Easy Mother's Day brunch recipes

The sweetest thing about Mother’s Day is that I think kids actually love taking care of mommy for a change. When you involve kids in the kitchen, it’s striking how proud they feel when they see the finished dish–and your happy expression. Encourage them to help cook these Mother’s Day brunch recipes and watch them beam with accomplishment.

That said, my little ones aren’t quite up to poaching eggs and emulsifying Hollandaise. That’s why I found these simple brunch recipes that the kids can help cook, arrange, or help with one way or another. Just make sure they’re helping your partner or an older sibling or a friend—or, really, anyone else. Because you deserve to stay in bed. I mean, unless you want to be in the kitchen. In which case, enjoy!

The Easy Breakfast Casserole Muffins at Thriving Home Blog (above) are an ideal Mother’s Day brunch recipe if your kids are the type who love to be involved in every step of cooking. They can tear, scatter, shake, and stir—and given the deliciousness of all the ingredients, these adorable egg muffins are hard to mess up. Because you can easily cook up a big batch, these are particularly great if you’re hosting grandma, sisters, or you’re one of the brave ones with 3 or more children.

The Yogurt Parfait Bar at The Wicked Noodle is a good idea for mamas that have babies, toddlers, or culinary-challenged partners. Little hands can have fun setting out fruit, yogurt, and granola in different sized bowls and big hands can’t, well, not mess much up. Ha! This light breakfast is nice if “someone” has woken you up at 6am and you simply can’t wait until your noon brunch reservation.

Every family needs a good make-ahead egg recipe in their repertoire. The Bacon, Potato and Egg Casserole at Two Peas and Their Pod is a tasty classic that can be prepped the night before. Arm the kids with whisks, but make it a family affair since the recipe does require some sautéing. Dress up some simple greens with a bright vinaigrette or plenty of lemon and olive oil—the fresh zing of the salad will pair nicely with this rich casserole. Plus, it’s an easy to make accompaniment.

I love this Ultimate Bagel Brunch Party at Bon Appetit and have used it a few times when hosting families at my house. Kids love it and, frankly, so do the adults. It requires a little shopping the day before, but it’s customizable and you can keep it as simple or go as all-out as you want. Kids can arrange the bagels on a platter, organize veggies, and scoop out cream cheese. Not into lox? Scramble some eggs or cook up some bacon instead.

Related: Gorgeous brunch cocktail recipes perfect for Mother’s Day.

If I’m really honest, most of the breakfasts my husband cooks are the straightforward ones: buttery eggs, toast, and bacon, if I’m lucky. Always coffee, of course, and a little fruit, too. Simple, but you know what? Delicious, because these breakfast staples always taste better when someone else makes them. I picked these Perfect Scrambled Eggs at Brown Eyed Baker because I was taken with Michelle’s unusual technique; she breaks the eggs and scrambles them right in the pan. I know, I was skeptical, too, but I tried it this past Sunday and they were awesome! I would say at least double the recipe for a family of four.

I know this requires a little bit of planning, but the Overnight Yeasted Waffles from Mark Bittman that I found at Will It Waffle is the Mother’s Day brunch recipe that I dream about. This popular recipe produces crisp on the outside, soft on the inside waffles that melt in your mouth. Your family can prep this the night before and all they have to do in the morning is turn on the coffee pot and wrap your present(s).