67 Family-Friendly Dinners Kids Can’t Wait to Eat
The good news about “family-friendly dinners?” They can be whatever you want them to be. Loaded sweet potato wedges eaten straight from the sheet pan? Absolutely. Or maybe it’s a dose of nostalgia by way of movie night sloppy joes, updated with a fiery kick of gochujang.
These kid-approved dinner ideas run the gamut, with plenty of options for adventurous and picky eaters alike. Whether tonight calls for a cozy soup (that you can set and forget in your Instant Pot if your hands are full), or you’re planning ahead for some easy fish tacos (we have a hunch they’ll become part of your regular weeknight dinner rotation), there are plenty of meal ideas here your whole family will agree on.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca1/67BBQ Mushroom Pizza
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Catherine Campbell Pearson2/67Easy Fish Tacos With Spicy Sauce
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Nicole Louie3/67Baked Tomato Feta Pasta
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Spencer Richards, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua4/67Zhug-Marinated Chicken Thighs
Store-bought zhug, a Yemeni-spiced cilantro sauce, and your broiler are the shortcuts to juicy, charred, baked chicken without a grill.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht5/67Cottage Cheese Lasagna
High-protein cottage cheese takes the place of often-pricier ricotta in this thrifty-ish lasagna. More shocking: mozzarella is out too, in favor of tangy super-melter Fontina.
Photograph by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi6/67Basil Chicken Stir-Fry
So tired you’re considering takeout? Try this simple, speedy stir-fry instead, which comes together in 25 minutes but tastes restaurant-quality.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton, Prop Styling by Christina Allen7/67Steak Salad With Feta Dressing
Thirty minutes is all it takes to serve juicy steak ribboned through crisp lettuce to your people. The tangy dressing is like Caesar, minus the anchovies (picky eaters, rejoice).
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro9/67Stuffed Poblanos With Beans and Greens
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Alexandra Massillon11/67Best-Ever Smash Burgers
Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Food Styling by Thu Buser, and Prop Styling by Christina Allen12/67Jalapeño Popper Skillet Tacos
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Thu Buser, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua13/67Filipino Spaghetti
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton, Prop Styling by Christina Allen14/67Quick Butter-Braised Tomatoes and Dumplings
Photograph by Elizabeth Coetzee, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht15/67Crispy Tofu With Peanut Sauce
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Micah Morton, Prop Styling by JoJo Li16/67Tofu and Green Pea Curry
Photograph by Victoria Jane, Food Styling by Mallory Lance, Prop Styling by Alexandra Massillon17/67BA’s Best Tuna Casserole
Photograph by Cody Guilfoyle, Prop Styling by Nicole Louie, Food Styling Thu Buser18/67Three-Cup Chicken With Scissor-Cut Noodles
The undisputed star of this saucy, savory chicken recipe? The quick-snipped, weeknight-friendly homemade noodles. Keep your kitchen shears at the ready.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Stephanie De Luca19/67Crunchwrap for a Crowd
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Micah Morton, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro20/67Easy-to-Love Chicken Thighs and Couscous
Photograph by Isa Zapata21/67Spring Orzotto
Much faster than risotto. This lemony, bright orzotto gets its herby savoriness from a pantry savior: store-bought jarred pesto.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams22/67One-Pot Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Buffalo Chicken Dip is a bona fide crowd-pleaser. Now you enjoy it by the bowlful with this one-pot pasta dish.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones and Thu Buser, prop styling by Sean Dooley23/67Baked Mushroom-Rice Porridge
Use this hands-off mushroom congee as a completely customizable canvas for all your winter meal planning.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Spencer Richards, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua24/67Cozy and Quick White Chicken Chili
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Nicole Louie25/67Gochujang Sloppy Joes
Photograph by Peden + Munk, food styling by Shilpa Uskokovic27/67Easy Chicken Al Pastor
Chicken thighs slathered in a chipotle chile marinade come together quickly after a speedy broil. It’s all the flavors of the beloved street food, but simple enough to pull together whenever the craving hits.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Sean Dooley, prop styling by Gerri Williams28/67Spinach-Artichoke-Dip Pasta
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Emma Fishman29/67Tomatoes and Feta With Chickpeas
Whether you scoop it up with pita or you serve it with a pot of hearty bulgur, this sheet-pan dinner is a savory, cheesy, near-effortless winner.
Photography by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Christina Allen30/67Beefy Cheesy Sweet Potatoes With Kimchi
Photograph by Maya Visnyei, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua31/67Crispy Mushroom Quesadillas
Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Kat Boytsova32/67All-American Cheeseburger Pasta
This deeply flavorful, super-comforting pasta dish is greater than the sum of its humble parts. Think of it as a DIY Hamburger Helper– still convenient, but with a pronounceable ingredient list.
Photograph by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness33/67Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Christina Allen34/67Tamale Pie
Neither a tamale nor a pie, this hearty Tex-Mex casserole is a mash-up of beefy bean chili and homemade cornbread.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Emilie Fosnocht, prop styling by Emma Ringness35/67Creamy Pumpkin Pasta
Canned pumpkin is good for way more than sweets. Here, thanks to lemon, Parmesan, and chile flakes, it’s transformed into an easy dinner you’ll soon be able to make with one hand behind your back.
Photo by Marcus Nilsson, Food Styling by Frances Boswell, Prop Styling by Amy Wilson36/67Sweet-and-Saucy Pork Chops
Photograph by Laura Murray, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Sophie Strangio39/67Za’atar Chicken Cutlets With Cabbage Salad
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Spencer Richards, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua40/67Pav Bhaji With So Much Butter
This iconic Mumbai dish is joyously messy, vibrantly spiced, all too easy—and did we mention remarkably cheap?
Photograph Guang Xu41/67Miso Macaroni and Cheese
This foolproof stovetop mac and cheese levels up with the inclusion of miso paste for a silky sauce that is bursting with umami-rich cheesiness.
Photograph by Emma Fishman, Prop styling by Emma Ringness, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi43/67Spaghetti and Verrry Tender Meatballs
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Gözde Eker44/67Gingery Chicken Noodle Soup
Photograph by Scott Semler, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling by Maggie DiMarco45/67Air-Fryer Chicken Tikka
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Beth Pakradooni46/67Ravioli and Mushroom Skillet
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Gerri K. Williams48/67Almost Alfredo Broccoli and Chickpeas
Canned chickpeas and frozen broccoli keep this one-skillet dinner fast and thrifty, while cream cheese delivers on the faux pasta Alfredo front.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Pearl Jones49/67Instant Pot Tomato Soup
This creamy tomato soup has a nostalgic-tasting, long-cooked flavor and a short cook time. It’s ideal for chilly nights paired with a melty grilled cheese.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova, Prop Styling by Gerri K. Williams50/67Meatball Soup With Beef Stew Vibes
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Judy Kim, prop styling by Gerri Williams52/67Pork Adobo Pull-Apart Sliders
Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Anna Billingskog54/67Salmon Teriyaki
Stuck in a salmon rut? We got you. You’ll never believe how easy it is to make your own sweet-salty teriyaki sauce at home, and there’s no better application for it than this beyond-simple weeknight favorite.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Spencer Richards, Prop Styling by Dayna Seman55/67BA’s Best Baked Ziti
With its creamy Parmesan béchamel and tangy pancetta-enriched marinara sauce, this comforting casserole recipe can be brought to the table right in the baking dish.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness57/67Falafel-Spiced Turkey Burgers
Photo by Heami Lee, food styling by Judy Haubert, prop styling by Rebecca Bartoshesky58/67Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Emilie Fosnocht, prop styling by Christina Allen59/67Quick Pita Lahmacun
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by JoJo Li60/67Sour Cream and Onion Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are a family favorite for a reason, and this version with plenty of tang and oomph from sour cream and scallions is destined to be a hall-of-famer. Serve with roast chicken—homemade is great, but a store-bought rotisserie chicken is a stellar stand-in.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht, Prop Styling by Sean Dooley63/67Ginger Fried Rice
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca64/67Sheet-Pan Gnocchi With Spicy Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr, Prop Styling by Christina Allen, Food Styling Emilie Fosnocht65/67Broccoli Cheddar Orzotto
With all the comfort of a regular risotto, this orzo recipe requires less stovetop babysitting but is bitsy enough for baby-safe eating.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Pearl Jones66/67One-Pan Chicken Thighs With Burst Tomatoes, Harissa, and Feta
