55+ Recipes That’ll Take the Guesswork out of the “What’s for Dinner?” Dilemma

Kelli Foster

published Nov 17, 2021

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chicken and rice served in a bowl with a metal spoon — Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Anna Stockwell
Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

If there’s one thing harder than deciding what to make yourself for dinner, it’s coming up with easy dinner ideas for your kids. You want to get something on the table that’s fairly quick to make and doesn’t require a lot of effort. And you also want a meal that the kids (and ideally the whole table!) will devour, while contending with food preferences that can ping-pong from week to week. And it can feel even trickier when you have a picky eater on your hands.

Our go-to solution is keeping a short roster of kid-friendly dinner ideas on hand. Whether you have an eater who adores chicken, or one who will always say yes to pasta, we have you covered with these (more than 55!) dinner recipes.

20-Minute Kid-Friendly Meals

When you’ve got a table full of hungry mouths to feed, sometimes you want the fastest, easiest solution for getting dinner on the table. And these meals deliver, as they get a warm and satisfying family-friendly dinner on the table with just 20 minutes on the clock.

1 / 8

20-Minute Bean and Rice Burritos

These four-ingredient burritos are seriously satisfying, and are cheap and easy to make at home.

2 / 8

20-Minute Coconut Chickpea Curry

Use your favorite curry paste as a base for this one-pot weeknight dinner.

3 / 8

Huevos Rancheros Tacos

Pile cheesy scrambled eggs, roasted red peppers, and black beans and you've got a kid-friendly dinner made in minutes.

4 / 8

One-Skillet Salsa Pork Chops

Salsa and zucchini are the secret to turning a pack of boneless pork chops into a quick and easy weeknight dinner.

5 / 8

Quick & Easy Crispy Fish Tacos with Cabbage Slaw

These crispy fish tacos start with frozen beer-battered cod fillets, which makes them extra quick to prepare.

6 / 8

Chicken Teriyaki

Inspired by the takeout classic, this easy chicken teriyaki is made with boneless chicken breast and a simple pantry sauce that comes together in 20 minutes.

7 / 8

Sheet Pan Crispy Salmon and Potatoes

This sheet pan supper will show you just how quick and simple it can be to get a salmon dinner on the table any night of the week.

8 / 8

Gnocchi Skillet with Chicken Sausage & Tomatoes

Whether you have just a couple leftover links of chicken sausage or a full pack, here's our favorite way to turn them into a last-minute dinner the whole table will enjoy.

Kid-Friendly Pasta Dinners

Whether your little ones go for buttered noodles or something made with tortellini, this lineup has it all. These dinners also try to work in a veggie or two.

1 / 9

Brown Butter Parmesan Pasta

Toss warm strands of spaghetti with brown butter, panko, and a sprinkle of Parm and you've got an ultra-comforting meal that comes together in minutes.

2 / 9

Tomato Tortellini Soup

This creamy, tangy tomato soup is studded with tender tortellini and comes together in just 20 minutes.

3 / 9

One-Pot Parmesan Brussels Sprouts Orzo

Partner Brussels sprouts with orzo and plenty of Parm, and the kids are bound to get on board with these green globes.

4 / 9

Confetti Spaghetti

Getting kids excited to eat more vegetables is really all about how you market dinner. For example, call this 30-minute, one-pot, veggie-packed pasta Confetti Spaghetti and it will be gobbled up twice as fast.

5 / 9

Tortellini with Butter-Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce

Roast halved cherry tomatoes with garlic-infused butter and they're transformed into a light and juicy sauce for cheese tortellini.

6 / 9

Lemon Butter Pasta & Veggies

If you want to skip the red sauce, gather up whatever summer veggies you have handy for a quick and easy pasta dinner tossed in a lemon butter sauce.

7 / 9

Chicken Parm and Pasta Skillet

This skillet rendition of chicken Parm and pasta comes together in a flash with the help of frozen chicken tenders.

8 / 9

Pasta with Hummus, Olives, Feta, and Red Pepper

This quick vegetarian pasta that's tossed in a creamy hummus sauce and filled with olives, feta, and roasted red peppers.

9 / 9

Tuscan Tortellini Skillet

Five ingredients is all is takes to turn a bag of frozen tortellini into a quick skillet meal with a dose of veggies.

Kid-Friendly Dinners with Chicken

Between crispy chicken thighs, sheet pan honey-Dijon chicken, and the crispiest baked tenders, these weeknight dinners are easy to pull off and budget-friendly, too.

1 / 13

Extra Toasty Cheez-It Chicken Tenders

These crispy, cheesy chicken tenders are served with a homemade buttermilk ranch.

2 / 13

Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

This family-friendly dinner promises juicy pieces of chicken, fluffy rice, perfectly tender veggies, and a level of creaminess that just can't be beat. Plus, it cooks in less than 30 minutes.

3 / 13

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Enchiladas are one of those perfect meals where you get a little bit of something delicious in every bite.

4 / 13

Potato Chip Chicken Tenders

These kid-friendly baked chicken tenders are impressively crispy, and can be on your table in just 30 minutes.

5 / 13

Easy Sheet Pan Chicken Nachos

Want restaurant-style chicken nachos at home? This is your go-to recipe!

6 / 13

Sheet Pan Honey-Dijon Chicken and Vegetables

This is a weeknight-friendly sheet pan dinner of chicken, broccoli, potatoes, and red onion, tossed in a sweet and savory honey-Dijon glaze.

7 / 13

Sheet Pan Chicken Marinara

Frozen chicken tenders are topped with marinara sauce and melty mozzarella for a satisfying shortcut dinner.

8 / 13

Sheet Pan Chicken and Broccoli with Drizzle Sauce

The “recipe” that launched our Miracle Meal series, featuring chicken nuggets, broccoli, carrots, and a two-ingredient sauce that everyone will love.

9 / 13

French Bread Pesto Chicken Pizza

French bread pizza is one of our favorite ways to stretch a single leftover chicken breast into an easy dinner for the whole family.

10 / 13

Juicy Chicken Meatballs

Don't forget about ground chicken when making meatballs. This version is just as juicy as classic beef meatballs, but more budget-friendly.

11 / 13

Life-Changing Garlic Butter Chicken Thighs

These chicken thighs are impossibly juicy, thanks to a garlic butter drizzle and stovetop-to-oven cooking method, and boast the crispiest, crackliest skin. Plus, you only need five ingredients to make them.

12 / 13

Chicken Nuggets

Chicken nuggets are a one-way ticket to pleasing kids of all ages.

13 / 13

3-Ingredient Baked Caesar Chicken

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are smothered in your favorite creamy Caesar dressing and baked until golden, then showered with snowy Parmesan before heading under the broiler to get nice and bubbly.

Kid-Friendly Dinners with Ground Beef

Any time dinner starts with a pack of ground beef, you have a big selection of family-friendly options to choose from. From pizza burgers to sloppy Joes, these recipes are sure to be big hits.

1 / 8

Open-Faced Pizza Burgers

A hybrid of English muffin pizzas and cheesy burgers, this is a meal the whole family will love.

2 / 8

Easy Ground Beef Tacos

These easy ground beef tacos are a winning weeknight dinner loaded with moist, flavorful beef and your favorite toppings.

3 / 8

Easy, Creamy Beef and Shells

If you grew up loving Hamburger Helper, you're going to love this quick and easy from-scratch version of cheesy beef and shells.

4 / 8

Quick & Easy Sloppy Joes

A family dinner classic, these easy sloppy Joes are ideal for any night of the week.

5 / 8

One-Pot Weeknight Beef Stroganoff

Tender noodles, ground beef, and mushrooms all cooked together in a creamy, comforting sauce.

6 / 8

Easy One-Pot Beef Goulash

From the sauce-slicked macaroni to the crumbles of ground beef and generous pockets of melted cheddar, one-pot beef goulash is as comforting as it is easy to get on the table.

7 / 8

Instant Pot Spaghetti

Instant Pot spaghetti is way easier, faster, and, arguably, tastier than the version you make on the stovetop, and it's almost entirely hands-off.

8 / 8

One-Pot Cheesy Taco Pasta

With smoky seasoned ground beef, spicy salsa, and gooey cheese, this one-pot pasta dinner is everything you love about the classic ground beef taco without the tortilla.

Meat-Free Dinner Ideas

If you’re looking for meat-free dinner ideas, this lineup includes meals that are filling, delicious, and easy to bring to the table.

1 / 11

Crispy Sheet Pan Gnocchi and Veggies

Here's a fun way to change up pasta night: Roast your gnocchi alongside a bunch of vegetables.

2 / 11

Sheet Pan Quesadillas

Use a sheet pan and a few store-bought shortcuts to make a large-format quesadilla to feed the whole table.

3 / 11

Creamy Ricotta Pasta with Broccoli

Want to pile in more veggies? Frozen peas or green beans are a good idea. And if you're out of ricotta, Greek yogurt makes a nice substitute.

4 / 11

Chickpea Nuggets

These crispy coated nuggets are vegan and come together with just six pantry staples.

5 / 11

Busy Philipps' 15-Minute Miracle Minestrone

Riffing on the Miracle Meal that Busy shared with us (canned tomato soup, frozen vegetables, bread) we’re transforming pantry and freezer staples into a very good minestrone soup in under 20 minutes.

6 / 11

Potato Nachos with Pinto Beans and Spinach

Here's an easy, veggie-driven way to get dinner on the table when you've got a toddler or young kid to feed.

7 / 11

Lemony Broccoli Pasta

This weeknight-friendly pasta is made with broccoli, peas, and lots of olive oil.

8 / 11

Zucchini Pesto Pizza Rolls

Veggie-packed pizza rolls are a dinner win for parents with picky kids and not a whole lot of time on their hands.

9 / 11

Broccoli and Cheese Risotto

When broccoli-cheddar soup meets risotto, you've got a dinner the whole family will enjoy.

10 / 11

Smoky Roasted Vegetable Hummus Bowl

These hummus bowls are proof that keeping extra roasted veggies on hand is always a good idea.

11 / 11

Light & Fresh Italian Pasta Salad

The best part of pasta salad for dinner is the leftovers for lunch throughout the week.

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Anna Stockwell

Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

If there’s one thing harder than deciding what to make yourself for dinner, it’s coming up with easy dinner ideas for your kids. You want to get something on the table that’s fairly quick to make and doesn’t require a lot of effort. And you also want a meal that the kids (and ideally the whole table!) will devour, while contending with food preferences that can ping-pong from week to week. And it can feel even trickier when you have a picky eater on your hands.

Our go-to solution is keeping a short roster of kid-friendly dinner ideas on hand. Whether you have an eater who adores chicken, or one who will always say yes to pasta, we have you covered with these (more than 55!) dinner recipes.

20-Minute Kid-Friendly Meals

When you’ve got a table full of hungry mouths to feed, sometimes you want the fastest, easiest solution for getting dinner on the table. And these meals deliver, as they get a warm and satisfying family-friendly dinner on the table with just 20 minutes on the clock.

1 / 8

20-Minute Bean and Rice Burritos

These four-ingredient burritos are seriously satisfying, and are cheap and easy to make at home.

2 / 8

20-Minute Coconut Chickpea Curry

Use your favorite curry paste as a base for this one-pot weeknight dinner.

3 / 8

Huevos Rancheros Tacos

Pile cheesy scrambled eggs, roasted red peppers, and black beans and you've got a kid-friendly dinner made in minutes.

4 / 8

One-Skillet Salsa Pork Chops

Salsa and zucchini are the secret to turning a pack of boneless pork chops into a quick and easy weeknight dinner.

5 / 8

Quick & Easy Crispy Fish Tacos with Cabbage Slaw

These crispy fish tacos start with frozen beer-battered cod fillets, which makes them extra quick to prepare.

6 / 8

Chicken Teriyaki

Inspired by the takeout classic, this easy chicken teriyaki is made with boneless chicken breast and a simple pantry sauce that comes together in 20 minutes.

7 / 8

Sheet Pan Crispy Salmon and Potatoes

This sheet pan supper will show you just how quick and simple it can be to get a salmon dinner on the table any night of the week.

8 / 8

Gnocchi Skillet with Chicken Sausage & Tomatoes

Whether you have just a couple leftover links of chicken sausage or a full pack, here's our favorite way to turn them into a last-minute dinner the whole table will enjoy.

Kid-Friendly Pasta Dinners

Whether your little ones go for buttered noodles or something made with tortellini, this lineup has it all. These dinners also try to work in a veggie or two.

1 / 9

Brown Butter Parmesan Pasta

Toss warm strands of spaghetti with brown butter, panko, and a sprinkle of Parm and you've got an ultra-comforting meal that comes together in minutes.

2 / 9

Tomato Tortellini Soup

This creamy, tangy tomato soup is studded with tender tortellini and comes together in just 20 minutes.

3 / 9

One-Pot Parmesan Brussels Sprouts Orzo

Partner Brussels sprouts with orzo and plenty of Parm, and the kids are bound to get on board with these green globes.

4 / 9

Confetti Spaghetti

Getting kids excited to eat more vegetables is really all about how you market dinner. For example, call this 30-minute, one-pot, veggie-packed pasta Confetti Spaghetti and it will be gobbled up twice as fast.

5 / 9

Tortellini with Butter-Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce

Roast halved cherry tomatoes with garlic-infused butter and they're transformed into a light and juicy sauce for cheese tortellini.

6 / 9

Lemon Butter Pasta & Veggies

If you want to skip the red sauce, gather up whatever summer veggies you have handy for a quick and easy pasta dinner tossed in a lemon butter sauce.

7 / 9

Chicken Parm and Pasta Skillet

This skillet rendition of chicken Parm and pasta comes together in a flash with the help of frozen chicken tenders.

8 / 9

Pasta with Hummus, Olives, Feta, and Red Pepper

This quick vegetarian pasta that's tossed in a creamy hummus sauce and filled with olives, feta, and roasted red peppers.

9 / 9

Tuscan Tortellini Skillet

Five ingredients is all is takes to turn a bag of frozen tortellini into a quick skillet meal with a dose of veggies.

Kid-Friendly Dinners with Chicken

Between crispy chicken thighs, sheet pan honey-Dijon chicken, and the crispiest baked tenders, these weeknight dinners are easy to pull off and budget-friendly, too.

1 / 13

Extra Toasty Cheez-It Chicken Tenders

These crispy, cheesy chicken tenders are served with a homemade buttermilk ranch.

2 / 13

Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

This family-friendly dinner promises juicy pieces of chicken, fluffy rice, perfectly tender veggies, and a level of creaminess that just can't be beat. Plus, it cooks in less than 30 minutes.

3 / 13

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Enchiladas are one of those perfect meals where you get a little bit of something delicious in every bite.

4 / 13

Potato Chip Chicken Tenders

These kid-friendly baked chicken tenders are impressively crispy, and can be on your table in just 30 minutes.

5 / 13

Easy Sheet Pan Chicken Nachos

Want restaurant-style chicken nachos at home? This is your go-to recipe!

6 / 13

Sheet Pan Honey-Dijon Chicken and Vegetables

This is a weeknight-friendly sheet pan dinner of chicken, broccoli, potatoes, and red onion, tossed in a sweet and savory honey-Dijon glaze.

7 / 13

Sheet Pan Chicken Marinara

Frozen chicken tenders are topped with marinara sauce and melty mozzarella for a satisfying shortcut dinner.

8 / 13

Sheet Pan Chicken and Broccoli with Drizzle Sauce

The “recipe” that launched our Miracle Meal series, featuring chicken nuggets, broccoli, carrots, and a two-ingredient sauce that everyone will love.

9 / 13

French Bread Pesto Chicken Pizza

French bread pizza is one of our favorite ways to stretch a single leftover chicken breast into an easy dinner for the whole family.

10 / 13

Juicy Chicken Meatballs

Don't forget about ground chicken when making meatballs. This version is just as juicy as classic beef meatballs, but more budget-friendly.

11 / 13

Life-Changing Garlic Butter Chicken Thighs

These chicken thighs are impossibly juicy, thanks to a garlic butter drizzle and stovetop-to-oven cooking method, and boast the crispiest, crackliest skin. Plus, you only need five ingredients to make them.

12 / 13

Chicken Nuggets

Chicken nuggets are a one-way ticket to pleasing kids of all ages.

13 / 13

3-Ingredient Baked Caesar Chicken

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are smothered in your favorite creamy Caesar dressing and baked until golden, then showered with snowy Parmesan before heading under the broiler to get nice and bubbly.

Kid-Friendly Dinners with Ground Beef

Any time dinner starts with a pack of ground beef, you have a big selection of family-friendly options to choose from. From pizza burgers to sloppy Joes, these recipes are sure to be big hits.

1 / 8

Open-Faced Pizza Burgers

A hybrid of English muffin pizzas and cheesy burgers, this is a meal the whole family will love.

2 / 8

Easy Ground Beef Tacos

These easy ground beef tacos are a winning weeknight dinner loaded with moist, flavorful beef and your favorite toppings.

3 / 8

Easy, Creamy Beef and Shells

If you grew up loving Hamburger Helper, you're going to love this quick and easy from-scratch version of cheesy beef and shells.

4 / 8

Quick & Easy Sloppy Joes

A family dinner classic, these easy sloppy Joes are ideal for any night of the week.

5 / 8

One-Pot Weeknight Beef Stroganoff

Tender noodles, ground beef, and mushrooms all cooked together in a creamy, comforting sauce.

6 / 8

Easy One-Pot Beef Goulash

From the sauce-slicked macaroni to the crumbles of ground beef and generous pockets of melted cheddar, one-pot beef goulash is as comforting as it is easy to get on the table.

7 / 8

Instant Pot Spaghetti

Instant Pot spaghetti is way easier, faster, and, arguably, tastier than the version you make on the stovetop, and it's almost entirely hands-off.

8 / 8

One-Pot Cheesy Taco Pasta

With smoky seasoned ground beef, spicy salsa, and gooey cheese, this one-pot pasta dinner is everything you love about the classic ground beef taco without the tortilla.

Meat-Free Dinner Ideas

If you’re looking for meat-free dinner ideas, this lineup includes meals that are filling, delicious, and easy to bring to the table.

1 / 11

Crispy Sheet Pan Gnocchi and Veggies

Here's a fun way to change up pasta night: Roast your gnocchi alongside a bunch of vegetables.

2 / 11

Sheet Pan Quesadillas

Use a sheet pan and a few store-bought shortcuts to make a large-format quesadilla to feed the whole table.

3 / 11

Creamy Ricotta Pasta with Broccoli

Want to pile in more veggies? Frozen peas or green beans are a good idea. And if you're out of ricotta, Greek yogurt makes a nice substitute.

4 / 11

Chickpea Nuggets

These crispy coated nuggets are vegan and come together with just six pantry staples.

5 / 11

Busy Philipps' 15-Minute Miracle Minestrone

Riffing on the Miracle Meal that Busy shared with us (canned tomato soup, frozen vegetables, bread) we’re transforming pantry and freezer staples into a very good minestrone soup in under 20 minutes.

6 / 11

Potato Nachos with Pinto Beans and Spinach

Here's an easy, veggie-driven way to get dinner on the table when you've got a toddler or young kid to feed.

7 / 11

Lemony Broccoli Pasta

This weeknight-friendly pasta is made with broccoli, peas, and lots of olive oil.

8 / 11

Zucchini Pesto Pizza Rolls

Veggie-packed pizza rolls are a dinner win for parents with picky kids and not a whole lot of time on their hands.

9 / 11

Broccoli and Cheese Risotto

When broccoli-cheddar soup meets risotto, you've got a dinner the whole family will enjoy.

10 / 11

Smoky Roasted Vegetable Hummus Bowl

These hummus bowls are proof that keeping extra roasted veggies on hand is always a good idea.

11 / 11

Light & Fresh Italian Pasta Salad

The best part of pasta salad for dinner is the leftovers for lunch throughout the week.

Kid-Friendly Casseroles

The beauty of casseroles is that the options in this lineup don’t require much upfront prep, they’re comforting and delicious, and might leave you with leftovers for lunch.

1 / 8

Cheesy Meatball Casserole

Meatballs take center stage in this quick and easy casserole topped with plenty of melted cheese.

2 / 8

One-Pot Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole

If you’re looking for a comforting one-pot meal that will please the whole family, look no further than this creamy chicken and rice stovetop casserole.

3 / 8

Ground Beef Taco Casserole

Spoon this casserole onto everyone's plate, stuff it into tortillas, or spoon it over chips or a salad. There are so many ways to serve it up.

4 / 8

Breakfast Burrito Egg Casserole

It's everything you love about a classic breakfast burrito layered into a cheesy egg casserole.

5 / 8

Chicken Noodle Soup Casserole

This chicken noodle soup casserole has all the familiar flavors of the classic soup. Instead of a brothy base, egg noodles studded with sliced onions, carrots, and celery make up the bulk of it, as well as some shredded cheddar and Parmesan cheeses.

6 / 8

Cheeseburger Pasta Casserole

The all-American cheeseburger served casserole-style with all the fixings is a weeknight wonder.

7 / 8

5-Ingredient Enchilada Casserole

Easy weeknight enchiladas are within reach, thanks to a grocery store shortcut.

8 / 8

Slow Cooker Baked Ziti

Slow cooker baked ziti is just like the traditional casserole with tender noodles swimming in marinara & mixed with a double dose of gooey, melted cheese.

This post originally ran on Kitchn. See it there: 55+ Family-Friendly Recipes to Solve the “What’s for Dinner?” Dilemma