55 Best Mother’s Day Dinner Ideas to Make Her Feel Extra Special
Celebrate Mom with a feast!
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Sure, you could try to snag a dinner reservation at your local spot for Mother's Day. But there's something special about a homemade dinner enjoyed at the table with the whole family. We've gathered our favorite Mother's Day dinner ideas that will make any mom, grandma, stepmom, or bonus mom feel extra-special. Cooking dinner together can be a fun Mother's Day activity, especially if you opt for a family recipe. Or you could truly pamper mom by handing her a glass of wine and telling her to get out of the kitchen — you've got dinner handled!
We've got plenty of dinner inspiration the whole crew will love, from hearty Sunday Dinner recipes to vegan fare. If you're looking for more Mother's Day inspiration, be sure to check out our collections of Mother's Day cookies, Mother's Day brunch ideas, and the best Mother's Day Instagram captions.
Spring Pea Pasta with Burrata and Ham
This is cozy comfort food the whole family (including mom!) will love. You'll need leeks, ham, sweet peas and burrata for this elevated pasta dinner.
Smoked Trout Salad
This elegant salad is packed with flavor, thanks to the smoked trout, jammy eggs, fresh vegetables and homemade dressing. This warm-weather dish could also be a great addition to a Mother's Day brunch or lunch.
Get the Smoked Trout Salad recipe.
Shrimp Scampi with Linguine
Buttery, garlicky shrimp in white wine over a pile of pasta, enjoyed with the whole family around the table—sounds like the perfect Mother's Day, if you ask us!
Get the Shrimp Scampi with Linguine recipe.
RELATED: Seriously Easy Shrimp Recipes
Roasted Lamb Chops with Snap Pea Salad
Get perfectly medium-rare lamb with just a sprinkle of seasoning (we love the zesty kick of coriander and sumac) and 20 minutes in the oven.
Tomato-Poached Cod with Olives and Capers
Save about a cup of rosé to impart acidity and depth of flavor to this one-skillet dish — and save the rest to drink with dinner.
Blue Cheese and Blueberry Pizza
Here's a pizza combination she probably hasn't tried! The sweet, salty stunner might just become her new favorite.
Moroccan-Spiced Skillet Chicken and Couscous
Impress Mom with this flavorful dinner. You'll need preserved lemon rind, smoked paprika and ras el hanout, a spice blend with cumin, tumeric, ginger, and many other spices that's often used in North African cooking.
Get the Moroccan-Spiced Skillet Chicken and Couscous recipe.
RELATED: Healthy Chicken Recipes Perfect for an Easy Weeknight Dinner
Roasted Clams with Lemony Panko
Complete this under-30-minute dish with a bright green salad and plenty of crusty bread for sopping up the lemony pan juices.
Steak and Rice Noodle Bowls
Skip the takeout. You can easily whip up these bowls inspired by Vietnamese bun. A flavorful chile-lime sauce, colorful julienned vegetables and grilled skirt steak make it a meal worthy of mom.
Get the Steak and Rice Noodle Bowls recipe.
Salmon Salad Tartines
For a casual dinner you can serve on the porch, stir good canned salmon into a bright and briny fennel salad. All it needs is a glass of white.
Get the Salmon Salad Tartines recipe.
Vegetarian Antipasto Salad
We've got three words for you: Mini. Mozzarella. Balls. This hearty salad also gets tons of flavor from pepperoncini, grape tomatoes, onion, and a homemade dressing that incorporates vinegar, lemon, and mustard.
Get the Vegetarian Antipasto Salad recipe.
Grilled Skewers
Skewers are easy to make and even easier to eat — plus, everything tastes better on a stick!
Get the Salmon, Scallion, and Asparagus Skewers recipe.
Get the Sweet-Spicy Beef and Broccoli Skewers recipe.
Za’atar Chicken with Whipped Feta
This gluten-free dinner gets a serious boost from feta blended with yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice and dill.
Sriracha Shrimp Tacos
Fire up Mother's Day with these spicy tacos. They get a hit of sweet, cooling flavor from mango salsa.
Get the Sriracha Shrimp Tacos recipe.
Steak, Peach, and Watercress Salad
This elegant, flavorful salad brings together hearty bites of steak, juicy peaches, peppery watercress and creamy blue cheese. Mom is sure to love it.
Cherry Bourbon-Glazed Ham
Celebrate Mom with this showstopper of a main: baked ham coated in a unique tangy-sweet glaze made with tart cherry juice, cherry jam and bourbon.
Get the Cherry Bourbon-Glazed Ham recipe.
Saucy Sausage Meatballs
These meatballs get an extra boost thanks to the grated provolone, cinnamon and orange zest. Pile them atop a plate of spaghetti for a classic meal for Mother's Day or get some bread to make meatball sandwiches.
Get the Saucy Sausage Meatballs recipe.
Adobo Glazed Portobello Tacos
These smoky-sweet vegetarian tacos + a margarita = a Mother's Day dinner she's guaranteed to enjoy.
Get the Adobo Glazed Portobello Tacos recipe.
Chicken with Stewed Peppers and Tomatoes
This colorful dish requires only a few main ingredients: chicken breasts, red onions, red peppers and cherry tomatoes. Plus, it all comes together in one pot.
Chicken Satay with Spiralized-Carrot Salad
We can't get enough of spiralized veggies, and this bright carrot salad accompanying chicken satay is no exception!
Trish (she/her) is the deputy food editor at Good Housekeeping, where she covers all things food, from cooking trends and delicious recipes to top-tested kitchen products and grocery finds. She has more than a decade of experience writing about food for GH, Women’s Health, Prevention, Redbook, Woman’s Day, The Daily Meal and Food Network. When she’s not at the supermarket or trying out a new recipe, you can find her at the beach, in her backyard or on the couch — typically with a glass of wine in hand.
Jamie Ballard (she/her) is a freelance writer and editor who covers news, lifestyle, and entertainment topics, including sex and relationships, TV, movies, books, health, pets, food and drinks, pop culture, shopping, and personal finance. She regularly contributes to Cosmopolitan, Woman’s Day, Good Housekeeping, and YouGov, among other publications. When she’s not working, you can find her running, traveling, or scrolling TikTok. Follow her on Twitter.
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