48 Tasty Kid-Friendly Dinner Ideas That Grown-Ups Can Enjoy, Too
These recipes'll ensure you've got eager members of the Clean Plate Club.
If you've got kids who are little—or a little picky—dinnertime can quickly turn into a nightly battle. Sometimes you end up making two dinners, one for the adults and one for the kiddos. And on busy weeknights, it can be hard to do all that cooking and dish washing on top of everything else that needs to be done!
To hopefully help simplify weeknight dinners so everyone can leave the table full and satisfied, we've put together our best kid-friendly recipes. Adults, you'll like these too!
These recipes are generally healthy, sometimes with some smart or sneaky veggies tucked in, but also yummy—with enough flavor that adults shouldn't mind eating them, either. Add a few to your weekly rotation—and see what happens. You can feel good about serving them, and they're tasty enough that hopefully your kids will give them a try. You might even be left with some plates licked entirely clean!
More Family-Friendly Dinner Recipes:
Tuna Empanadas
Pro tip: Want to get kids to eat a healthier meal? Make it look fun! Case in point: these delicious and easy empanadas. By leaning on ready-made pie dough, we've taken a lot of the effort out of making them. And, by filling them with inexpensive, easy-to-make, and delicious canned tuna, we've ensured that they're the perfect healthy treat perfect for a grab-and-go dinner or movie night edibles.
Tater Tot Casserole
Known around the Upper Midwest as "hot dish," this pure comfort-food classic is one of our favorite ways to get picky eaters to stop, well, picking, and clean their plates.
Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
Beloved by kids everywhere, and also parents because it can be made in the slow cooker!
Easy Weeknight Veggie-and-Bean Burritos
These fast, tasty burritos are good and good for you!
Sesame Chicken Meatballs
Why are meatballs such a fun food? These playful spheres are dressed in a sweet honey-ginger sauce, just like the the take-out they're inspired by, for a kid-friendly food that adults will like, too.
Hot Dogs With Quick Cast-Iron Beans
The great thing about hot dogs is that the kids love them and they're super quick and easy to make!
Classic Stuffed Shells
Stuffed shells, filled with spinach, three kinds of cheese, and doused in tomato sauce, is a classic, delicious, easy-to-make weeknight dinner that you can be sure the kids will want to eat.
And it's pretty budget-friendly, too!
No-Fuss Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Texas Toast
Who doesn't love coming home to an already-cooked meal? Serve up this super simple recipe with a smart barbecue side dish and watch it just fly off the table.
Chicken Finger Sub with Cabbage Slaw
Make one big sandwich and cut slices, or make your own individual sandwiches! The whole family is sure to love this one.
The Smartest, Tastiest Chicken Quesadillas
The secret to these super delicious, easy-as-pie weeknight quesadillas? A quick sauce made from flour and stock flavors the cooked veggies and helps them to stick together, so they don't fall out as you're eating.
Ultimate Two-Beef Chili
Growing up, chili night was one of my favorites. I loved getting a bowl and piling it up with shredded Cheddar, sour cream, and a handful of crushed tortilla chips. Give your kids the same joy with this hearty ground-beef-and-chuck-roast version.
Chicken Tetrazzini
This delicious, stick-to-your-ribs casserole is like a kid's dream meal: Noodles and chicken and a creamy sauce that can't be beat.
Bagel Pizzas
Whether you need a last-minute dinner or a lightning-fast snack, nothing beats this yummy dish. We've even got a sneaky-smart way to keep it a little less messy—and cook it faster.
Tuna Melt
The underrated tuna melt, that staple of diners everywhere, deserves to be making a big time comeback.
First, it's as tasty as can be. Second, it's easy to make, and third, you probably have most of the ingredients in your fridge or pantry right now. What are you waiting for?
Ground Chicken Noodle Casserole
Covered in cheese and crunchy breadcrumbs, casseroles are classic dishes with whole family appeal. If you get some whining about the green bits, do what mama always did: put a little ketchup on it.
Slow Cooker Beef Tacos
One of our favorite responses to the picky-eater conundrum is make the meal a choose-your-own adventure. Slow-cook beef until it's fall-apart tender, then set out an array of toppings and your favorite tortillas, and everyone gets to include (or leave out) whatever they want!
Sweet-and-Sour Chicken Meatballs
We also turned an even sweeter takeout classic, sweet and sour chicken, into a meatball. Who can resist that? (You're welcome.)
Weeknight Tex-Mex Chicken Enchiladas
Chicken enchiladas are an easy way to use up extra or leftover chicken. Skipped the bottled sauce and make your own.
Tortellini Meatball Soup
Here's a recipe to please both kids and adults. Cheesy tortellini and yummy meatballs are surefire hits, but the recipe has enough elegance to make mom and dad smile, too.
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