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Make family dinner easier with this master list of dinner ideas for kids…that grownups will enjoy too! These are some of our favorite meals using pasta, chicken, vegetarian staples, pizza flavors, and fast methods to help you feed your family day in and day out.
Dinner Ideas for Kids
Make dinner a little easier with this master list of easy dinner ideas for kids. These are some of my best kid-friendly recipes for dinner. And each was developed with little kids in mind AND meant to be easy enough for you to pull off in short spurts of time.
I try my hardest to make recipes that the kids will enjoy and that parents will also want to eat to simplify how much we’re cooking. And I hope this collection offers some ideas the next time you’ve otherwise run out of easy toddler dinners or easy weeknight family dinners.!
I’ve divided these up into sections so you can use the links right below here to go to the one you want, or simply scroll down to see what looks good!
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Pasta Recipes for Kids
Pasta is a staple dinner option and the ones here are some of our favorite toddler recipes. And never underestimate the power of plain buttered noodles with a little Parmesan with a simple side—not every dinner has to be all out complicated!
Easy Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe
This is an easy family dinner or lunch. I like to use Spinach Pesto for this, but any will work if you prefer to buy it pre-made from the store.
With a simple cheese sauce—no standing and stirring over the stove here!—a solid dose of veggies, and a super creamy final result, this Cauliflower Mac and Cheese is a fast lunch or dinner option for toddlers. (And the rest of the family, too!)
Friends, meet my new favorite lightning fast dish. This Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese requires just 5 simple ingredients, zero prep work, and is just the yummiest pasta recipe!
This easy skillet dinner is super cozy and super versatile. You can use freshly diced butternut squash or precut squash from the store and frozen peas or broccoli according to what you have or prefer. See the Notes for vegetarian options.
Mixing up chicken recipes for kids is an easy way to make dinner more interesting for everyone at the table. And whether the kids like nuggets, tenders, meatballs, or chicken sandwiches, there are plenty of options here.
Crispy Baked Chicken Nuggets
These baked chicken nuggets have simple ingredients and a pleasantly crispy exterior. Aim to cut the chicken into similarly sized pieces so they bake evenly.
With just four simple and affordable ingredients, you can make tender Baked Chicken Meatballs to share with the kids. Bonus: You can tuck a veggie into the mix, and they are perfect to batch-cook and stash in the freezer!
These crispy Chicken Tenders are fast and versatile. To make these with panko breadcrumbs, use 1 cup and stir ¼ teaspoon salt into the flour before you dredge the chicken.
With just a few ingredients, you can transform chicken into the yummiest Chicken Fritters to share with the kids. These are great as a baby-led weaning food, a nutritious finger food, or just a delish family dinner option.
With just two ingredients, you can cook up deliciously moist and tender Instant Pot BBQ Chicken to use over noodles or rice or in sandwiches. So easy—and ready in about 20 minutes!
Forget takeout—deliver this popular Indian dish to your table instead. Shredded chicken thighs are coated in a rich, buttery sauce with hints of tomatoes, ginger, and garam masala—a messy but very flavorful finger food. Adapted from The Multi-Cooker Baby Food Cookbook.
Crispy on the outside and tender in the middle, these Homemade Chicken Nuggets are both easy and delicious. You can prep the sweet potato up to 5 days ahead if that's easier for you, too. Try serving these with ketchup, ranch, or marinara sauce.
If you have a vegetarian household or you just want more meatless meals to reduce your grocery budget, here are some of our favs. (Those Tofu Nuggets are so darn delish!)
Crispy Baked Tofu Nuggets
If you want your kids to eat and enjoy tofu, these crispy Baked Tofu Nuggets are a great option to try. They’re super crunchy, perfect for dipping, and they’re loaded with plant-protein, iron, and calcium.
Try this quick family dinner the next time you're craving fresh comfort food—and want to please the entire family! You can add a protein to this dish if you'd like. See the Notes for options.
For those nights when you want a super quick and healthy family dinner, this 20-minute Vegetable Stir Fry should be on your must-make list. (Plan to cook the rice ahead of time or to get it started first.)
We bake these Zucchini Fritters since they are easier to cook and easier to clean up. If you have a lot of zucchini, you can double the recipe to make a full muffin tin's worth!
These tender Egg Muffins are packed with protein and vitamins—and can be made ahead of time! Add any veggie you like, whether carrots, butternut squash, broccoli, or spinach.
You can use ABC pasta, orzo, pastina, or ditalini—or any other very small pasta shape in this Alphabet Soup recipe. And you can start with fresh or frozen veggies. See below for options.
Use the crock pot to cook up a hearty and nutritious Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup with veggies and lots of kid-friendly flavor. It's easy, versatile, and a great freezer meal
I know that takeout pizza (or frozen!) is always an easy option, but here are a few more pizza recipes for kids in case you want to try a different pizza flavor. (Sign me up for Pizza Bites!)
Favorite Pizza Bites
Fluffy pizza bites are a delicious lunch or dinner option—and you can customize the filling to please your kids! We like these with a little side of warmed marinara sauce for dipping.
With three simple ingredients, iron and vitamin C in the sauce, and a kid-friendly format, this super easy Pesto Pizza is a perfect kids lunch or dinner that parents will enjoy, too!
Whether you're looking for a healthy make-ahead dinner for the whole family or a new way to serve up veggies, these Homemade Pizza Pockets are a delish option. (If using Homemade Pizza Dough, make it at least an hour before you plan to assemble the pockets. If using store-bought, let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes so it's not too cold when you try to form the pockets.)
This Pizza Rolls recipe is packed with nutrition—and even greens!—but the cheese and silly spiral shape makes them much more appealing to toddlers and big kids. Be sure to grease your pan well and roll the dough up fairly tightly around the fillings for best results. (But it's okay if they don't look perfect when they go into the pan!)
With an easy method and a fun result, these Pizza Cups are a yummy dinner to share with the kids. They're ready in under 30 minutes, can be made with homemade or store-bought pizza dough, and work with any toppings your kids like!
Most of the recipes in this post do have veggies in them, but here are some dinner ideas for kids that go a little beyond. Find nuggets, tots, savory muffins and more that pack in the vegetables!
Homemade Veggie Nuggets (with 3 Veggies!)
I like to prep the veggies and rice ahead of time so that the process of making the nuggets is a little quicker. You can of course do it all at once though!
Homemade Broccoli Tots (Better Than the Freezer Aisle!)
Crispy on the outside and tender in the middle, these tots are a seriously fun way to serve broccoli. You can cook the rice up to 5 days ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you're ready to bake the tots.
With two veggies right in the sauce, this Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese is a favorite kids dinner. (Try having the kids make it with you and watch the veggies disappear!)
I find it easiest to make a list of foods and recipes they like, then try to plan family dinners around that list. So your list may vary from mine, but that can be a great place to start.
What dinners for kids do you make when you don’t want to cook?
Use simple sides for dinners for kids like fresh fruits, applesauce, whole grain crackers, cheese, and fruit cups to round out meals when needed. This can also provide a safety net at the table for “picky eaters“.
Aim to include 1-2 foods the kids usually like (even if they are the simple sides above) to help make sure family meals work for everyone at the table.
Remember that family meals are about nutrition and filling bellies, yes, but also about being together and connecting—and sometimes the kids just aren’t super hungry.
Take all of the shortcuts you need to make dinner happen for your family.
Start with small portions to lessen food waste and keep meals family-friendly.
Remind kids to share before taking seconds (or thirds).
Add buttered spaghetti, roasted potatoes, carrots and ranch, applesauce, diced fruit, and other dips on the side.
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