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30+ Kid-Friendly Dinners

December 2, 2020 by Lindsay 2 Comments

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These Kid-Friendly Dinners come highly recommended and are perfect to try with your picky eaters. They’re simple, easy and can be served with a variety of side dishes. 

kid-friendly dinners even the pickiest eaters will love

Hi friends!

Let’s talk kid-friendly dinners, shall we? Lately, I’ve been in a little bit of a dinner rut when it comes to feeding my family. Survival seems to be the name of the game lately and I don’t have a lot of energy left over for dinner planning. Add in that I’ve got a couple of kids who aren’t the most adventurous eaters and it has me falling into the trap of serving many of the same things over and over. 

I decided it was time to learn what some kid-friendly favorites were in other houses so I reached out to my Instagram community and made a list! Of course, some of the responses were the “stereotypical kid dinners”, yet even so, they’re still good ideas! I haven’t made pulled pork sliders in forever and my oldest loves them. So here are 10 easy ideas that don’t even need a recipe:

  1. Spaghetti with Meatballs
  2. Tacos/Nachos
  3. Breakfast for Dinner
  4. Mac and Cheese
  5. Hot Dogs/Pigs in a Blanket
  6. Hamburgers
  7. Quesadillas
  8. Pizza
  9. Chicken Noodle Soup
  10. BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders

Then I made a list of specific types of recipes that were recommended several times like lemon chicken and hamburger helper and asked people to submit links to a specific recipe if they use one and it’s a hit with their family. Here are some fan favorites:

Kid-Friendly Dinners

cheesy ham and rice casserole

  • Cheesy Ham and Rice via Iowa Girl Eats (pictured above)
  • Lemon Chicken via Ina Garten
  • Change Your Life Chicken Shawarma via The Lazy Genius
  • Turkey Pumpkin White Bean Chili via Skinny Taste – top with cheese and Fritos or serve with tortilla chips for scooping
  • Pizza Pasta Bake via Spend with Pennies

pasta e cici

  • Pasta with Chickpeas via Smitten Kitchen (pictured above)
  • Creamy Chicken Quinoa Broccoli Casserole via Pinch of Yum
  • One-Pot Hamburger Helper via The Defined Dish
  • Double Crust Chicken Pot Pie via Sally’s Baking Addiction or this one from Pillsbury
  • Easy Chicken Marinade via The Lean Green Bean – after marinating I cook in a pan with carrots and serve with orzo.

slow cooker whole chicken

  • Fall Apart Slow Cooker Chicken via Wholefully (pictured above)
  • Pesto Chicken Tortellini via The Lean Green Bean (make this even easier by using chicken sausage and just mixing it with pasta, pesto and peas)
  • Skillet Tater Tot Casserole via Iowa Girl Eats
  • Greek-Style Chicken via The Defined Dish
  • Honey Soy Salmon 

cheesy broccoli cauliflower soup

  • Best Broccoli Cauliflower Cheese Soup via Modern Minimalism (pictured above) Serve with crusty bread for dipping!
  • Sloppy Joes via Divas Can Cook
  • Three Layer Lasagna via Barilla
  • Instant Pot Hamburger Stroganoff via Julie’s Eats & Treats
  • Shrimp Scampi (replace zoodles with regular noodles if you want. You can also sub chicken for shrimp)

oven baked chicken parmesan

  • Chicken Parmesan via Well Plated (pictured above)
  • Meatloaf via The Wholesome Dish
  • Instant Pot Crack Chicken Pasta via Plain Chicken
  • Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta via Crafty Morning
  • Swedish Meatballs via Damn Delicious

 

A few more ideas to try:

  1. Chicken Tortilla Soup – especially served with tortilla chips for dipping
  2. Fish Sticks – you could make your own. I buy mine premade. Easy way to get fish into all 3 kids at my house.
  3. Chow Mein – I loved this dish as a kid and I was a VERY picky eater
  4. Stuffed Shells – start simple with just sausage and cheese and then you can start working some veggies in!

Let’s chat:

Do your kids have a favorite recipe?

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

 

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Filed Under: Dinner, Kids

About Lindsay

Lindsay Livingston is a Registered Dietitian and new mom from Columbus, Ohio. On her blog, she shares simple, healthy recipes, nutrition tips, workouts and snapshots of her life. Follow her on Twitter @LeanGrnBeanBlog and Instagram @TheLeanGreenBean and be sure to subscribe via RSS or email so you never miss a post!

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Comments

  1. Meghan says

    December 2, 2020 at 12:39 PM

    Thank you so much for this list!! I have it book marked. I can’t wait to cook my way through it. Really appreciate all you do—it’s super helpful!

    Reply
  2. Ivie M Enriquez says

    December 2, 2020 at 5:30 PM

    I am always looking for ideas. I have a VERY picky child, who just wants all things carb – crackers, bread, chips. He won’t eat meat (except chicken nuggets), and only grilled cheese sandwiches and sometimes a cheese quesadilla. Very unwilling to try new food. He does love fruit and some raw veggies (does not like them cooked).
    I think I just need to make more stuff and see what he eats.

    My other kid eats anything and everything…..

    Reply

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lindsay livingston, Registered Dietitian from Columbus, OH, owner of the lean green bean

Hi, I’m Lindsay! I’m a Registered Dietitian and mom of three from Columbus, Ohio. I use this blog to share simple, healthy recipes, nutrition tips, and an honest glimpse of motherhood!

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