Easy Weeknight Dinners for Kids
Easy weeknight dinners for kids can be a lifesaver when you’re juggling work, school, and extracurricular activities. Kid-friendly meals don’t have to be complicated or time-consuming to be delicious! Simple and easy is the way to go when planning dinner for kids!
Easy Weeknight Dinners for Kids
From quick soups loaded with protein and veggies to hearty one-pot chili, there are countless options to keep the whole family happy and well-fed. I like to use of a slow cooker to prepare dinner in the morning to cook all day or a dutch oven to make dinner quickly. Of course there are nights we eat on the road, but for the most part I try to make dinner at home during the week. Here are is our Top 10 Favorite Kid Meals:
Top 10 Favorite Kid Meals
- Dutch Oven Chili — There are so many ways to make chili in a dutch oven, but these are my kids’ most requested: White Bean Chicken Chili and Sweet Potato Turkey Chili.
- Lasagna Soup — Everyone loves lasagna, but it takes a long time to prep and make. This 5 ingredient Lasagna Soup is one of the easiest weeknight dinners for kids.
- Vegetable Soup — Pre-cut or frozen vegetables makes this Fall Vegetable Soup or this Clean Out the Fridge Soup a fast meal for families.
- Pulled Pork Sandwiches — You’ll need a crockpot to slowly cook the pork, but we all know slow cooker recipes make the easiest dinners.
- Chicken Sausage and Spinach Pasta — This is actually a soup recipe, but if you eliminate some of the broth it becomes more like a hearty pasta.
- Meatball Pizza Balls — You’ll thank me later for this one! Required ingredients: meatballs, string cheese, a jar of sauce and pre-made pizza dough.
- Chicken and Rice Burritos — I’ve yet to write down a recipe because Chicken and Rice Burritos are so simple. All you need to do is cook 1 pound of ground chicken with 1 packet of taco seasoning in a skillet. Then make 1 box of yellow rice. The rest of the burrito ingredients is up to the family: cheese, lettuce, olives, salsa, guacamole, and so on.
- Turkey Meatloaf — Only one of my girls objects to Turkey Meatloaf dinner, but she is always happy to just eat the sides. I usually serve it with salad or a vegetable, as well as rice or a baked potato.
- Pasta with Broccoli and Parmesan Cheese -Steam-fresh broccoli, the kids’ favorite pasta noodle, butter and grated cheese combined makes for a quick delicious dinner. Note: You can also make a Pasta Bake ahead of time and reheat for dinner.
- Cold Pasta Salad — This make ahead dinner idea requires a little bit of prep time, but Cold Pasta Salad is loved by the whole family. Combine cooked cooled pasta, diced cucumber, chick peas, black olives and Italian dressing in a large bowl. My Orzo Salad is a great recipe to reference, but substitute Rotini pasta instead. There are lots of optional add on ingredients, like cubed cheese, pepperoni/salami bites, tomatoes, peppers, mozzarella cheese balls, etc.
Q: What is an Alternative to Cooking Dinner on Busy Weeknights
A: Kids Snack Plate
Originally published at https://caitlinhoustonblog.com on September 10, 2024.
