10 Easy and Quick Dinners Recipes for Kids

6 Comments
5 minutes
October 28, 2022
Andi Gleeson

Thanks for stopping by to see this collection of 10 Kid-Friendly Dinners! I have been snapping pictures lately of what my kids eat (which usually doesn’t match what we eat), and I wanted to share some of these easy kid dinner ideas with you. Some of them are new, and others are Weary Chef recipes that have been officially kid-approved.

10 Kid Friendly Dinners | The Weary Chef

DINNER FOR KIDS IS A CHALLENGE!

My boys eating their own dinner is mainly because of schedule because my husband gets home on the late side. They have always eaten around 5:30, and The Pants and I don’t eat until around 8:00.  Since I make two rounds of dinner every night, I am a huge fan of easy recipes, but I still want everyone to be eating healthy food. My boys do eat their share of chicken tenders and hot dogs (although I try to get the most natural kinds I can find), but they are always paired with whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables.

On a picky scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being a beige-food diet and 10 being happily eating escargot, I’d say my boys are around a 6.5. They do eat a variety of foods, but they need to be pretty simple. Gravy and sauces are generally a no, and soy sauce makes everything better. Let’s get to the list of 10 dinners they love!

10 DINNER RECIPES FOR KIDS

1. HEALTHY SALAD AS DINNER FOR KIDS

As it turns out, my kids love salad! This is good news because it’s a healthy meal, and it’s easy to mix up new salads with what we have on hand to keep it from getting boring. My first kid-friendly dinner idea is this salad with romaine lettuce, diced organic chicken tenders (baked in the toaster oven), green olives, tomatoes, and shredded cheese.

Kid friendly salad with olives, chicken, tomatoes, and cheese | The Weary Chef

2. BLACK BEANS AND RICE AS DINNER FOR MY KIDS

Black beans and rice is such versatile dish, and we all love it. In this picture, I served the kids beans and rice with diced avocado, plum, and baked chicken seasoned with Cajun seasoning. The plates were cleaned!

Kid dinner idea: Beans and rice with chicken, avocado, and fruit | The Weary Chef

3. MY KIDS LOVE MEATBALLS PASTA!

Pasta is always a hit as long as it doesn’t have tomato sauce on it (as far as The Tall One is concerned). This easy dinner is simply whole wheat pasta, turkey meatballs cut in half (homemade or frozen meatballs will do), steamed broccoli, and grated parmesan cheese all tossed together.

Easy kid friendly pasta dish with meatballs, broccoli, and parmesan | The Weary Chef

4. PASTA SALAD AS DINNER FOR KIDS

Another easy pasta dish is this Kid Friendly Pasta Salad loaded with chicken, cheese, and edamame. It’s easy to make ahead and makes great lunch box fare too!

Kid Friendly Pasta Salad #easyrecipe #sidedish by @wearychef

5. SPECIAL CHEESBURGERS FOR DINNER

Remember these cheeseburger treasures? This is another kid-friendly recipe using turkey meatballs. These are fun and simple to make, and the whole family loves them!

Cheeseburger Pockets - Easy, fun recipe with only 3 ingredients! wearychef.com

6. QUESADILLA AS DINNER FOR KIDS

Who doesn’t love quesadillas? These Chicken and Bean Quesadillas are a staple at our house, and I recommend serving them with baby carrots and fresh fruit.

Chicken and Bean Quesadillas - #protein packed #dinner the family will love! by @wearychef

7. EASY DINNER FOR KIDS USING LEFTOVERS

This one might be surprising to you since my kids are usually against sauces. They both love this Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff though, and it is so easy to heat up as leftovers.

Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff - You will love this #easy #slowcooker #stroganoff recipe! by @wearychef

8. ASIAN DINNER FOR KIDS

My next kid-friendly dinner is this Easy Asian Stir Fry. Simply saute diced chicken, broccoli florets, drained baby corn, and water chestnuts in a tablespoon of oil. Drizzle a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce over the mixture while cooking, and serve over brown rice. You can add or substitute whatever vegetables you like of course, and a little black bean sauce would be a nice addition if your kids will eat it! (I didn’t want to press my luck.)

Easy Chinese Stir Fry - Kids love this dinner with chicken, vegetables, and rice! | The Weary Chef

9. CREAMY DINNER SOUP FOR KIDS

Both of my boys love this Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup. It’s a great leftover, so I can make it the night before and heat it up for their dinner the next day. It is a very healthy meal!

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup - Satisfying, healthy #soup #recipe by @wearychef

10. MAC AND CHEESE AS A CREAMY DINNER FOR KIDS

What’s the final kid-pleaser I want to share? Creamy Easy Mac and Cheese! We do cook up boxed macaroni and cheese more often than I’d like to admit, but when I make the time to serve up this homemade version, both boys LOVE it! Serve with chicken or a hot dog and fruit salad, and your kids will surely be telling you that you are the best mom or dad ever (which is true)!

Creamy Easy Macaroni and Cheese - Stir cold ingredients with cooked pasta and bake for a deliciously cheesy side dish! | The Weary Chef

WHAT ARE THE DINNER RECIPES FOR KIDS YOU PREFER?

I really hope you got some good ideas for dinners to put a smile on everyone’s face in your family! Do you have other kid-friendly dinners to share? I would love to hear your ideas in the comments!

Andi Gleeson, food blogger

Andi Gleeson

Andi Gleeson is a passionate blogger and mom based in San Francisco who focuses on easy and delicious dinner recipes.

6 comments

tanya
11 years ago

What a great list Andi! I’m so sure my kids would love these meals! I know I would too!

The Weary Chef
11 years ago

Thanks, Tanya! It’s hard to not eat their leftovers and then I end up eating 1.5 dinners ;)

Lisa@ Cooking with Curls
11 years ago

I think I would loose my mind if I had to prepare two separate meals every night! :)

The Weary Chef
11 years ago

Most days I don’t mind because I’m used to it and it’s part of the routine, plus the kids dinners are always pretty basic and easy to make. Some days when I get them to bed I go order pizza though because I can’t bear to cook again when I’m so wiped out!

Liz
11 years ago

You are such an over-achiever, Andi. Ten recipes!!!! I can only bow at your culinary altar :-) That chicken-and-wild rice soup will find a home here as my oldest loves it. Have yet to find a recipe that’s not overly thick and yours looks to be the thing.

And yes to soy sauce. My youngest always refers to it as “the sauce” and it’s hilarious to see reactions to her asking for the sauce when we’re with others. Agreed that it makes everything go down easier–veggies included.

Hope your new routine goes well. I send my girlies back next Tues and I’m looking forward to joining you again for Happy Hour. Still have to make your Lemon Drop 0-:

The Weary Chef
11 years ago

Hi, Liz! I almost extended the list to 15, but I thought I would just do another one in a couple months :) I’m glad my kids aren’t the only soy sauce hounds. I’ve now gotten away with just sprinkling a little salt on their broccoli, but my oldest used to only eat it if it was sauteed in soy sauce. Hey, at least they are eating vegetables, right?

Tomorrow’s cocktail is an easy one. I bet you’ll have everything on hand!

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