Planning for special occasions can be difficult, but keeping it small while still special is even more challenging. Here are 24 easy Mother's Day Recipes that are delicious and simple enough for anybody to cook. Plan, and don't let her lift a finger—you can do this.
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Happy Mother's Day to everybody. Let's make Mother's Day memorable for the most important person at the center of your family. So, let's make a plan and then cook the plan. A little planning will serve you well.
I have my plan in place, starting with Baked Blueberry Pancakes and some Oven Baked Sausage or Convection Oven Bacon. The day's main attraction will be Oven Baked Filet Mignon with roasted baby potatoes. I need to choose a dessert soon.
Small Breakfast Recipes
Start the day right with a great breakfast. We start with blueberry pancakes and a side of breakfast meat. Pop them in the oven while you do something else.
How To Cook Sausage in the Oven
The best and easiest way to cook crispy and juicy breakfast sausage patties or links is in the oven. We always bake breakfast sausage patties or links, Italian sausages, or other full-size sausages for perfect sausages every time without the mess.
How to Bake Breakfast Sausage
Baked Blueberry Pancakes
Delicious and fluffy oven-baked blueberry pancakes make a great breakfast. No standing there flipping all morning—mix and bake.
Baked Blueberry Pancake Recipe
How to Cook Bacon in a Convection Oven
The easiest way to cook crispy bacon is in a convection oven on aluminum foil for easy cleanup of the bacon grease. Use standard or thick-cut bacon to make great crispy bacon strips for breakfast or other uses.
Convection Oven Bacon
Small Cinnamon Coffee Cake
With the great taste of Cinnabon cinnamon rolls, this quick and easy Cinnamon Coffee Cake recipe has it all, from buttery and tender cinnamon-swirled cake with carmalized streusel topping and a sweet glaze. An 8X8 small batch recipe that is simple to make smaller or bigger, it is the perfect breakfast, brunch, or dessert recipe for a holiday or everyday.
Recipe for Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Oven Baked Carrot Cake Pancakes with Cream Cheese Glaze
One of the best breakfast recipes is this amazing Oven Baked Carrot Cake Pancake with cream cheese glaze. It is time for dessert for breakfast or breakfast for any meal.
Easy Carrot Cake Pancakes
Smaller Meat Recipes
Next up is the featured meal of the day. In this household, it is steak, so I will start there, but there are other options also.
How to Grill Filet Mignon
Learn How to Grill Filet Mignon to perfection in about 10 minutes. With these simple step-by-step photo instructions, you can easily cook the best grilled filet mignon.
Grilling Filet Mignon
Pan Seared Oven Roasted Filet Mignon
Learn to cook filet mignon like the best steakhouses. Start by pan-searing it briefly in a cast iron skillet, then finish cooking it in the oven. Fast and easy, it makes perfectly juicy and tender beef filet steak.
Oven Filet Mignon
How to Grill a Ribeye Steak
Tender and juicy grilled Ribeye Steak perfectly every time with this quick and easy ribeye steak recipe. With only a few minutes of prep, simple seasoning, and about 10 minutes on your BBQ grill, you can have the best steak dinner for your family or special occasions.
Grilled Ribeyes
Pan Seared Oven Roasted Strip Steak
Quick and easy, this New York Strip Steak recipe uses the classic sear-and-bake method to get the best moist and tender steaks every time. Trim and season, then a fast pan sear and finish to temperature in the oven.
Baked Strip Steaks
How to Grill a T-bone or Porterhouse Steak – A Tutorial
Grilled T-bone and Porterhouse steaks are easy with just a few steps. Start with a great steak, season simply, and cook over high heat. Get perfect grilled steaks every time.
Grilled T-Bones
Add some steak enhancements to make it memorable.
Easy Steak Marinade
This Easy Steak Marinade recipe is quick to make and use. Perfectly balanced acid and savory flavors make this the best homemade steak marinade. While we use it mainly for New York Strip steaks, it is excellent with any beef steak cooked on the grill or stove.
Easy Steak Marinade
Steak Butter with Blue Cheese and Garlic
Steak Butter with Blue Cheese and Garlic is the perfect enhancement for NY strips, t-bones, rib-eyes, filets, or porterhouse steaks. Try it on burgers and vegetables for extraordinary flavor. Add a special layer of creamy flavor to your meal with this fast and easy compound butter recipe.
Blue Cheese Compound Butter
Other Meats
Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Grilling pork tenderloin on a gas grill is fast and easy. With a touch of char outside and juicy and tender meat inside, we love this fool-proof recipe, and so will you.
Grilled Pork Tenderloin
How to Grill Chicken Breasts on a Gas Grill
Grilled chicken breasts can be juicy and tender with only a few simple steps. In under 30 minutes, you can have perfect chicken breasts every time. Just pay attention to our tips and follow the easy step-by-step photo instructions.
Grilling Chicken Breasts on a Gas Grill
Mayo Parmesan Chicken
Known as Melt-in-Your-Mouth Chicken, Mayo Parmesan Chicken is oven-baked, skinless boneless chicken breasts coated with garlic, Parmesan, mayonnaise, and a sprinkle of Panko bread crumbs. A fast and easy-to-make recipe that's crunchy, moist, and tender baked mayo chicken breasts for a perfect weeknight dinner.
Mayo Parmesan Chicken
Side Dishes Recipes for Mom
Man (or mothers) cannot live by steak alone—it's time to pick her favorite side dishes.
Oven Roasted Baby Potatoes
Quick and easy Oven Roasted Baby Potatoes make the perfect side dish for any meal—great garlic-tasting crisp potatoes on the outside with a tender inside.
Oven Roasted Red Potatoes
Microwave Corn on the Cob in the Husk
Microwave Corn On the Cob in the Husk is super easy. No husking, just short microwaving, and you will have perfect sweet corn every time with no mess.
How to Microwave Corn on the Cob
Baked Green Beans with Bacon
Baked Green Beans with Bacon are the perfect side dish with any meal—an easy green bean recipe with brown sugar, garlic, bacon, and tender green beans.
Baked Green Beans with Bacon
Parmesan Baked Potatoes
Quick and easy Parmesan Baked Potatoes halves have a creamy center and a crispy Parmesan cheese crust with butter and garlic.
Parmesan Baked Potatoes Halves
Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan
Easy Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan only needs a few ingredients and about 12 minutes in your convection oven for crispy asparagus with garlic and Parmesan—perfect for any meal.
How to Bake Asparagus
Smaller Dessert Recipes
Great meals deserve great endings and you made it yourself.
Berry Crisp for Two or More
An irresistible Berry Crisp for Two that's easy to adjust up or down to fit your needs. Use fresh or frozen berries in a sweet filling topped with a crispy oat streusel topping.
Berry Crisp for Two
Easy Cheesecake Bars
These Easy Cheesecake Bars are creamy and delicious with a Graham cracker crust and lemon—the quick small-batch recipe you need with great tasting cheesecake bars.
Lemon Bar Recipe
Apple Berry Crumble
A fast, old-fashioned Apple Berry Crumble that combines apples and berries with a buttery streusel crumb topping. Use fresh berries and apples, or make it "semi-homemade" with frozen berries and a can of apple pie filling. So easy, so good.
Semi-Homemade Apple Berry Crumble
Lemon Squares
Easy lemon bars are delicious and simple to make in under an hour. These homemade lemon squares are a perfect dessert treat with a crispy, buttery shortbread crust and tangy and sweet lemon filling—a small batch 8X8 recipe you can scale to your needs.
Lemon Bar Recipe
Have a great holiday.
From Wifo, Molly, Lilly, and DrDan
Editors note: This is a yearly recurring post. This version was created on May 8, 2019, and will be updated yearly before republishing.
Kathy Franklin says
I am so thankful that this is your hobby!
I enjoy your site and all the DETAILS you give and have had great success with your recipes! We can’t believe how great the steak seared, and then finished in the oven is. Great alternative when weather doesn’t work to grill outside.
Frances Robinson says
I saw your recipe for Oven Baked Blueberry Pancakes and Oven Baked Sausage about a week ago. Got the ingredients and made both today. This breakfast was really a treat and both my husband and I enjoyed it. Both recipes are keepers! I'm a new subscriber and look forward to trying more of your recipes.
Linda Mcclellan says
I wish you had a book
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Linda,
Welcome to the blog.
You are the second one today with that. But, this is just a hobby that grown. I do get publishing offers (mostly spammy ones). But I'm retired and totally enjoy doing this but a book is like real work. Also, the frequently suggest restaurant is so not what I ever want to do.
So thanks for the comment but it will not happen.
Have a great Mother's Day and stay safe.
Dan