available at the grocery store. The absolute best are worthy of being the centerpiece of your Mother’s Day dinner. 

Best Garlic Bread

Mother’s Day is all about giving thanks to the people who give us comfort and care in the world. What better way to do that than with some classic comfort food. Plus, what’s lasagna without garlic bread?

Best Rotisserie Chicken

Throw a nicely done rotisserie chicken on a platter with some decorative herbs (or if you’re really feeling fancy, some vegetables) and you have a beautiful dinner that will taste amazing 100% of the time. The hard part (cooking the chicken) is done, all you have to handle is presentation. 

Best Store-Bought Cheesecake

If you simply can’t bear the thought of turning on the oven, we’ve still got you covered for Mother’s Day dessert. Place one of these delectable cheesecakes on a platter with some berries and your Mother’s Day celebration will instantly be elevated to new levels of sophistication.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

These fall into the mostly-made category of Mother’s Day food ideas. You won’t be dirty-ing the kitchen counters trying to measure out cups of flour here. All you have to do is throw the premade dough in the oven and boom, you have a fresh baked dessert (that basically doubles as a house-wide scented candle). It’s a perfect way to end the Mother’s Day celebration. 

Mother’s Day Food Gifts

Last Minute Mother’s Day Gifts

If you’re reading this less than a week away from Mother’s Day, don’t panic just yet. We have a last minute Mother’s Day gift guide with your name on it. (“Procrastinator,” right? That’s your name? Kidding! We’re kidding, jeez… but seriously, check these out.)

Mother’s Day Gifts at World Market

Obviously, no one deserves a vacation more than your mom. (I’m sure she’s told you as much, many times, and you know what? She’s not wrong.) Luckily, World Market is a gifting gold mine for anyone who might spend a little too much time browsing those unrealistically priced Airbnbs in Paris or Japan. Handmade pasta imported from Italy? International spices and gourmet sauces? A sparkling rosé literally called “Mumm”? They’ve got it all, y’all.