55 Dinner Recipes The Kids Of Delish Readers Are *Actually* Asking For

Cooking for kids can be a… conundrum. They love what they love, and sometimes that can make cooking for them, to put it mildly, a challenge. These recipes aren’t all variations on mac and cheese or pizza, but don't worry, we’ve got some favorites in there too. We’ve found if you’re lucky, you can shake kids up by introducing something new (but familiar!) to dinnertime. Avoid the headache and check out our list of fun and easy dinner ideas for kids, and maybe even pick up the Delish Kids (Super-Awesome, Crazy-Fun, Best-Ever) Cookbook?!

Kids and parents both will love all our handheld options, like our taco cups or cheeseburger cups—because who doesn’t love food in miniature? We know, we know, kids sometimes don’t like green food, like our zucchini tots or falafel bites. But have them help you roll the balls, and they’ll quickly get on board! When all else fails, don’t fight it, and give the kids what they want. If yours are anything like ours, that means lots of grilled cheese, buttered noodles, and hot dogs.

To make things easier on parents, a number of these recipes can be prepped ahead of time or in your slow cooker or Instant Pot. (Don’t have an Instant Pot yet? Do your future self a favor and check out our guide for how to choose the best Instant Pot or pressure cooker for your kitchen.)

Less time stressing over what your kids will or won’t eat in the kitchen means more time to enjoy, well, kids being kids. Get even more ideas with our easy dessert recipes for kids too!