Healthy and Seasonal Recipes for Your Mother's Day Brunch

Planning a get-together to celebrate mom next weekend?

We’ve got some healthy, seasonal recipes for your Mother’s Day Brunch that will show the mothers in your life how much you love them. 

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‍Vegetarian Spring Egg Casserole

‍This easy egg casserole combines Spring greens like spinach and asparagus with whole grain bread and cheese. It’s a savory meal that you can prepare ahead of time to simplify your Mother’s Day celebrations. Serves: 8

‍Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 ½ cups chopped scallions

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

6 ounces fresh baby spinach (about 10 cups), chopped

1 cup whole milk

4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened

6 large eggs, beaten

¾ cup shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese

½ teaspoon salt

8 ounces whole-grain crusty bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 5 cups)

1 (12 ounce) bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

‍Directions

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallions and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add spinach; cook, stirring often, until starting to wilt, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Whisk milk and cream cheese in a large bowl until combined. Stir in eggs, mozzarella and salt. Stir in bread cubes and asparagus until well coated. Stir in spinach mixture. Pour into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cover with foil; chill for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the casserole, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover; continue baking until the top is browned and the custard is set, 25 to 30 minutes more.

‍Tips

To make ahead: Prepare through Step 2; cover and refrigerate overnight.

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‍Baked Oatmeal with Blueberries

Baked Oatmeal is perfect for a hungry crowd because you can easily assemble it ahead of time and you can make it in a variety of different ways. This fruit and protein-packed recipe from Love and Lemons provides a vegan and gluten-free option so you can serve it to everyone regardless of dietary needs. Serves: 8

‍Ingredients

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed + 6 tablespoons warm water

2 cups whole rolled oats

½ cup slivered almonds

½ cup hemp seeds

⅔ cup coconut flakes

1/4 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¾ teaspoon sea salt

¾ cup almond milk, at room temp

1/4 cup maple syrup

3 tablespoons melted coconut oil

1 banana, chopped

1 cup strawberries, sliced

½ cup blueberries

‍Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray an 8x8-inch (or similar) baking dish with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, combine the flaxseed and warm water and set aside to thicken for about 5 minutes. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the almonds, hemp seeds and coconut flakes and set aside. In a large bowl combine the oats, the remaining almonds, hemp seeds and coconut flakes, and the baking powder, cinnamon, brown sugar and salt.

In a medium bowl, combine the almond milk, maple syrup and coconut oil and whisk to combine. Stir in the flaxseed mixture and blend until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir to combine. Layer the bananas and strawberries in the baking dish and spread the oat mixture on top. Sprinkle with the blueberries and the reserved almonds, hemp seeds and coconut flakes.

Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the top is crisp and the middle is set. I find it easiest to wedge a knife in and make sure the middle has thickened nicely. Remove and let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

‍Notes

If you'd like to reduce the sugar in this recipe, omit the brown sugar and use 1/3 cup maple syrup.

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‍Artichoke & Goat Cheese Breakfast Bake

Looking for a simple and delicious breakfast dish to feed all of your loved ones? This Make-Ahead Artichoke and Goat Cheese Breakfast Bake is for you. Turkey sausage, artichoke hearts, and sourdough bread come together in a cheesy, flavorful meal that will satisfy all of your guests. Serves: 8 Find the full recipe on Life is But a Dish.

‍Ingredients

2 cups unsweetened almond milk (or any kind of milk)

¼ cup olive oil

8 cups 1-inch cubed sourdough bread

1 ½ cups half and half

5 eggs

2 teaspoons chopped garlic

1 ½ teaspoons salt

¾ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

10–12 ounces soft fresh goat cheese (crumbled)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 ½ teaspoons herbes de Provence

12 ounces precooked chicken and turkey sausage (sliced and lightly browned)

2 – 12 ounce jars marinated artichoke hearts (drained, and roughly chopped (about 2 ½ cups))

1 cup packed grated Fontina cheese

1 ½ cups packed grated Parmesan

 Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk the milk and oil. Stir in the bread and let stand until liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. In a separate large bowl, whisk the half and half, eggs, garlic, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the goat cheese and stir to combine. Mix the herbs de provence and the thyme in a small bowl and set aside. Place half of the bread mixture in the prepared dish. Top with half of the sausage, artichoke hearts, herbs, and cheeses. Pour half of the cream mixture over. Repeat layering with remaining bread, sausage, artichoke hearts, herbs, cheeses, and cream mixture. If making this dish ahead of time, you can cover it at this point and put it in the fridge until ready to bake. Bake uncovered until firm in center and brown around edges, about 50-60 minutes.

Even though the sausage is precooked, it is nice to slice it and brown it in a pan over medium heat with a drop of olive oil until the edges are crispy. Adapted from Tiny Oranges.

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‍Strawberry Avocado Salad

Add a pop of color to your spread with light, summery salad. The recipe for Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing from Gimme Some Oven is a great choice. It’s easy to customize to your liking and provides a fresh, juicy taste to your meal. Plus, it’s full of good-for-you whole foods. Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

Salad

6 cups fresh baby spinach

1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced

1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced

4 ounces crumbled blue cheese (or goat cheese or feta)

1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

half a small red onion, thinly sliced

‍Poppyseed Dressing

1/3 cup avocado oil (or olive oil)

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

‍Instructions

Make the dressing. Whisk all ingredients together vigorously in a small bowl (or shake in a covered jar) until emulsified. Taste and season with a pinch of salt and a few twists of pepper, as needed.

Toss the salad. Combine all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle evenly with the dressing then gently toss until combined. Serve immediately and enjoy!

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‍Lemon Zucchini Bread

Baked goods are a staple of any brunch. This recipe from iFoodReal makes a super moist zucchini bread with a bright lemon flavor that would pair well with an after brunch cup of tea. It’s packed with wholesome, nutrient-dense ingredients that isn’t overly sweet but balances out the more savory foods at your Mother’s Day celebration, without making you feel weighed down. Servings: 10 Slices

‍Ingredients 

3 eggs large

1 large lemon zest and juice of

1/2 cup maple syrup or honey

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup shredded zucchini not squeezed

3 1/3 cups almond flour

‍Instructions 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, line 9 x 5 loaf pan with unbleached parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add eggs, lemon zest and juice (zest first before squeezing juice), maple syrup, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract and salt. Whisk until combined. Mixture will be foamy.

Add zucchini and almond flour (don’t forget to skim the top of measuring cup with a knife) . Mix gently with spatula to combine. Pour batter into previously prepared loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Remove bread from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool off for 10 minutes. Holding onto the flaps of parchment paper remove bread from a loaf pan and let it cool off completely before slicing with sharp serrated knife.

‍Notes

Store: Store covered in a cool dry place for up to 5 days. Freeze: In an airtight container for up to 3 months. Almond flour does not contain gluten like wheat. Nor is it thirsty like coconut flour. All flours differ. You have to use almond flour in this recipe. Feel free to add 1/2 cup blueberries or 1 tbsp of poppy seeds to the batter. And about the baking dish. This bread will not stick and should slide right out of your baking dish if you spray it with cooking spray. You do not have to use parchment paper but I included that recommendation just in case.

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‍Basil Lemonade

Of course, every brunch needs a signature drink to enjoy. This Basil Lemonade makes a refreshing beverage for your Mother’s Day brunch. Sweetened with a touch of honey, this drink also contains antioxidants and nutrients that will help keep your family happy and healthy.  6 Servings

‍Ingredients

1 ¼ cups fresh lemon juice (from about 8 lemons), plus lemon slices for garnish

½ cup honey or agave syrup

1 cup packed fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish

3 cups cold water

Ice cubes

‍Directions

Place lemon juice, honey (or agave) and basil in a blender and blend until very smooth. Pass through a strainer into a pitcher or large jar. Add water and chill until ready to serve. 

Serve over ice, garnished with lemon slices and basil leaves.

‍Tips

To make ahead: Prepare through Step 1 and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

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