20 Kid-Friendly Recipes That Will Save Your Weeknights
Say hello to the Clean Plate Club.
Kara Peeler
After the chaos of school pickups and soccer practices, getting dinner on the table can feel like a daunting task. The last thing you want is for a picky eater to leave their plate uneaten. So, we’ve compiled a list of menu options that’ll bring smiles to parents and kids alike for stress-free suppers. Gone are the days of struggling to feed your fussy eater.
Sit around the dinner table and dig into these dishes that balance nutritious ingredients with comforting flavors. Indulge in classic kids menu items like corn dogs or spaghetti and meatballs, or try out elevated versions of fan-favorites like the Golden Gate Grilled Cheese or Extra-Special Quesadillas. Whip up creamy, aromatic Peanut Noodles with Tofu in just one pot for a hassle-free meal packed with protein and produce. Or, hide veggies in sauces, like this pasta where butternut squash adds in extra nutrition amid cheesy goodness.
Ready to shake up dinnertime? Prepare to impress your little ones with these 20 kid-friendly recipes:
1 /20Aubrie Pick
Kids’ Butternut Squash Pasta with Edamame
As a mother of three, restaurateur and cookbook author Ayesha Curry knows a thing or two about getting her little ones to eat vegetables. For her line of Homemade meal kits, she’s replaced the cream and some of the cheddar in this mac ’n’ cheese lookalike with a velvety butternut squash purée.
2 /20Thomas J. Story
Lucie’s Lasagna
Thomas McNaughton, the chef and co-owner of Flour + Water and several other restaurants in San Francisco, named this hearty, well-structured lasagna for its biggest fan—his baby daughter, Lucie. It’s also an ideal make-ahead dish, since it tastes even better when assembled the day before.
3 /20Annabelle Breakey
Campanile’s Spaghetti and Meatballs in Red Sauce
This dish illustrates the principle that, as chef Mark Peel says, “It’s not what you do, it’s how you do it.” The meatballs have three kinds of meat for flavor; they’re made carefully and not overworked; and the sauce is clingy.
4 /20Thomas J. Story
Neo Margherita Pizza
“The Neo Margherita was one of the first pizzas I created at Pizzana,” Naples-born, California-based chef Daniele Uditi says. “While I’ll always love a classic margherita, I wanted to play with tradition and find a way to reinterpret it for an entirely new experience. The basil crumb topping ensures that every bite has an infusion of basil flavor, and we invert the construction so the tomato ‘sauce’ is actually a reduction featured on top of each slice.”
5 /20Iain Bagwell
Quick Chicken Potpie
Everyone loves chicken potpie, but it takes two hours to make. We’ve traded from-scratch pie dough for homemade croutons, creating a great potpie in half the time.
6 /20Greg DuPree
Black Bean Chili
Serve a delicious vegetarian chili recipe for your next low-key gathering or family dinner for a hearty meal.
7 /20Annabelle Breakey
Golden Gate Grilled Cheese
Like a Monte Cristo, only better. The parmesan crust is pure genius.
8 /20Annabelle Breakey
BLT Chicken Burgers
Poultry burgers have a reputation for being dry and bland, but jazzed up with sharp cheddar, parmesan, and garlic—and then topped with crisp bacon, juicy tomatoes, and lettuce—they’re boldness in a bun.
9 /20Annabelle Breakey
BBQ Chicken Salad Subs
Tasty and convenient for busy evenings: You can find most of the ingredients for these quick and delicious sandwiches pre-prepped at the grocery store.
10 /20Erin Kunkel
Cowboy Hot Dogs
With several toppings, including caramelized onions, bacon, and barbecue sauce, these can be customized for a range of diners, from those who like their dogs plain to those who want them fully loaded and hearty enough to fuel a day out on the range.
11 /20Annabelle Breakey
Corn Dogs
These are daintier, fluffier versions of those carnival behemoths, but they still go great with mustard and ketchup.
12 /20Annabelle Breakey
Tofu Fries with Gingered Ketchup
Cookbook writer and cooking teacher Andrea Nguyen gives these tofu fries an Indian twist—the gingered ketchup.
13 /20Iain Bagwell
Grilled Eggplant Naan Wraps with Tahini-Yogurt Dressing
You may want to make extra, because leftovers are fantastic for lunch the next day.
14 /20Annabelle Breakey
Crazed Mom’s Easy Steak and Garam Masala Naan-wiches
Former food editor Elaine Johnson said she gets this dinner going while she grocery shops for the week:
“On my mark: I toss a flank steak (very thin and therefore fast to cook on a hot fire) in a ridiculously easy marinade, dump charcoal in a chimney, alert husband to light the fire, and call children to set the table. Get set: I’m off to the market, where I careen through aisles, piling food into the cart. Back home, go! Toss meat on grill. Zip in house to make sauce from marinade. Warm up bread. Pile watercress in bowl. Slice meat. Sit down with happy family. ”
15 /20Annabelle Breakey
Peanut Noodles with Tofu
These creamy noodles are a crowd pleaser, and you can easily change out the tofu for chicken if you like.
16 /20Annabelle Breakey
Tofu Noodle Bowl
Fresh ginger gives this soup its big, bright flavor.
17 /20Annabelle Breakey
Crab Rangoons
Packed with fresh crab, these indulgent appetizers are a step up from the rangoons (deep-fried dumplings) often sold at Chinese restaurants. They can be made ahead and frozen, then cooked before dinner. Set out several dipping sauces, as everyone seems to have a favorite.
18 /20Iain Bagwell
Chicken Fajita Burritos with Feta Crema
Who doesn’t love burritos? Bonus: It’s easy to customize toppings or spice-level for pickier eaters.
19 /20Thomas J. Story
Extra-Special Quesadillas
“These quesadillas are even tastier than the usual kind because they’re stuffed with cheese and fluffy scrambled eggs,” writes Berkeley author Carolyn Federman, who contributed this recipe from her book New Favorites for New Cooks.
20 /20Annabelle Breakey; Dan Becker
Chorizo-Beef Nachos
The ultimate crowd-pleaser, nachos were invented in 1943 by a maître d’ in Piedras Negras, Mexico (just south of the Texas border). Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya, working a solo shift at the Victory Club restaurant, cobbled together a pile of tortilla chips topped with melted cheese and pickled jalapeños for a group of U.S. military wives in for a snack. His creation became hugely popular, paving the way for massive concession-stand revenues across America.