In movies, when those cute youngsters try to cook for Mom, she finds herself munching on burned toast and crunching through scrambled eggs with the shells still included.
And pretending to like it.
Though it may make for a great story in the future, when the memory of gritty eggshells between your teeth fades, no one really wants to be celebrated by facing culinary torture.
Here are some ways to avoid it.
If Your Children Are Young
Buy some special items for Mother’s Day that are prepped and ready to go. Check out your local bakery and pick up some muffins, fruit parfaits, bagels, or whatever your little heart desires.
Let the children know that these are special treats for Mother’s Day that you’ll eat together. If your children are really young, I’d avoid mentioning the whole breakfast in bed thing. Unless they’re set on it on their own, you might as well avoid scraping spilled butter off the sheets and other pleasantries. Or, prepare fruit and other breakfast items yourself and then pile back into bed together. Take happy, sleepy selfies.
Check out our Mommy and Me Collection for the ultimate in adorable togetherness.
And buy yourself some flowers. If someone else buys you flowers, too, the more the merrier!
An Easy, Pretty Parfait
This is an easy one for older children to assemble themselves. Combine a few chopped nuts with your family’s favorite granola. Layer an inch of granola and nuts in the bottom of a tall glass or dessert dish. Add an inch of flavored yogurt and then an inch of berries.
You can also add a teaspoon of special jam to the berry mixture if desired. Repeat the pattern until the dish is full.
Shaved coconut makes a great topper if you have it!
A Make-Ahead Spectacular Meal: Baked French Toast
To keep it simple, prepare ahead of time. This breakfast recipe comes from Martha Stewart’s 2014 brunch recommendations. What we love about this Baked French Toast Recipe is that is the perfect combination of savory with a touch of sweetness.
To make this delicious dish, you stuff French or Italian bread with ham and gruyère cheese. You then let the bread soak overnight in an egg and milk bath, bake it, and drizzle the concoction with a touch of maple syrup.
This recipe resembles a classic French dish called the Croque Monsieur. A ham and cheese sandwich is grilled and covered in bechamel sauce. If you top it off with a fried egg, it becomes a Croque Madame.
Another American version is our Monte Christo.
Try this easy casserole version for Mom.
Baked French Toast
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter, room temperature, for baking dish
- 1 14-inch loaf rustic bread, such as pane Pugliese, cut into 8 slices
- 8 thin slices ham, plus more for topping (optional)
- 8 ounces Gruyere, thinly sliced, plus more for topping (optional)
- 8 large eggs
- 2/3 cup whole milk
- Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
- Pure maple syrup, such as Noble
Directions
Step 1
Butter bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Make a deep slit in each bread slice to create a pocket. Stuff each with 1 slice of ham, then divide cheese evenly among pockets.
Step 2
Whisk together eggs and milk in a bowl until combined, and season with salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture into prepared baking dish. Add bread slices in a single layer, gently pressing into egg mixture, and let soak 15 minutes. Flip bread You can soak the bread in the egg mixture for just 30 minutes, but the French toast will be even more delicious if you let it sit overnight. and gently press again into egg mixture. Let soak 15 minutes. (If preparing the day before, refrigerate up to 12 hours, loosely covered, then let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.)
Step 3
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Top bread with remaining ham and cheese. Bake until egg mixture is set and cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes.
Step 4
Turn oven to broil, with rack 4 to 6 inches from heat source. Broil until bread is toasted and golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve hot with maple syrup.
Cook's Notes
You can soak the bread for as little as 30 minutes but the French toast will be even more delicious if you let it sit overnight.
It doesn't matter whether the loaf you choose is Italian or French, as long as it's wide and properly sliced. With a serrated bread knife, trim the ends, then cut the loaf into 8 slices, each 1 1/2 inches thick.
However you choose to celebrate this Mother’s Day, we hope it turns out fabulous! Let us know how it goes in the comments.