These kid-friendly dinner ideas are easy, quick, and nutritious. Let’s talk easy dinner ideas that both kids and grown-ups will love!

All of these family-friendly dinners can be prepared in under an hour or can be made with energy-saving tools like a slow cooker or Instant Pot! They are all well-suited to busy weeknights when you just want to get a filling, healthy meal on the table.

What can I feed my picky eater for dinner?

We know feeding kids with…selective tastes to eat the same thing as the adults. But who wants to make multiple meals for one family dinner? Nobody, that’s who.

We take three routes when it comes to feeding our families with picky eaters:

1. Make recipes that both the kids and adults enjoy, and offer condiments or toppings to add complexity on the side.
2. Cook dinner recipes as separate components so that everyone can mix and match to their taste. Put out all the parts of a burrito bowl separately, for instance, and everyone can assemble their own dish to their tastes.
3. Cook what the grown-ups want to eat, offer a side that we know the kids like, and hope for the best.

The recipes in this collection will help you achieve the first two.

What are some good kid-friendly dinner ideas?

Check out these reader favorites:

• Baked Chicken Meatballs with spaghetti and garlic bread. Serve with your favorite tomato sauce, and allow each family member to add as much (or little) sauce as they’d like.
• Instant Pot Mac and Cheese takes the same amount of time to make as the classic boxed kind but it has a lot more flavor.
• Chicken Spinach Alfredo Pizza is great for kids who don’t like red sauce. If they won’t eat the spinach, leave it off half the pizza.
• Chicken and Veggie Fajitas are easy for each family member to customize.
• Bacon Brown Sugar Baked Beans are sweet, savory, and cozy.
• Creamy Taco Pasta Skillet is what comfort food dreams are made of. Offer the sour cream and cilantro on the side, so kids can use as much or as little as they’d like.
• Almond-Crusted Chicken Strips are like make-your-own chicken tenders! If your kids don’t like spice, use plain almonds instead of the honey-chipotle ones.
• Creamy Turkey Gnocchi Soup is beloved by all, and can be made with chicken in place of the turkey if you’d like.
• Swedish Meatballs are made with a blend of ground pork and ground beef, and are great served over mashed potatoes or rice.

Happy cooking!