10 Easy Dinner Recipes That Kids Can Make

Written by MomJunction
Last Updated on

Getting the kids involved with cooking is one of the best ways to get them excited about the food on their plate! But making dinner can be a bit challenging for kids. They may be famished, and the time is limited. So is it wise to let your child cook dinner? and what can kids make for dinner? Of course it is! All you have to do is let him try some of the recipes we list below. Just flip through the recipes and amp up the family fun in the kitchen. Read through to know some easy dinner recipes that kids can make.

10 Easy Dinner Recipes For Kids:

1. Chicken And Peanut Butter Noodles:

Dinner Recipes That Kids Can Make - Chicken And Peanut Butter Noodles
Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

  • 8-ounce package thin rice noodles or sticks
  • 2½ pound chicken, shredded
  • 1 seedless cucumber
  • 1 carrot
  • 2 tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce
  • ½ cup creamy peanut butter

How To:

  1. Soak the noodles in hot tap water for about 30 minutes. Drain in a large strainer.
  2. Meanwhile, use a peeler to make long strips of cucumber and carrot.
  3. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together soy sauce, peanut butter and six tablespoons of water until you get a smooth mixture.
  4. Divide the noodles, chicken, cucumber and carrot among four bowls and drizzle the dressing over it.

[ Read: Dinner Recipes For Kids ]

2. Chicken And Cucumber Salad Wraps:

Dinner Recipes That Kids Can Make - Chicken And Cucumber Salad Wraps
Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup mango chutney
  • 2 cups cantaloupe
  • Pepper
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • ½ small seedless cucumber
  • 1 pound chicken, shredded
  • 4 flour tortillas
  • 2 cups of mixed greens

How To:

  1. In a large bowl, mix chutney, mayonnaise and 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper. Now add cucumber, cilantro, cantaloupe and mix to combine.
  2. Lay out the tortillas and place a ¾th cup of the cantaloupe mixture, ¼ pound chicken and ½ cup greens in the center.
  3. Fold in the side and roll tightly around the filling. Secure with a cling film.
  4. Refrigerate for 2 hours and serve.

3. Turkey Club Sandwich:

Dinner Recipes That Kids Can Make - Turkey Club Sandwich
Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

  • 4 turkey cutlets
  • Coarse salt
  • Ground pepper
  • 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 12 slices of whole-wheat sandwich bread
  • 1 tablespoon of chopped pickled jalapeño
  • 1 tomato

How To:

  1. Season the turkey generously with salt and pepper.
  2. Transfer the turkey to the skillet and cook over medium heat until it turns opaque on all sides. Cook for at least 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer it to a tissue paper lined plate.
  3. In a small bowl, mash avocado and jalapenos with a fork. Season with salt, lime juice, and pepper.
  4. Spread the avocado mixture on one side of bread slice. Now layer cooked turkey and tomato to make a double decker sandwich.
  5. Insert a tooth, slice the sandwich in half and serve. Sandwich should be be on top of the list of dinner that kids can make. Easy and simple to make and experiment with.

4. Whole Wheat Pizza Hand Pockets:

Dinner Recipes That Kids Can Make - Whole Wheat Pizza Hand Pockets
Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

  • ½ cup shredded mozzarella
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan
  • ½ cup part-skim ricotta
  • 1 large egg yolk, plus 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 4 ounces of sliced pepperoni, cut into thin strips
  • 1 pound of fresh whole-wheat pizza dough
  • Kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup prepared pizza sauce
  • Whole-wheat flour, for dusting

How To:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Mix egg yolk, Parmesan, ricotta, mozzarella and ¼ teaspoon salt in a small bowl.
  3. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces.
  4. Dust the dough and work surface with flour and roll into a 5-inch round.
  5. Put two tablespoons of cheese filling in the center and top with two teaspoons of pizza sauce.
  6. Brush the edges of the dough with egg wash and fold the sides to make a half moon. Press and crimp the edges. Repeat the same with other dough.
  7. Now put the pizza pockets on the baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes until it turns golden brown.
  8. You can also freeze the pizza pockets for about one month and cook as mentioned above.

[ Read: Rice Recipes For Kids ]

5. Baked Spaghetti Squash:

Dinner Recipes That Kids Can Make - Baked Spaghetti Squash
Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

  • ½ pound turkey
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large spaghetti squash
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups Roa’s sauce
  • 1 ½ cup mozzarella cheese
  • 5 fresh basil
  • 1 teaspoon fresh oregano
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4 ramekins

How To:

  1. Poke the spaghetti squash and microwave for 10 to 12 minutes, turning every four minutes.
  2. Take it out from the oven and cut it split oven.
  3. Meanwhile, take a nonstick pan and add oil to it. Cook turkey until it turns golden brown in color.
  4. Scoop the squash from the fork and transfer it to a strainer.
  5. In a large bowl, combine ricotta, eggs, sauce, oregano, basil, 1 cup cheese, salt, and pepper.
  6. Now stir in the scraped squash and mix well.
  7. Place a scoop of the squash mixture in each ramekin.
  8. Layer browned meat and put another scoop of squash mixture. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and bake for 45 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
  9. Let it cool for 5 minutes before serving.

6. Creamy Chicken Pasta:

Dinner Recipes That Kids Can Make - Creamy Chicken Pasta
Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

  • 1 envelope Italian dressing mix
  • 1 packet egg noodles
  • 2 tablespoons of butter, softened
  • 3 cups of cooked chicken, chopped
  • 1 cup of whipping cream
  • ¼ cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley

How To:

  1. Cook the noodles according to package instruction. Drain and leave it aside.
  2. Now add 2 tablespoons butter and toss to coat.
  3. Now stir in whipping cream, Parmesan cheese, one teaspoon of Italian dressing mix and cooked chicken.
  4. Cook the mixture on medium to high flame.
  5. Sprinkle parsley and serve.

7. Apple Juice Chicken:

Dinner Recipes That Kids Can Make - Apple Juice Chicken
Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

  • 1 ½ cup organic apple juice
  • ½ pound chicken thighs
  • Salt and pepper

How To:

  1. Boil apple juice and add the chicken pieces to it.Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and cook for 15 minutes.
  2. Flip the chicken and cook for another 20 minutes. Now again flip and cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the juice is thick and syrupy. Keep turning the chicken every 10 minutes.
  3. Make sure that your kid watches it carefully as it can burn quickly. Remove from the heat and serve.

8. Sausage And Vegetables With Garlic:

Dinner Recipes That Kids Can Make - Sausage And Vegetables With Garlic
Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

  • 8 pre-cooked sausages, cut into 3-inch pieces
  • 2 pounds of potatoes, parboiled and chopped
  • 1 small red onion, cut into chunks
  • 6 small sweet peppers, cubed
  • 12 cloves of garlic, peeled
  • Butter
  • Oil
  • Fresh herbs like basil and oregano, torn
  • Salt and pepper

How To:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Now take a baking sheet and grease it lightly with oil.
  3. In the center, place four pieces of sausages, a few cloves of garlic and a handful of potatoes.
  4. Season it with salt, pepper, herbs and butter.
  5. Now bake for around 10 minutes or until the potatoes turn golden.

[ Read: Baking Recipes For Kids ]

9. Chicken Pot Popovers:

Dinner Recipes That Kids Can Make - Chicken Pot Popovers
Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

For Popovers:

  • Baking spray with flour
  • 1 cup of whole milk
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
  • Kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted
  • ¼ teaspoon of baking powder

For The Filling:

  • 3 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
  • 4 tablespoons of grated Parmesan
  • 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 pound chicken, meat shredded
  • 1 cup of frozen peas and carrots
  • ¼ cup of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

How To:

  1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and spray 1 muffin tins generously with oil spray.

For The Popover:

  1. In a bowl, combine milk, flour, eggs, vanilla, and ½ teaspoon salt and whisk well until combined.
  2. Add melted butter and whisk again. Leave the batter to stand for 5 minutes. Now add baking powder to the batter and mix again.
  3. Divide the mixture evenly among the muffin tins and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pan every 5 minutes.

For The Filling:

  1. In a medium saucepan, add broth and flour and whisk until the flour dissolves completely. Now heat the mixture over medium heat, whisking throughout. Cook until the mixture thickens.
  2. Reduce the heat and add two tablespoons of Parmesan cheese, ¼ teaspoon pepper and one teaspoon. Now stir in the carrot, peas and then the chicken.

Assembling:

  1. Take out the popovers from the oven and arrange on plates or bowls.
  2. Top it with chicken filling, divided equally among the popovers.
  3. Garnish the popovers with chopped parsley and Parmesan cheese.

10. Spinach And Ricotta Shells:

Dinner Recipes That Kids Can Make - Spinach And Ricotta Shells
Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

  • 4 tablespoons of salted butter
  • 5 cups of packed fresh baby spinach
  • 2 shallots, chopped
  • ½ cup of ricotta cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • Salt and pepper
  • 500 grams of large pasta shells

How To:

  1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to boil. Boil the pasta for 8 to 9 minutes or according to the package instruction. Drain and leave it aside.
  2. In a frying pan, melt butter and add the shallots. Cook the shallots over medium heat, occasionally stirring.
  3. Add spinach to the pan, add a bit of salt and cover with a lid. Cook until the spinach is wilted, but not completely cooked. Remove from the heat.
  4. In a bowl, whisk together ricotta and eggs.
  5. Add spinach and ricotta to the spinach mixture and toss well to coat.
  6. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

So why wait, hand over the apron and a wooden spoon and let your little gourmand try his hand making these simple dinner recipes. Does your kid like looking? Which dinner recipe can he prepare with ease? Did you find our dinner recipes that kids can make interesting? Tell us in the comment section!

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