12 Kid Dinners That Aren’t Chicken Nuggets Or Buttered Noodles

Creamy chicken and rice is a hearty, filling dinner the entire family will love. Princess Pinky Girl’s recipe includes a little garlic and parm, and some carrots — one of the more palatable veggies to kids when cooked.

Spaghetti is a great kid dinner idea, but sometimes it’s a little hard to wrangle from plate to mouth for younger kids. Tessie’s Table’s baked spaghetti is perfect for this. It amps up the cheesy goodness so spaghetti feels new again for the whole family, and it’s a little easier to grab with a fork. Plus, you know the kids will all eat breadsticks.

Quesadillas are a win with most kids, and making a big batch on a sheet pan (as Family Fresh Meals’ recipe can teach you) makes feeding the whole fam so easy. This is a dish you can set out with lots of toppings — sour cream, salsa, avocado, and more — to let each kid add what they want to their plate and leave out the rest.

All The Healthy Things’ Greek chicken bowls look like a nope for kids, but think about it — the base is plain rice and chicken. If you know your kids will at least eat that, you can set out all the additions for them to eyeball and try if they’re willing. You might be surprised what they take a nibble of if it sits on the table long enough.

Family Fresh Meal’s pizza dippers are so easy to make if you have a waffle iron and a can of crescent rolls in the fridge. This is the perfect kid dinner if you need to know they’ll eat well tonight — between the familiar flavors and the novelty, this recipe should be a slam dunk.

Do I expect your kids to eat the peppers and farro in this dish? Absolutely not. But smoked sausage browned in the skillet is crispy and salty, so bacon-loving kids may be able to make the jump pretty easily. Just set some of the sausage aside for them before adding all the other goodies for you — Budget Bytes’ recipe makes it easy to do.

We all loved Spaghetti-Os and Chef Boyardee as kids, did we not? Family Fresh Meals can teach you how to make classic beefaroni at home. Her recipe is a medley of elbow pasta, ground beef, sharp cheddar, and tomato sauce, all of which is on most kids’ “will eat” list.

I don’t know about your kids, but mine loves a good steak — he’s only human. Tessie’s Table’s recipe for garlic butter steak bites is quick and easy to make. My local grocery store has steak bites pre-cut and on sale often, but we usually pass on them because they get well done too easily, but for our son, that is actually just fine.

If your kid likes tuna, you have to try these tuna melt bites from Family Fresh Meals. They’re easier to eat than the classic sandwich, ready in 30 minutes, and only require a handful of ingredients. These are perfect served with chips and fruit — an easy breezy weeknight dinner if ever there was one.

If your kid likes meatballs in spaghetti, try transitioning that into Italian meatball subs, like these from Damn Delicious. It’s a great way to enjoy them in a new format, and the mini size makes them easier for kid hands to hold.

Feel Good Foodie’s crispy salmon fish sticks look so good I want them for myself, kids be damned. Whether you make something else with your portion of salmon or share in the fish stick fun, your kids are bound to be happy about this dinner idea.

Listen, if all else fails, you can always drop some chicken and broccoli into a pot of homemade mac and cheese — this recipe from Budget Bytes only takes 30 minutes. If you use something your kid likes as the bulk of the meal, you know they’ll leave the table full and having at least had the chance to nibble on some nutritious additions.