15 Recipes So Good Your Mother-in-Law Will Be Proud Her Child Married You (2024)

Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary

This sheet-pan supper looks as impressive as it tastes. Onions and chicken both turn tender and juicy in the oven. You only need to make a simple side salad and hearty grain side to complete the dinner. It's classic—but so is the relationship between you and your MIL.

• 15 Quick and Easy Side Dish Salad Recipes

World's Best Lasagna

If you've got a bit of time and really want to knock her socks off, you can't go wrong with this lasagna recipe. DIYing your tomato sauce is well worth the effort to really get the full wow-worthy effect. We suspect she might even think for a moment this one is better than hers.

• Try it with this recipe for Great Garlic Bread.

Chocolate Trifle

"EVERYONE who tried it loved it, and my mother-in-law asked for the recipe, along with everyone else. Always nice to confirm that her son didn't make a mistake marrying me," wrote Allrecipes reviewer chrishart28.

Grilled Salmon I

Some dishes are so classic you need them as back-pocket recipes. A great grilled salmon recipe is one such recipe. The soy sauce-brown sugar marinade is a sweet-sour combo that's sure to be a hit with everyone, your mother-in-law included.

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Quick Chicken Piccata

An impressive dinner doesn't require a lot of time and a fridge full of ingredients. This incredibly easy dinner comes together in minutes but manages to pack loads of crisp, bright flavor. You'll have leftover wine, but we're sure you know what to do with that.

Best Buttermilk Biscuits

Your mother-in-law knows her way around flaky, buttery breads (she uses her grandmother's biscuit cutter after all). This recipe is classic— and incredibly simple — which means you can't get it wrong. Who knows, she may pass the biscuit cutter down sooner rather than later after one bite.

• Browse our collection of Homemade Jams and Jellies.

Meatball Nirvana

We know your MIL is serious about her sauce and meatballs. Show her you're just as serious with this recipe that has more than 2000 reviews and 4.5 stars. "LOVE! I've never been 100% satisfied with any meatball recipe until now. The kick from the crushed red pepper and hot sauce really make these something special," Allrecipes cook CookinBug wrote in their review.

The Best Potato Salad

We don't call it "The Best" for no reason: "Delicious!" wrote Facebook user Tracey. "This recipe was good enough to make for my visiting mother-in-law and she loved it, which is saying a lot." Serve with grilled BBQ pork chops and grilled veggies to complete the meal.

Brown Sugar Meatloaf

"I made this for my mother-in-law and she kept saying it reminded her of the wonderful meatloaf that her mother used to make," wrote recipe reviewer Megan Johnson Crow. "It's a really good nostalgic dinner for a cold and rainy day. Be sure to toss one onion soup mix packet into the meat."

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Easy Key Lime Pie I

Butter her up with a beloved pie so good she'll want to eat it with a spoon straight from the pan. "This was so unbelievably easy to make & produced such a delicious key lime pie! I first made it in August for my mother-in-law's visit & wasn't sure how the recipe was going to turn out. But it came out wonderfully & my mother-in-law could not stop raving about it! I had to print her a copy of this recipe before she left for the airport," writes reviewer jng.

Chicken Divan

Classic and comforting, you'll know to expect good results this dish. The crunch of water chestnuts contrasts beautifully with creamy canned soup, cheese, and mayo. The addition of curry is unexpected but divine. "This is a fantastic recipe. I have made it about 10 times already and everytime I make it for friends they leave with the recipe in hand," writes KITSYLEC.

Garlic Chicken

Does it sound impressive? No, but we promise it is. This simple five-ingredient chicken dinner manages to be both fantastic and fast. "All I can say about this chicken is OH-MY-GAWD! It is so delicious and so easy! Don't make any changes to this recipe, it's perfect as it is," writes reviewer Michelle A.

Slow Cooker Creamed Corn

If you've got a roast or pork shoulder you're smoking for a MIL visit, make the sides highly impressive but incredibly easy. "This recipe was so easy. I just dumped everything together and stirred it every hour. The entire family loved this, and my mother in law wanted a copy of the recipe," writes reviewer REBELDI.

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Chicken Parmigiana

If you're taking the gamble to cook for mom, make a dish that never disappoints: Chicken Parm. "My family loved this recipe. My husband said it was the best dinner he had ever had. I have also shared the recipe with my neighbor and mother in law who both love it too," writes reviewer Lisa Maria Bramblett.

Awesome Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Is a pot roast ever impressive enough for your discerning mother-in-law? It is when it's this recipe. "I made this on mother's day for my mother in law and the entire family inhaled the dish within a blink of an eye," writes MJROE123.