Dinner Ideas for Kids

Are you hit with the never-ending daily question, “What’s for dinner?”, but you’ve run out of ideas on what to make? We hear you. Dinner is challenging. You want it to be filling, healthy, yummy and different so your kids or family don’t get bored. But you’ve used up all your fun dinner ideas for kids and are feeling stuck.

“What can I cook for a 5-year-old?”

“What can I cook for a 7-year-old?’

“What can I cook for teenagers?”

Are these the questions that plague your mind every week? Well, we’re here to give you a fresh perspective on what dinner ideas for kids you can make! A range of tasty, healthy and nutritious meals that your kids are sure to love (and ask again for!).

Before you say anything, we know spaghetti is a common dish, but when you try different things to the globally loved pasta, it’ll create ✨magic✨.

Instead of beef or lamb mince, how about trying some pork and fennel sausages? It adds a new taste to your spag bol and let’s face it, you can’t go wrong with it!

You’ll need:

• 6 Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1/2 bunch thyme
• 1 heaped tsp dried chilli flakes (if your kids like a little spice)
• 4 pork and fennel sausages, casings removed, crumbled (can be veggie sausage too)
• 250ml of chicken stock
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 250g vine-ripened cherry tomatoes
• 400g spaghetti
• Fresh ricotta, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 220°C. Add the Roma tomatoes, garlic, thyme, chilli and sausage meat in a deep-sided baking tray.
2. Pour in the stock and drizzle with some oil. Season to taste with whatever you fancy, salt, pepper, herbs and so on. Then bake for 20 minutes or until sausage is browned and tomato is soft.
3. Remove the tray from the oven and roughly crush the tomatoes. Stir in tomato paste and add cherry tomatoes.
4. Bake for a further 10 minutes or until cherry tomatoes are slightly soft. Serve with pasta and ricotta!

Scrumptious!

And if you’re a vegetarian, then you can swap the pork sausages for veggie ones, like the Richmond meat-free sausages and the chicken stock to a veggie stock! One of many versatile dinner ideas for kids.

Looking for something delicious, healthy and fun to eat? Look no further than this skewer kebabs! With the spice toned down, it’s perfect for kids.

Make a marinade with yoghurt, herbs, ketchup and garlic and coat your chicken pieces in the marinade (or lamb/turkey – whichever your kids prefer). Cook your meat until it’s ready. Cut your green, red and yellow peppers into large chunks and then thread the peppers onto a skewer with your meat pieces until you’ve made 6-8 kebab sticks that resemble the colours of a traffic light!

You can either serve with some rice or a dip made of yoghurt and mint.

Oh so yummy!

Who doesn’t love pizza? It’s the best meal to get any kid excited…but what if you could make it healthier and have your kids involved too!

You’ll need:

• Prepared pizza dough
• Ragu sauce (or any tomato-based sauce)
• Veggies (peppers, sweetcorn, mushrooms, etc…)
• Grated or fresh mozzarella
• Ricotta cheese
• Slices or pieces of meat (chicken, ham, prosciutto)
• Rocket or baby spinach
• Few sprigs of thyme
• Garlic

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Then combine your mozzarella and ricotta cheese and thyme into a bowl. Leave to the side.
2. Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and add garlic. Cook until fragrant, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes. Once cooked, remove from heat. 
3. Prepare your veggies – cut them into small pieces and mix with the garlic.
4. Add a baking sheet onto a tray and sprinkle some cornflour on it. Stretch and shape your pre-prepared pizza dough onto the baking sheet and spread the cheese mixture on top – don’t forget to leave an inch of dough around the entire pizza! Then add the cut veggies on top!
5. Sprinkle some mozzarella cheese on top (if you have any left) and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Once cooked, top with rocket or baby spinach. Slice and dig in! 

The best thing about pizza is that you can have any kind of flavour or toppings you want!

This slow cooker macaroni cheese is an easy, simple and totally delicious way to feed your family. Plus, when your kids see how much food they have to work with next time, they’ll feel better about eating their broccoli and carrots!

All you need to do is whack all your ingredients together in a slow cooker and let it cook away.

Simple but tasty dinner ideas for kids that will leave them with full bellies!

Try this recipe!

Traybakes are the best kind of dish. Everything cooks together, with those flavours creating a sensational taste and there are fewer pots and pans to clean up!

You’ll need:

• 500g baby new potatoes, cut in half
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 large courgettes, cut into small chunks
• 1 red pepper, cut into small chunks
• 1 spring onion, finely sliced
• 25g pine nuts
• 3-4 salmon fillets
• ½ lemon juice
• 1½ – 2 tbsp pesto

There’s only one step, so it’s super super easy!

1. Boil the potatoes for 10 mins until tender, then drain.
2. Heat oven to 200°C. Toss the potatoes in the oil, transfer them to a baking tray and roast for 20 minutes.
3. After 20 minutes, push the potatoes to one side and add the courgettes, pepper, spring onion and pine nuts down the middle of the tray. Put the salmon on the other side. Squeeze lemon juice over the fillets and the vegetables (not including the potatoes). Then season everything with pepper.
4. Next, spread each of the salmon fillets with pesto and return the tray to the oven for 12-15 minutes until it’s all cooked!

One of many wonderful dinner ideas for kids that is good enough for the entire family!

A fun twist on a regular taco salad bowl, this vegan tacos salad bowl is completely made with plant-based ingredients and tastes surprisingly close to its animal-based cousin.

1. Grill your tortilla wraps for a minute on each side and then quickly push the wrap inward to create a bowl shape.
2. Add some red peppers, plant-based meat and garlic with a splash of oil, into a pan and cook until tender.
3. After, simply add the mix into the taco bowls and sprinkle some lettuce, cheese, sour cream and crispy onions on top. 

A delicious and colourful dinner idea for kids!

A hearty, veg filled, super saucy and tasty dinner idea that your kids are going to LOVE! And the best part? It’s quicky and easy!

You’ll need:

• 2 vegetable stock cubes
• 15g peeled fresh ginger (sliced thinly)
• 2 red chillies, washed
• 3 stems of spring onions, washed and finely chopped
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 200g pak choi, quartered
• 300g rice noodles
• 300g fish (whether it’s salmon or prawns)

1. Add 1½ litres of water to a large deep pan and add the vegetable stock. Mix thoroughly.
2. Add the sliced fresh ginger, 1 halved red chilli, the spring onions and the soy sauce to the pan. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and leave to simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Once brewed, remove the ginger and chilli from the broth and discard. Then add the pak choi to the pan and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Cook the noodles according to instructions on the packet. Divide into each serving bowl, then ladle over the broth and pak choi. Finally, add the fish, and you’re done! 

An exciting and perfect pick me up on a cold day, after school. But also an innovative and new dinner idea for kids (younglings or teenagers) that will have them licking their lips!

It’s safe to say Indian food is a top favourite in the UK, and who can refuse a creamy korma? A comforting dinner idea for kids that will warm them up on the coldest of days.

1. Cut the turkey into small strips, add to the pan with the onions – once soft add the korma paste and cook for a little longer.
2. After breaking up the creamed coconut, add to the pan with 200ml boiling water, chopped tomato tin and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Add some frozen mixed veg and chilli and cook for a further couple of minutes.
4. Once done, garnish with some coriander and hooray!

All cooked! Now, prepare to be blown away (not literally!)

Time to get fiesta ready for a Mexican style dinner your kids will gobble up! A little spicey, a lot delicious and simply easy for a mid-week dinner.

 You’ll need:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 tsp all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp chilli powder
• 300 ml chicken stock
• 1/2  red bell pepper, chopped
• 100g sliced mushrooms
• 1 avocado
• 170g shredded cooked chicken breasts
• 170g grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 large flour tortillas
• Salsa, sour cream, fresh cilantro, lime wedges, and sliced avocado, for garnish

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, heat a tablespoon of oil. Then add the flour and chilli powder – stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Gradually whisk in the chicken stock. Add peppers, mushrooms, and chicken to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender (6 to 8 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in cheese.
3. Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spread half of the vegetable mixture on a tortilla, leaving an inch border all around. Place the second tortilla on top and cook. Turn over once until golden brown (2 to 3 minutes per side).
4. Repeat with remaining oil, tortillas, and vegetable mixture. And there you have it, some scrumptious quesadillas!

A Mexican feast to spruce up your dinner ideas for kids – there will only be clean plates, full bellies and happy faces all around!

Crispy chicken and chips (but without the potato). You can’t really go wrong with it, and I bet the kids will be rushing to the dinner table, full of excitement!

1. Divide flour with paprika in a bowl.
2. Beat some eggs in another bowl and crush rice Krispies in a third bowl.
3. Dust the chicken strips in the flour, then egg and coat in the rice snaps.
4. Repeat the step for the number of chicken goujons you would like. Then place on a baking tray (drizzle with oil).
5. On a second tray, place carrot sticks drizzled with oil and seasoned with paprika and salt.
6. Then cook both in the oven at 200°C for 20 minutes (or until cooked). Once cooked, plate up, add some sauce and enjoy!

A somewhat healthier version of chicken and fries and who knew carrots could taste so good? Your kids will come back asking for seconds, maybe even thirds (do you have enough?!)

Coming up with new dinner ideas for kids can be exhausting – some can be fussy, only like certain things or don’t wish to have the same thing over and over. Especially after a day of work, it can be difficult to want to make a whole new feast.

But with these simple (mostly) dinner recipe ideas, there will only be happy faces around your dinner table. And you can always swap out the ingredients for something else, to keep it fresh! They’re also perfect for kids, whether they’re 6, 9 or 12+! With a range of meat and vegetarian dish recipes that will get them excited for dinner. Or sweet and spicy, healthy and nutritious, speedy suppers for that weeknight meal. Whether your kids are picky eaters or love to try new things you’ll be impressed at the range of dinner ideas for kids that will become a firm favourite.