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Over the years I have noticed little things that help make a kid-friendly meal. Here is my go-to list of dinner ideas for kids!!
More Collections: Sunday Dinner Ideas, Quick Dinner Ideas, Family Dinner Ideas
Dinners Kids Love!
There’s not a hard fast thing that makes things kid-friendly, and the more children I have, the more I realize how incredibly different they all are. Including what they will eat.
One thing I decided long ago is that I will not be a short-order cook and my family will eat what I serve. Fortunately, we have plenty of yummy kid-friendly dinner ideas that even the pickiest kids will love!
Why they are loved:
- Kid approved. All of these are loved by our kids and you’re sure to find something to please your picky eaters.
- Easy. Each of these recipes is easy and many can even be made by your kids.
- Flavor. Of course, we never skimp on flavor!
Some of Our Family Favorites
- Chicken is usually liked by most children. It doesn’t have a strong flavor and pairs well with different ingredients. It can be grilled, baked, pan-fried, and served as a stand-alone ingredient or added to soups, salads, or casseroles.
- Pasta dishes tend to be kid-friendly recipes. They are often cheesy or have a flavorful sauce.
- Pizza is easy to make, easy to customize to the preference of your family, and easy to eat.
- Rice is another ingredient that most children will eat. Neither white nor brown rice has much flavor on its own and both pair well with all kinds of other ingredients.
- Fruit is often the preferred produce. I typically always have some type of fruit available at meal times.
- Veggies that can be dipped in dressing, typically Ranch Dressing. They also tend to prefer roasted vegetables like Oven Roasted Broccoli with a bit of cheese over other ways to prepare them.
Make it Kid Friendly
Make dinner a success with these additional suggestions!
- Being creative with a dish takes effort and time that many just don’t have regularly, but every once in a while, it’s fun to be a little creative.
- Little fingers. A kid-friendly meal often involves foods that are easy for kids to eat. Sometimes that means with their fingers, other times it means making it easier for them to use their utensils. For example:
- Instead of frying a large chicken breast, cut it up and make chicken strips.
- Kids love to dip their food! Try our Honey Mustard.
- Spaghetti noodles are tricky for little kids to eat with a fork so I’ll substitute the spaghetti pasta with penne or wagon wheels.
- Make it mini. Even I find mini versions of a dish irresistible, so it’s not surprising that children love mini versions of things. Easily make mini Pancakes, mini muffins, mini cookies, mini Quiche, Mini Corn Dogs, Mini Pizzas, and more.
Favorite Family Friendly Dinner Ideas
Have you ever heard the phrase “All your children want for dinner is you?” I wholeheartedly believe this. These dinner recipes are favorites and perfect for the kiddos!
1 Copycat Chick Fil A Nuggets Recipe
2 White Sauce Recipe
3 Corn Dog Recipe
4 Pigs in a Blanket
5 Spaghetti Recipe
6 Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
7 Hamburger Helper Recipe
8 Best Grilled Cheese Recipe
9 Homemade Chicken Nuggets
10 Easy Fettuccine Alfredo
Easy Dinner Ideas for Kids
Weeknight dinners can sometimes feel rushed and stressful, but these easy dinner ideas can help!
11 Ham and Cheese Slider Recipe
Recipe Video
Get the recipe12 Chicken Quesadilla Recipe
13 Pizza Casserole
14 Hot Dog Nuggets Recipe
15 Chicken Drumsticks in Oven
16 English Muffin Pizzas
17 Tostada
18 Cheese Crisp
19 Chicken Tacos
20 Burrito Recipe
21 Walking Tacos Recipe
22 Lunch Kabobs Recipe
23 Pizza Roll Ups Recipe
24 Mini Corn Dog Muffins Recipe
25 Taquitos Recipe
26 Taco Soup Recipe
27 Chicken Taco Salad Recipe
28 Pizza Muffin Recipe
29 Hawaiian Haystacks Recipe
More Kid-Friendly Dinner Ideas
If you, like me, can’t get enough kid-friendly dinner ideas to keep weeknights whine-free and easy, we’ve rounded up even more!
30 Best Homemade Mac and Cheese
31 Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe
Recipe Video
Get the recipe32 Hot Ham and Cheese Roll Up Recipe
33 Baked Spaghetti Recipe
34 Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
35 Chicken Spaghetti Recipe
36 Beef Stroganoff Recipe
37 Pepperoni Pizza Recipe
38 Spaghetti Pie
39 Baked Ravioli Recipe
40 Frito Pie Recipe
41 Easy Meatball Recipe
42 Cheeseburger Casserole Recipe
43 Hamburger Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
44 Ritz Cracker Chicken Recipe
45 Chicken Tenders Recipe
46 Pepperoni Pizza Grilled Cheese recipe
47 Baked Ravioli Recipe
48 Popcorn Chicken Recipe
49 Chicken Noodle Casserole Recipe
Recipe Video
Get the recipe50 Chicken Penne Pasta
51 BBQ Chicken Pizza
52 Dorito Casserole
53 Chicken Fingers Recipe
54 Baked Chicken Nuggets Recipe
55 Mini Deep Dish Pizza Recipe
56 Bean Chimichangas Recipe
57 Mini Pizzas
58 Turkey Meatballs
59 Sloppy Joe Recipe
Kid-Approved Dinner
Pigs in a Blanket have been a kid classic for decades and adults can’t get enough of this wrapped hot dog delicacy either!
The best part is how easy they are to make with the crescent dough and they’re delectably dippable!
Here is the recipe:
50+ Dinner Ideas for Kids
Ingredients
- 1 (8-ounce) can refrigerated crescent rolls
- 8 hot dogs
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon water
- sesame seeds for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
- Open the can of crescent rolls and separate the dough into triangles.
- At the widest end of the triangle piece, place a hot dog length-wise and roll it up in the dough. Place each roll up on the baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, combine egg and water. Brush egg wash over the tops of the rolls. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and press gently into rolls.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So Many Choices!
With so many amazing choices you’re sure to find some new kid-friendly and family-friendly meals the whole family will love!
More Collections: Healthy Dinner Ideas, Pantry Staple Recipes, Beef Dinner Ideas
First, my kids LOVED Macaroni and Cheese recipe on here. I served it with the pigs in a blanket recipe (How my kids reached teen years with my never making these I don’t know). Next time I’ll use parchment paper since some of the “blanket” stuck to my pan.
Also, wanted to give shout out for your pizza dough recipe . i make it almost each week. My kids love using it to make their own personal pizzas.
I love all the yummy food ideas for the kids. There’s really nothing here that the kids won’t eat. Everything is good and not hard to make. Sure to please everyone.
My kids are older, but still so picky! They would love everything in this post! Thanks for sharing these great ideas!