Every Recipe You Need for a Beautiful Mother's Day Brunch Buffet Menu

Cheesy Tomato-and-Sausage Strata
Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Southern kids know to appreciate their mothers every day of the year (at least y'all should!), but on Mother's Day, extra-special treatment is in order. Let's be honest: Breakfast in bed is over-rated (and a little unsanitary). How about we give Mom a quiet morning to herself for a change? To really start your mama's day off on the best note, this is the year to serve a Mother's Day brunch buffet. Kick off the festivities with a breadbasket full of sausage balls with a pimiento cheese twist or a platter of deviled eggs in Mom's favorite shade of pink. You know Mama would be upset if you didn't include some fruits or veggies on her Mother's Day brunch buffet menu (she taught you best after all). Showcase fresh spring produce with a colorful strawberry salad or asparagus side dish. Once all the kids have their servings of fruits and veggies, progress your Mother's Day buffet menu onto the big hitters. If Mama prefers a sweet breakfast, you can't go wrong with our Cinnamon Roll Strata. If she usually orders savory, try our Test Kitchen's latest and greatest in breakfast casseroles—a cheesy, sausage-and tomato-filled delight. Send Mama off from her Mother's Day brunch with a slice of something sweet, like our Lemon Loaf Cake, to pair with her cup of decaf. Setting up a fabulous Mother's Day brunch buffet for Mama is a surefire way to land in her good graces.

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Pimiento Cheese Sausage Balls

Pimento Cheese Sausage Balls
Southern Living

Recipe: Pimiento Cheese Sausage Balls

It's not a Southern gathering without a basket of sausage balls on the table, and this super-Southern version will be gone before you can blink. This recipe freezes beautifully if you want to prep the sausage balls in advance and pop them in the oven on Mother's Day.

02 of 21

Snickerdoodle Doughnut Hole Muffins

Snickerdoodle Doughnut Hole Muffins
Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Snickerdoodle Doughnut Hole Muffins

If Mama prefers a sweet brunch, start with a batch of these easy doughnut hole muffins instead of sausage balls. Novice bakers, don't worry: Though they look like they're from the local bakery, you don't even need yeast to make these tiny pastries.

03 of 21

Beet Pickled Deviled Eggs

Beet Pickled Deviled Eggs
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch

Recipe: Beet Pickled Deviled Eggs

No Southern holiday is complete without a platter of deviled eggs present. For Mother's Day, give your usual recipe a pretty pink makeover that Mama will love with naturally dyed beet pickled eggs.

04 of 21

Chicks in a Blanket

Chicks in a Blanket
Hector Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Recipe: Chicks in a Blanket

Instead of pre-made pigs in a blanket, these chicks in a blanket, made with mini chicken-and-apple sausages, are so easy to put together before Mother's Day brunch. We stirred up our own version of "everything" seasoning, but you can now find ready-to-go "everything" seasoning at the store.

05 of 21

Hash Brown Patties

Hash Brown Patties
Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist Prissy Lee

Recipe: Hash Brown Patties

Individual hash brown patties will keep the buffet line moving more quickly than a scoopable hash brown casserole. If you want to make these ahead of time, prepare as directed, flash freeze the patties, and warm them up in the oven when you're ready to serve.

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Fresh Fruit Salad

Fresh Fruit Salad
Jen Causey

Recipe: Fresh Fruit Salad

Mama's rule has always been to include some fruits and veggies on your plate, so don't slack off on her day! This bright fruit salad includes a honey-orange dressing and a bit of fresh mint that sets it apart from store-bought mixed fruit.

07 of 21

Sweet-and-Spicy Sheet Pan Bacon

Sweet-and-Spicy Sheet Pan Bacon Recipe
Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Karin Olsen; Food Styling: William Smith

Recipe: Sweet-and-Spicy Sheet Pan Bacon

Savvy Southern cooks know that your sheet pan is the key to serving bacon to a crowd. The secret behind this flavorful bacon is seasoning it the night before so it can soak in the rub.

08 of 21

Mini Cheese Grits Casseroles

Mini Cheese Grits Casseroles
Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Recipe: Mini Cheese Grits Casserole

Mini ramekins make serving a crowd so much easier, but you can also prepare this side-dish casserole in a 2-quart baking dish (with an increase in cooking time to 50-55 minutes). Plus, you can prep this recipe in advance the night before Mother's Day.

09 of 21

Ham-and-Cheese Puff Pastries

Ham-and-Cheese Puff Pastries
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Recipe: Ham-and-Cheese Puff Pastries

These savory pastries might look professionally made, but they start with store-bought frozen puff pastry sheets and can be chilled or frozen ahead of time to help out a busy host. A sprinkling of chopped fresh thyme on top adds a thoughtful touch.

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Spring Salad with Berries and Bacon

Spring Salad with Berries and Bacon
Johnny Autry; Food and Prop Styling: Charlotte L. Autry

Recipe: Spring Salad with Berries and Bacon

Test Kitchen pro and Hey Y'all host Ivy Odom developed this colorful salad recipe with spring celebrations in mind. Fresh strawberries are featured in the dressing and as a salad topping, and crispy, smoky bacon is the perfect complement.

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Asparagus with Eggs and Prosciutto

Asparagus with Eggs and Prosciutto
Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Christina Daley

Recipe: Asparagus with Eggs and Prosciutto

This springy side dish is just as beautiful as it is delicious. A simple combination of fresh asparagus, salty prosciutto, and jammy soft-cooked eggs would be delicious on its own, but a quick toss with a homemade maple-Dijon vinaigrette takes the flavors over the top.

12 of 21

Cheesy Tomato-and-Sausage Strata

Cheesy Tomato-and-Sausage Strata
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Recipe: Cheesy Tomato-and-Sausage Strata

If Mom tends to order on the savory side when the family is out to brunch, surprise her with a cheesy, comforting breakfast casserole. Prep it the night before so all you have to do on Mother's Day is pop it in the oven.

13 of 21

Sheet Pan Berry Pancakes with Honey-Butter Syrup

Sheet Pan Berry Pancakes with Honey-Butter Syrup
Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry

Recipe: Sheet Pan Berry Pancakes with Honey-Butter Syrup

Don't spend Mother's Day morning standing at the stovetop flipping flapjacks! This sheet pan pancake recipe is the easiest (and prettiest) way to feed pancakes to a crowd. Fresh strawberries add color and natural sweetness.

14 of 21

Oven-Baked Omelet

Oven-Baked Omelet
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Recipe: Oven-Baked Omelet

Instead of making individual omelets, try this omelet for a crowd. Set up an at-home omelet bar for family members to top their own personal portion of this big-batch recipe.

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Asparagus-and-Goat Cheese Quiche

Asparagus-and-Goat Cheese Quiche
Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Asparagus-and-Goat Cheese Quiche

A fluted tart pan helps dress up this easy quiche that starts with a store-bought crust. Our Test Kitchen recommends medium-size asparagus spears (not too thick or thin) for the filling.

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Cinnamon Roll Strata

Cinnamon Roll Strata
Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke

Recipe: Cinnamon Roll Strata

Instead of baking cinnamon rolls from scratch, this shareable casserole starts with frozen yeast roll dough. The real star of the show is the sweet, milky glaze on top.

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Big-Batch Bloody Marys

Big Batch Bloody Marys
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Big-Batch Bloody Marys

Don't spend Mother's Day mixing drinks for the whole family. Instead, serve a make-ahead, big-batch Bloody Mary and let guests add their own toppings.

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Elderflower Champagne Cocktail

Elderflower-Champagne Cocktail with flower ice cubes
Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Katie Jacobs

Recipe: Elderflower Champagne Cocktail

If Mom usually orders something sparkling at the bar, this big-batch cocktail is just the ticket for her brunch. "The easiest, quickest trick to dazzle your friends is to freeze things in ice cubes," says Nashville-based stylist Katie Jacobs. Here, she used edible flowers for a springtime touch.

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Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake

Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake
Johnny Autry; Food and Prop Styling: Charlotte L. Autry

Recipe: Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake

Every Southern holiday needs a sweet finale, and there's no better dessert for a springtime celebration than this new way to enjoy strawberry shortcake. "Positively delicious," wrote one five-star reviewer. "The lemon zest and strawberries in the shortcake were unusual compared with standard shortcake. The result was a texture more interesting and moist then the dryness of a biscuit-like shortcake."

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Lemon Loaf Cake

Lemon Loaf Cake
Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Karen Rankin

Recipe: Lemon Loaf Cake

Nothing pairs better with Mama's post-brunch cup of coffee than a sweet, tangy slice of lemon cake. "I think its better than (the) coffee chain lemon loaf cake that everyone raves about," wrote one five-star reviewer.

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Strawberry-Rosé Snack Cake

Strawberry-Rosé Snack Cake
Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke

Recipe: Strawberry-Rosé Snack Cake

This one-bowl snack cake is the easiest way to get dessert on the table this Mother's Day. Mom can enjoy the leftover rosé with her meal, which sounds like a win-win to us!

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