Treat Your Mom with These 22 Mother’s Day Dinner Ideas

Mother’s Day is celebrated on different days throughout the world. In the United States, Mother’s Day usually falls on the second Sunday in May. Mother’s Day is a day to celebrate and honor motherhood and the mothers in our lives. Preparing a delicious home-cooked meal is a heartfelt way of showing your appreciation for your mom.

Mother’s Day main course dinner ideas

Don’t know what to cook for Mother’s Day? Here are a few ideas for tasty meals that you can make to spoil your mom.

1. Pork roast 

This roasted, bone-in pork rack with thyme has a real wow factor with its bone-in presentation. It’s perfect for a special occasion.

2. Apricot-chile glazed salmon

Salmon always feels like a treat. Which makes it the perfect choice for a special meal. This recipe uses only four ingredients but packs plenty of flavor. Serve on a bed of flavored rice with an interesting side salad.

3. Shrimp curry

If your mom is a fan of curries, this South Indian shrimp curry will be sure to warm her heart and her taste buds.

4. Lamb roast

Channel family Sunday lunch memories with a delicious leg of lamb roast for Mother’s Day dinner. Serve with gravy, roast potatoes, rice, and glazed carrots.

5. Beef Brisket

Do you have a secret family recipe for roasting beef brisket? Whichever way you make it, it is a labor of love. A great way to show your heartfelt gratitude to your mom for all the effort she put into feeding you tasty meals over the years.

6. Crispy almond fish

Get tasty, crispy fish without the deep-fat fryer. This light and flavorful recipe gets its crispiness from an almond and bread-crumb crust that is oven-baked.

7. Sheet-pan steak

Short on time, but still want to present something with a wow factor? This sheet-pan steak with potatoes and green beans is quick and easy to prepare. You can serve all the main course elements on a platter together. Which makes it visually pleasing and easier to serve and clean up!

8. Skillet lemon chicken

This one-pot-wonder is a delicious recipe for Mother’s Day main course. The lemon slices with the roast chicken make a bright and glossy addition to the dishes on the dinner table. Kale and potatoes cook with the chicken in the skillet. Add some more substance to this meal with a Moroccan-inspired couscous salad.

Mother’s Day side dish dinner ideas

Whether your mom loves turkey with all the trimmings or seared beef with salads, the side dishes are as important as the Mother’s Day main course. Here are a few ideas to fill your Mother’s Day dinner table.

1. Asparagus with Hollandaise

Asparagus is quick and easy to prepare. Glam it up with a drizzle of Hollandaise sauce. If you are feeling adventurous, you can make your own. Or you can purchase a jar of Hollandaise sauce with your next online grocery order.

2. Baked potatoes Florentine

Take your baked potatoes up a notch with a tasty filling. This easy recipe is for baked potatoes with a creamed spinach filling.

3. Orange and browned-butter carrots and cauliflower

Glam up your vegetable offering with this delicious recipe. The butter glaze includes fresh thyme, orange, zest, and chopped pistachio nuts.

4. Braised cabbage

Serve your cabbage with a sprinkling of croutons or bacon bits to add extra flavor and texture.

Mother’s Day dessert ideas

End your Mother’s Day dinner with a special sweet treat. Make your mom’s favorite dessert from scratch or try one of these delicious Mother’s Day dessert ideas:

1. Hot-fudge ice cream bar dessert

This dessert bar recipe ticks all the boxes. Creamy, chocolatey, rich, and delicious. Plus, it is so easy to prepare!

2. Dessert nachos

Nachos are perfect for sharing. This dessert is a fun twist on a much-loved classic. The combination of chocolate, peanut butter, the saltiness of tortillas, and the sweetness of toasted marshmallows is something just about everyone will love.

3. Apple dumpling cake

For a touch of nostalgia, make an apple dumpling cake or your grandma’s famous apple pie recipe for dessert. Serve with custard or ice cream.

4. Fruit crumble

For novice cooks, an apple and blueberry crumble, or strawberry and rhubarb crumble is something that most can master. The benefit of making a dessert like this is that you can prepare it beforehand and simply warm it briefly in the oven before serving.

How to make Mother’s Day dinner special

So, with these 16 helpful Mother’s Day dinner ideas, you can have a superb dinner menu planned for your Mother’s Day dinner. Make your mom feel special with a few extra touches.

1. Fresh cut flowers

Buy your mom a bunch or two of fresh-cut flowers and place them on the dinner table in a beautiful vase. They can do double duty as dinner table décor and a gift for your mom to take home after dinner.

2. Potted plants

Potted plants can also serve well as table décor and a Mother’s Day gift. Orchids and succulents are firm favorites and will look great on the dinner table.

3. Greeting cards

Write your mom a heartfelt message inside a Mother’s Day greeting card. You can place it on her place setting or give it with a gift.

4. Table décor

Set the table with a pretty tablecloth, napkins, and your good cutlery. Or, buy unique paper napkins with a motif that will let your mom know that you were thinking of her.

5. Celebratory drinks

Make the evening special by starting things off with a fun cocktail as a welcome drink. Or splash out on a bottle of Champagne.

6. Decorate!

Add some candles to the table décor for a celebratory atmosphere. You can also set the mood with a playlist of your mom’s favorite music and musicians.

Shop for Mother’s Day food and decor online

Put all your love and effort into preparing a delicious dinner for your mom. Save time and leave the aisle-cruising to a trusted Instacart shopper. Download the Instacart app to order your Mother’s Day dinner ideas groceries online. Select your groceries from local and national retailers in your area. Within two hours of ordering, an Instacart shopper will safely deliver your order to your door.

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